Chris Gosden's guest appearances

Chris Gosden

The Book Club

The British Museum Membercast

Archaeology

Natalie Haynes

Tom Holland

Steven Pinker

Craig Wright

Siri Hustvedt

Michael Pollan

Seamus Heaney

David Brooks

Frank Dikötter

Lynda La Plante

Colm Toibin

Naomi Klein

Sebastian Faulks

Claire Tomalin

Carlo Rovelli

OwlTail

Iszi chats to archaeologist, author and British Museum Trustee Chris Gosden about the history of magic through the ages. The British Museum Membercast is a monthly podcast made available to ‘all studious and curious persons’. Comedian, podcaster and super-fan Iszi Lawrence (The Z List Dead List) presents snippets from exclusive Members’ lectures at the Museum, artfully woven together with interviews and her own musings. Please share your comments and feedback about the podcast! You can talk to us on Twitter @britishmuseum using the hashtag #membercast or email friends@britishmuseum.org

Iszi chats to archaeologist, author and British Museum Trustee Chris Gosden about the history of magic through the ages. The British Museum Membercast is a monthly podcast made available to ‘all studious and curious persons’. Comedian, podcaster and super-fan Iszi Lawrence (The Z List Dead List) presents snippets from exclusive Members’ lectures at the Museum, artfully woven together with interviews and her own musings. Please share your comments and feedback about the podcast! You can talk to us on Twitter @britishmuseum using the hashtag #membercast or email friends@britishmuseum.org

047 A History of Magic with Chris Gosden

On this week's books podcast, my guess is Oxford University's Professor of European Archaeology, Chris Gosden. Chris's new book The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, From the Ice Age to the Present. opens up what he sees as a side of human history that has been occluded by propaganda from science and religion. Accordingly, he delves back to evidence from the earliest human settlements all over the world to learn about our magical past -- one thread in what he calls the "triple-helix" of our cultural history. He tells me why John Dee got a bad rap, where magic wands came from -- and why, unusually as an academic, he argues that magic isn't just an anthropological curiosity but might, in fact, have something useful to teach us.  Subscribe to the Spectator's first podcast newsletter here and get each week's podcast highlights in your inbox every Tuesday.

On this week's books podcast, my guess is Oxford University's Professor of European Archaeology, Chris Gosden. Chris's new book The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, From the Ice Age to the Present. opens up what he sees as a side of human history that has been occluded by propaganda from science and religion. Accordingly, he delves back to evidence from the earliest human settlements all over the world to learn about our magical past -- one thread in what he calls the "triple-helix" of our cultural history. He tells me why John Dee got a bad rap, where magic wands came from -- and why, unusually as an academic, he argues that magic isn't just an anthropological curiosity but might, in fact, have something useful to teach us. Subscribe to the Spectator's first podcast newsletter <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast-highlights" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and get each week's podcast highlights in your inbox every Tuesday.

Chris Gosden: The History of Magic