Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger", written in 1959, is full of vile sexism, homophobia and prejudice. Is it still worth reading? Also available as a blog.

Why is Ukrainian vodka the best in the world? What else makes it unique? You may be surprised to learn how "Horilka" could become as famous as Scotch or Champagne. Also available as a blog.

Whose fault is the President Putin's invasion of Ukraine? What about the Soviet invasion of Hungary, or the building of the Berlin Wall? Think twice before you ascribe blame or you may be a victim of "reverse conspiracy theories". Also available as a blog

Who is really responsible for the devastating Russia-Ukraine war?  It may not be who you think. Why did President Putin do a U-turn? Listen to find out what really brought about a catastrophic war at the heart of Europe.

My Istanbul thriller "Palladium" has been eleven years in the making. This podcast introduces the cover art: how it came to be designed, what input I made, and how the results came out. Find out how an author gets involved in the cover of the book - or no

"Ulysses" matters: 100 years after Joyce's great masterpiece first appeared, you can read and enjoy it on many levels. A quotation shows why you have nothing to be afraid of. "Of course, Mr B proceeded to stipulate, you must look at both sides of the ques

In "He Knew He Was Right", Anthony Trollope shows he is an outstanding writer on relationships between the sexes.  Lessons on gender from 1869 are 100% relevant today. How men think, how women think and whether there is a difference is one of the abi

How diplomats should work with the media and build their media skills. Subscribe for regular podcasts from Leigh Turner. Read the blog on which this podcast is based here. 

American historian Barbara Tuchman came up with an elegant formula relevant to keeping things in perspective in today's bad news saturated internet age. You may even find her law helps you. You can read the post on which this short podcast is based at my

"The Second Phial" is a complete short story set in the Moscow of 1993. It is a horror story - I hope.  This podcast is not suitable for children. Friends sometimes ask me: 'where do your ideas come from?' When they read, or listen to, "The Second Ph