Starter Episode: “Antediluvian”
President Vladimir V. Putin’s gratuitous war against Ukraine has plunged Europe into social and economic turmoil and represents the culmination of resentment held by Russian leaders since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. “The Big Steal,” provided by BBC journalist Gavin Esler, explores the roots of Putin’s obsession with Ukraine and how his rise to power was when he was a KGB officer based in East Germany. How it all started. Beginning with the story of Putin’s clash with Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, now in exile, who was imprisoned for ten years on charges of tax evasion and fraud, “The Big Steal” explores much of Putin’s psychology. Provides nasty insight. And an essential listening for anyone trying to understand his actions.
Starter Episode: “Rivals”
The story of the night Ted Kennedy was behind the wheel in a car crash has been revived in recent years, and was adapted into a movie starring Jason Clarke in 2017, culminating in an Emmy-winning HBO episode. In this podcast by People magazine and Cadence13, on July 18, 1969, President Kennedy drove off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, and sent his secretary, Mary Joe Kopekne, to We are investigating the murder case. In addition to the accident, the series looks to the mysteries of Kennedy’s subsequent actions – such as why he waited until the next morning to report what happened. No, but “Cover-Up” is about the dynamics of the Kennedy family, the elaborate power structures that surround them, and how Chappaquiddick’s decades of unanswered questions have haunted them. It provides a fascinating insight into who was there.
Starter Episode: “10 hours later”
For proper English phrasing, this clever series from Wondery does exactly what it says on the tin, offering ironic and detailed retellings of political controversies. Scandal began last spring with a five-part series exploring the murder of KGB agent-turned-North Korean defector Alexander Litvinenko, who died after drinking radioactive tea given to him by a former comrade. Like many of the scandals covered, this story is equally heartbreaking and ridiculous. Litvinenko’s killer inadvertently left a massive trail of radiation in central London hotels, bars and public transport. With the exception of hosts Alice Levine and Matt Ford, witty supporting characters are sprinkled into a gripping central narrative.
Starter Episode: “The Litvinenko Case — Poisoning”
You don’t need to be familiar with Australian political history to fall in love with this documentary series that chronicles one of the most dramatic moments in the country’s history. On November 11, 1975, Gough Whitlam, his prime minister, was removed from office by representatives of Queen Elizabeth II.This unprecedented act was seen by many as a constitutional coup, sparked a heated debate about Australia’s independence from Great Britain. Some mysteries surrounding Whitlam’s dismissal may never be resolved, but ‘The Eleventh’ unfolds its complex backstory and implications in a fascinating way.