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The Bunker – News without the nonsense

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The Bunker – News without the nonsense
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  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Lightbulb moments – Jonn Elledge on the big ideas that created our world

    26/08/2026 | 27 mins.
    We’re living through another technological revolution, but it’s easy to take for granted how much of the world around us was once a radical new invention. Author, columnist and Oh God, What Now? regular Jonn Elledge joins Alex von Tunzelmann to reveal the 31 inventions that made modern life possible. They answer questions such as: Before windows, did people just live in stinking darkness? Are trees really the “most useful technology” a city can invest in? And are buses slowly morphing into… crabs?

    • Buy Jonn’s book 31 Inventions that Built our World: The Making of Modern Life from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

    Get tickets for Origin Story Live! at Islington’s Union Chapel on Tuesday, September 1

    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

    www.podmasters.co.uk
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Churchill, JFK, Mao, Alex Ferguson… The “great leader” is a myth, says Jared Diamond

    25/08/2026 | 28 mins.
    Do great leaders actually matter? Or are they just being carried along by bigger forces – from timing to sheer dumb luck? It’s the question that underpins almost every argument about politics, business and sport. And it’s one that Jared Diamond, the UCLA professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has spent years trying to answer. He joins Emma Kennedy to reveal when leaders can – and cannot – bring about effective change.
    • Buy Jared’s book Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter? from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
    • Get tickets for Origin Story Live! at Islington’s Union Chapel on Tuesday, September 1
    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast
    Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    www.podmasters.co.uk

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Burnham’s summer review – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor

    24/08/2026 | 21 mins.
    Burnham’s summer is coming to an end, how has his start in office gone? And what problems does he have to look forward to? Plus, there are new hacking concerns for the UK and Trump is back on another tariff tirade… Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor discuss this as they look at the key stories to look out for in the coming days.

    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Trump’s emotional support dictator – Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr

    21/08/2026 | 39 mins.
    Looking back on the big stories of the past seven days… Donald Trump is once again cosying up to his dictator bestie Kim Jong Un – what’s he got up his sleeve? Plus: Burnham fleshes out plans to tackle homelessness and Zelenskyy’s former defence minister calls for Ukraine election… Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week.

    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

    www.podmasters.co.uk
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    How the Middle East was made — with Simon Sebag Montefiore

    20/08/2026 | 26 mins.
    How did we get the modern Middle East? Who shaped it and does the term even make sense in our current era? Seth Thévoz speaks to Simon Sebag Montefiore author of The Cauldron: the Making of the Modern Middle East about how the region has been changed over time and what key players led us to what we know today.

     • Buy Simon’s’s book The Cauldron: the Making of the Modern Middle East from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Produced by: Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

    www.podmasters.co.uk
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About The Bunker – News without the nonsense
News without the nonsense, every weekday morning. In episodes that fit your commute, The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on in news, current affairs, politics, economics and culture. We bring you smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to as a refreshing alternative to repetitive Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now? Our regulars include: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor • Alex von Tunzelmann • Andrew Harrison • Zing Tsjeng • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz. • Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast • Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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