The publishing mogul Robert Maxwell lived a life shrouded in mystery that was ultimately capped by great disgrace. But was he an out and out villain, like Anthony Trollope's fictional swindler in The Way We Live Now, or a more nuanced and tragic figure? We discuss the life, legacy and deals of the great pension purloiner with his biographer, John Preston.

Hosted by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With John Preston.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Presented in partnership with the Library of Mistakes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Britain's economy mired in 1970s misery, we thought we'd brighten things up a bit. So this week we present the most 1970s story ever: the history of GREEN SHIELD STAMPS! Oldies will know, but for younger listeners, you collected them in books, kids, and exchanged them for glass tumblers and soda syphons. Groovy huh? Neil and Jonathan talk to Prof Leigh Sparks about how they worked and changed British retail for ever.

The show is made in partnership with The Library of Mistakes who are offering a 25% discount on their Practical History of Financial Markets course to listeners. Just follow this link https://www.libraryofmistakes.com/how-to/ and enter ALTIF25 into the box marked promo.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fred Goodwin led Royal Bank of Scotland to ruin and Britain to the brink of financial disaster. But who was the man they called Fred the Shred and how did he build RBS into (briefly) the world's largest bank? And how was he allowed to make such a complete horlicks of it? In our first live show at the Library of Mistakes in Edinburgh, Neil and Jonathan discuss these issues with Ian Fraser, author of Shredded, the seminal history of the fall of RBS.

The show is made in partnership with The Library of Mistakes who are offering a 25% discount on their Practical History of Financial Markets course to listeners. Just follow this link and enter ALTIF25 into the box marked promo.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Ian Fraser.

In partnership with the Library of Mistakes.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

QE or QT? The impact of these hangover expressions from another era is only now becoming apparent. Christopher Mahon of Columbia Threadneedle talks to Jonathan and Neil about how the Bank of England bought government stocks and sold them back at a loss. One example:paying £101 (QE) and later selling it for £28 (QT). The cost of this insane behaviour to the taxpayer? Probably over £115 billion (that's billion).

Secure your tickets to our live event in Edinburgh – on the life and times of Fred 'the Shred' Goodwin – by clicking here.

Presented by Neil Collins and Jonathan Ford.

With Christopher Mahon.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government wants to build new towns on disused railway land to tackle the UK's housing crisis. A cracking idea, but will it be able to? Not just the planners but Natural England lie in wait. Neil and Jonathan are joined by Michael Dnes to investigate the murky tale of a new town on disused railway land in Kent that was eaten by a colony of jumping spiders.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Michael Dnes.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil and Jonathan talk to Duncan Weldon about his new book Blood and Treasure about the interplay between war, society and economics from the violent larceny of the Vikings to the GDP-chomping total wars of the 20th century.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Duncan Weldon.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain's steel industry has all but vanished, and the government has intervened to save the last blast furnaces. But how did the country that invented the steel industry reach this pass and does it even matter? We talk to historian Ewan Gibbs about steel, the state, and the importance of ownership and production in an uncertain world.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Ewan Gibbs.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Generals and politicians calling for rearmament often talk about the UK facing a "1937 moment" of rising threats and a deteriorating international situation. But what actually happened in the late 1930s, and how was an indebted and cash-strapped Britain able to mobilise its industry and spend so much more on armaments? Are there similarities to today and what can we learn? We talk to historian Dan Todman about the economic and military parallels.

Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.

With Daniel Todman.

Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.