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PODCAST

The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.

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All Episodes

2:36

1: PREVIEW GUEST NAME: Alejandro Peña Esclusa; Bill...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

PREVIEW GUEST NAME: Alejandro Peña Esclusa; Bill Roggio 50 WORD SUMMARY: Alejandro Peña Esclusadiscusses Venezuelan opposition leaders (González and Machado) asking the UN and US to intervene against the Maduro drug cartel, an ally of Iran, Cuba, and Putin. Bill Roggio covers the potential US swap of Guantanamo al-Qaeda operative Muhammad Rahim (an ally of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar) to secure an American hostage held by the Taliban.

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1:40

Preview: Kevin Frazier discusses the extreme...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Preview: Kevin Frazier discusses the extreme vulnerability and fragmented state of undersea cables, the vast majority of which are privately owned. The Department of Defense relies on these systems, which lack sufficient protection due to high costs. Frazier highlights recent reports that the Russian ship Yantar, under GRU possession, is tracking and mapping these vital cables near Great Britain in the event of conflict.

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2:22

Preview: Kevin Frazier discusses the extreme...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Preview: Kevin Frazier discusses the extreme vulnerability and fragmented state of undersea cables, the vast majority of which are privately owned. The Department of Defense relies on these systems, which lack sufficient protection due to high costs. Frazier highlights recent reports that the Russian ship Yantar, under GRU possession, is tracking and mapping these vital cables near Great Britain in the event of conflict.

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1:10

Preview: General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Preview: General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force retired) explains the rigorous training required for US pilots intercepting Russian probes near locations like Alaska, Estonia, and Romania. Pilots, known as air interceptors, must be prepared to shoot or be shot at, following "Cold War rules." This training takes a long time and involves extensive briefings on the rules of engagement and when lethal force is necessary before every single mission.

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2:07

Preview: Janetyn Sayeh discusses the protests in Iran...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Preview: Janetyn Sayeh discusses the protests in Iran since 2022, identifying Gen Z as the "fearless" leaders who have "categorically rejected" reform within the Islamic Republic. Unlike Millennials, who led the 2009 Green Movementand sought systemic reform, Gen Z-led uprisings—such as the "Woman, Life, Freedom movement"—have been the most major instances of civic engagement against the regime.

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12:00

HEADLINE: Antarctic Warming Threatens Australia with...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

HEADLINE: Antarctic Warming Threatens Australia with Catastrophic Summer; Cockatoos Declare War on TulipsGUEST: Jeremy Zachas 100 WORD SUMMARY: Reporting from New South Wales, Jeremy Zachas details the effects of Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) over Antarctica, which involves a rapid 30°C rise in the upper atmosphere. This disruption threatens Australia with a potentially catastrophic, very warm summer, reviving fears of bushfires. The SSW is also accelerating the melting of Antarctic ice

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11:18

Londinium Chronicles Part 3 Audio Sept 28.mp3...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Londinium Chronicles Part 3 Audio Sept 28.mp3 HEADLINE: How to Move the Billionaires: War, Leveling, and the Failure of Reform SPEAKERS: Germanicus and Gaius200 WORD SUMMARY: The speakers address the internal crisis within "Fortress America": the modern-day Palatine Hill, represented by the billionaires who are untouchable and above the law. Gaius cites economist Thomas Piketty, highlighting the "gigantic" wealth amassed by the super-rich. Germanicus asserts that the only guaranteed pathway to

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18:12

Londinium Chronicles Part 2 Sept 28.mp3 HEADLINE: The...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Londinium Chronicles Part 2 Sept 28.mp3 HEADLINE: The Verres Moment: Indictment, Corruption, and the Threatened Legitimacy of the American Vote SPEAKERS: Gaius and Germanicus 200 WORD SUMMARY: Gaiusand Germanicus draw parallels between the collapse of the Roman Republic—where the people lost confidence in the Senate—and modern America. They recount the trial of Verres, the notoriously corrupt governor of Sicily in 70 B.C.E., whom Cicero prosecuted to expose corruption not just of Verres, but of the

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19:24

Londinium Chronicles Part 1 Sept 28.mp3 HEADLINE:...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Londinium Chronicles Part 1 Sept 28.mp3 HEADLINE: Reorganizing the Legions: Fortress America, the Corrupt Senate, and the Stranglehold of the Military-Industrial Complex SPEAKERS: Gaius Londinium and Germanicus 200 WORD SUMMARY: The Friends of History Debating Society opens by discussing the panicking temperament of European leadership due to Russian provocations (drones, jamming) and Washington's silence on requests for Tomahawks for Kyiv. They contrast the effective Roman legions—combat units and

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7:17

HEADLINE: Runestones, Artifacts, and Modern...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

