A vast global market in stolen and forged art and artefacts has only grown in the context of the pandemic, but technology and international policing may be catching up

To catch a culture thief by Michael Prodger

Empty shelves need not mean dreary eating

The art of fast food by Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Daisy Dunn

Mary Beard emerges with a portrait of the emperors’ afterlives as vivid as the busts themselves

The emperors’ new clothes by Daisy Dunn

Sarah Ditum

The joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in

Strange brew by Sarah Ditum

Woefully out of touch and with falling congregations, the Church of England faces a crisis of leadership and theology

Remotely wishing you a Merry Christmas by David Scullion

Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Sarah Ditum reveals the joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in as she narrates her column from the December/January issue of The Critic: “Strange Brew”, while David Scullion says the Church of England are woefully out of touch and with falling congregations, now faces a crisis of leadership and theology, as he reads his feature: “Remotely wishing you a Merry Christmas”. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors.  In this episode, Sarah Ditum reveals the joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in as she narrates her column from the December/January issue of The Critic: “Strange Brew”, while David Scullion says the Church of England are woefully out of touch and with falling congregations, now faces a crisis of leadership and theology, as he reads his feature: “Remotely wishing you a Merry Christmas”.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Unexpected music and a crisis of theology

In this episode of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire found themselves fighting together against Russia in the Crimea.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Image: Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854. Wars. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (premiumbeat.com)

In this episode of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire found themselves fighting together against Russia in the Crimea. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854. Wars. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images) Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (<a href="http://premiumbeat.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">premiumbeat.com</a>)

The Crimean War

A narration of Boris Starling's column from the November issue of The Critic.

'Top Guns of the Track' by Boris Starling

David Starkey

A narration of David Starkey's column, 'Welcome back to reality, feminists', from the November issue of The Critic.

'Welcome back to reality, feminists' by David Starkey

A narration of the Hot House column from the November issue of The Critic.

'#couplegoal — orientated' by Claudia Savage Gore

Britain's newest magazine for Politics, Culture and Arts

In this episode, David Starkey says Feminists like Stock have made a belated rediscovery of biological reality in his column ‘Welcome back to reality, feminists’, while Boris Starling outlines the latest rivalry in F1 in ‘Top Guns of the Track’ and Claudia Savage-Gore drags woke Will back to therapy. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, David Starkey says Feminists like Stock have made a belated rediscovery of biological reality in his column ‘Welcome back to reality, feminists’, while Boris Starling outlines the latest rivalry in F1 in ‘Top Guns of the Track’ and Claudia Savage-Gore drags woke Will back to therapy.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Feminists, F1 rivalries and couples therapy

In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, whose books on the period include Waterloo and the forthcoming The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars - Strategies for a World War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why and how Europe was engulfed in wars with France between 1792 and 1815.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Image: Waterloo by Charles Auguste Guillaume Steuben (circa 19th century). Vintage etching circa 19th century.Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (premiumbeat.com)

In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, whose books on the period include Waterloo and the forthcoming The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars - Strategies for a World War, talks to The Critic's deputy editor, Graham Stewart, about why and how Europe was engulfed in wars with France between 1792 and 1815. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Waterloo by Charles Auguste Guillaume Steuben (circa 19th century). Vintage etching circa 19th century. Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (<a href="http://premiumbeat.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">premiumbeat.com</a>)

The Napoleonic Wars

Hello and welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Lisa Hilton reads her piece ‘How Britiain really eats’, where she relays how she enjoys a Thai feast that shows that fiery and exotic has now become mainstream. Henry Hill says a new breed of “muscular unionists” is seeking to reverse the damage done by devolution, as he narrates his feature: ‘Putting muscle behind the Union’ and our Secret Author says we need heavyweights to separate good from back, in this month’s column: 'Bring back the panjandrums'.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hello and welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors.  In this episode, Lisa Hilton reads her piece ‘How Britiain really eats’, where she relays how she enjoys a Thai feast that shows that fiery and exotic has now become mainstream. Henry Hill says a new breed of “muscular unionists” is seeking to reverse the damage done by devolution, as he narrates his feature: ‘Putting muscle behind the Union’ and our Secret Author says we need heavyweights to separate good from back, in this month’s column: 'Bring back the panjandrums'. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Thai feasts, muscular unionists and the need for literary panjandrums

Henry Hill

A narration of the feature, 'Putting Muscle Behind the Union' by Henry Hill from the November issue of The Critic.

