Culture | The best of times is now

Why history podcasts are booming now

Listening to stories about the past is a present pastime

The illustration depicts a lively concert scene with three historical figures performing on stage. From left to right, there is Cleopatra dressed in traditional ancient Egyptian attire, Abraham Lincoln in a top hat and suit, and King Henry VIII in regal clothes
Illustration: Mark Long

If you think history is old hat, try getting a seat at the Royal Albert Hall on October 18th. The soirée at London’s most famous concert venue sold out in May. Some 5,000 people will enjoy a bit of Mozart and Beethoven; the big draw, however, is a pair of chatty historians.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The best of times is now”

Will the economy swing the election?

From the August 10th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Culture

Why many French have come to like “Emily in Paris”

Even if they may not want to admit it

“The Perfect Couple” and the new map of Moneyland

Depictions of the super-rich on screen reflect the times


What should “inclusion” include at the Paralympics?

The games make a virtue of their diversity. But there’s still room to grow


The information wars are about to get worse, Yuval Noah Harari argues

The author of “Sapiens” is back with a timely new book about AI, fact and fiction

Arnold Schoenberg was one of classical music’s most important rebels

But, 150 years after his birth, he is underappreciated

Despots and oligarchs have many means to meddle in American politics

The extent of the foreign-influence industry may surprise you