HEADLINE: Runestones, Artifacts, and Modern Misappropriation BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: Following the translation of the sagas, runestones (e.g., Kensington in Minnesota) began appearing, primarily after 1865. These are almost certainly fakes created by newly arrived Scandinavian immigrants seeking to claim "prior title" to the land by asserting "Vikings were here first." The only artifact

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13:16

HEADLINE: L'Anse aux Meadows, Conflict, and Freydís...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

HEADLINE: L'Anse aux Meadows, Conflict, and Freydís BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The site of L'Anse aux Meadows in northern Newfoundland provides definitive archaeological proof of Norse presence in North America, with dendrochronological research confirming wood was cut in 1021. This site, however, was a short-lived, primarily male base camp for logistical support and exploration, not

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7:03

HEADLINE: Erikson, Sagas, and Vinland Location BOOK...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

HEADLINE: Erikson, Sagas, and Vinland Location BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The source focuses on the westward journey from Greenland, established by Erik the Red, to lands sighted by storm-driven sailors. His son, Leif Erikson, led expeditions around 1000 AD to Helluland (Baffin Island) and Markland (Labrador). This history is recorded in the Saga of Erik the Red (13th century) and the Saga

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10:38

HEADLINE: Defining Vikings and Early Expansion BOOK...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

HEADLINE: Defining Vikings and Early Expansion BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The book discusses the Norse expansion ("Viking" being an activity, not a societal label) that began sweeping across Europe and the British Isles in the late 8th century. Key drivers of this extraordinary diaspora included population growth, pushback against the Christian Frankish Empire, and, most notably, the

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8:50

The final ending discussed is the slow demise of the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

The final ending discussed is the slow demise of the Norsesettlement in Greenland, settled by Erik the Red around 985 AD. Herjolfsnes, one of the last settled places, provides poignant evidence from its graveyard. Due to permafrost, the coarse, mended woolen clothes (vaðmál) of the last generations, dating up to the early 15th century, were preserved. These garments reveal the increasing isolation and poverty of the inhabitants as climate conditions worsened. The ultimate mystery remains what

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10:50

The segment explores different endpoints of the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

The segment explores different endpoints of the Viking Age. 1066 AD is often cited, but this is Anglocentric. That year saw Harald Hardrada, King of Norway (whose claim descended from Cnut's North Sea Empire), killed by Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Normans (Northmen) like William were culturally assimilated Vikings, meaning Vikings were effectively fighting Vikings. A later ending point is the 1263 AD Battle of Largs, a series of skirmishes between King Hákon of Norway and King

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9:13

Barraclough describes the lava cave Surtshellir in...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Barraclough describes the lava cave Surtshellir in Iceland, named after the fire giant Surtr, where new archaeological evidence has been found. Deep within the cave, a man-made wall and a stone outline shaped like a boat were discovered. Inside the boat, offerings associated with fire and burning (ornaments, jasper, burnt bones) were left, suggesting efforts to placate the fire being dwelling further inside the lava field, possibly after the major volcanic eruption around 900 AD. After Iceland

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8:35

The discussion focuses on Norse mythology, noting...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

The discussion focuses on Norse mythology, noting that main written sources, such as Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, were recorded in 13th-century Iceland, post-conversion to Christianity, necessitating caution in interpretation. The creation story involves the eternal void (Ginnungagap) meeting the fire world (Muspelheim) and the ice world (Niflheim), from which the primordial ice giant Ymir formed. The end of the world is Ragnarök, where the fire giant Surtr destroys the world

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7:55

Barraclough interprets objects like reliquaries,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

Barraclough interprets objects like reliquaries, initially used in Christian contexts to house relics. Norse raiders took these back to Norway, valuing the metal and jewels while often discarding the relics inside. These reliquaries were given as presents to women and passed down female generations, suggesting early raids were motivated by young men seeking wealth and status to attract wives and set up farmsteads. The conversation also covers pre-Christian belief systems, specifically a piece of

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11:45

The conversation continues on the eastern Viking...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

The conversation continues on the eastern Viking diaspora, noting that the power base of the Rus shifted from Novgorod to Kyiv, forming Kievan Rus. Although early rulers had Norsedescent, they assimilated culturally, blending Scandinavian and Slavic elements; Norse names like Ingvar and Helgabecame Igor and Olga. History is flexible, and competing groups interpret this mixed heritage. A major mystery discussed is the Salme ship burials in Estonia (Saaremaa island), dating around 750 AD, prior to

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6:45

This segment focuses on Vikings as conquerors, noting...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/09/29

This segment focuses on Vikings as conquerors, noting successful raids like the one on Paris, which yielded 7,000 pounds of gold. Around 865 AD, the Great Heathen Army arrived in England, conquering East Anglia, Northumbria, and Mercia. The resulting stalemate with King Alfred led to the establishment of the Danelaw around 878–880 AD, giving Norse people political and legal control over a vast area of England. Norse settlement is evidenced by Old Norse influences in place names within the Danelaw

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8,561 results

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