'Putting Muscle Behind the Union' by Henry Hill

Lisa Hilton

A narration of the Eating Out column from the November Issue of The Critic.

'How Britain Really Eats' by Lisa Hilton

A narration of the Secret Author column from the November Issue of The Critic.

'Bring Back the Panjandrums' by The Secret Author

As President Macron climbs down on his deadline to punish Britain over fishing licences, David Scullion asks Patrick O'Flynn whether Britain is getting the better of the French, or if the post-Brexit deal has left UK fishermen high and dry. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Image: The Scottish scallop trawler "Cornelis-Gert Jan" leaves the northern French port of Le Havre after being granted permission by French port authorities on November 3, 2021, after being held for days amid a post-Brexit dispute over fishing rights between France and Great Britain. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP) (Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As President Macron climbs down on his deadline to punish Britain over fishing licences, David Scullion asks Patrick O'Flynn whether Britain is getting the better of the French, or if the post-Brexit deal has left UK fishermen high and dry.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: The Scottish scallop trawler "Cornelis-Gert Jan" leaves the northern French port of Le Havre after being granted permission by French port authorities on November 3, 2021, after being held for days amid a post-Brexit dispute over fishing rights between France and Great Britain. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP) (Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images) Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Is Britain winning the fishing wars?

Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors. In this episode, Robert Hutton reads the secret diary of Boris and Carrie Johnson's dog, Dilyn, as he attends Glasgow COP26, Josephine Bartosch, author and campaigner for women’s rights narrates her feature, 'Turning victims into folk devils' and Robert Thicknesse reads his November Opera column, ‘Hot Valks Live!’.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to The Critic Narrated, where we bring you a selection of articles from our print issues, read aloud by their authors.  In this episode, Robert Hutton reads the secret diary of Boris and Carrie Johnson's dog, Dilyn, as he attends Glasgow COP26, Josephine Bartosch, author and campaigner for women’s rights narrates her feature, 'Turning victims into folk devils' and Robert Thicknesse reads his November Opera column, ‘Hot Valks Live!’. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Dilyn goes to Glasgow COP26

Were warfare and the state's role in military affairs transformed between 1500 and 1800? In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, author of A Short History of War explores and debunks some generalisations about war in early modern Europe.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Image: Battle of Lepanto, October 1571. The fleets of Spain, Venice and the Pope, under the command of Don Juan of Austria, defeated the Turks in the last great sea battle involving galleys. From the National Maritime Museum, London. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (premiumbeat.com)

Were warfare and the state's role in military affairs transformed between 1500 and 1800? In this edition of Black's History Week, Professor Jeremy Black, author of A Short History of War explores and debunks some generalisations about war in early modern Europe. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Image: Battle of Lepanto, October 1571. The fleets of Spain, Venice and the Pope, under the command of Don Juan of Austria, defeated the Turks in the last great sea battle involving galleys. From the National Maritime Museum, London. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images) Music: Radetzky March by Human Symphony Orchestra (<a href="http://premiumbeat.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">premiumbeat.com</a>)

Was there a military revolution in early modern Europe?

In this episode of The Critic Narrated, Revd. Marcus Walker, Rector of Great St Bart’s in the City of London, reads his piece ‘Resurrect Forgiveness’, Hannah Betts narrates her column: ‘Time for Coco’ and Patrick Galbraith reads his piece from Country Notes, this week entitled ‘Do the Right Thing’. These articles are taken from the October issue of The Critic.Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode.--Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of The Critic Narrated, Revd. Marcus Walker, Rector of Great St Bart’s in the City of London, reads his piece ‘Resurrect Forgiveness’, Hannah Betts narrates her column: ‘Time for Coco’ and Patrick Galbraith reads his piece from Country Notes, this week entitled ‘Do the Right Thing’. These articles are taken from the October issue of The Critic. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes to ensure you never you never miss an episode. -- Music: “Modern Jazz Samba” Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

It's time to resurrect forgiveness

The Critic Podcast

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Mental Health, Emotions & Thoughts

The best podcast episodes on parenting. Interviewing experts and talking through common issues surrounding parenting. This topic is filled with important lessons and insights for anyone listening. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!