The John Batchelor Show

FORGERIES, THE MAINE PENNY, AND ALT-RIGHT APPROPRIATION Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock dismisses American rune stones like the Kensington Stone as 19th-century forgeries made to claim land rights, though he accepts the "Maine Penny" as genuine evidence of trade. He concludes by warning against the modern "alt-right" appropriating Viking history to justify racial prejudice and white supremacy narratives. NUMBER 4

L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS AND THE SAGA OF FREYDIS Colleague Martyn Whittock. The guest identifies L'Anse aux Meadows as a temporary base camp for exploration rather than a permanent settlement, scientifically dated to 1021 AD. He describes complex, often violent interactions with indigenous peoples, highlighting the saga account of Freydis, Eric the Red's daughter, who committed murders to secure her authority. NUMBER 3

LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norseexplorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland around 1000 AD. Citing sagas, he argues that while physical evidence stops at Newfoundland, descriptions of wild grapes suggest they reached further south, potentially to New Brunswick or Maine. NUMBER 2

VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Norse expansion westward. This movement eventually reached the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, setting the stage for voyages to North America. NUMBER 1

XI ZHONGXUN'S DEATH AND XI JINPING'S PHOBIA OF CHAOS Colleague Joseph Torigian. This final segment covers Xi Zhongxun's death and Xi Jinping's admiration for his father's unwavering faith in the party despite persecution. Torigian analyzes a conversation where Xi told Shinzo Abe he might have joined American political parties if born there, suggesting he is a realist nationalist. Ultimately, Xi's governance is defined by a "phobia of chaos" stemming from his family's traumatic Cultural Revolution experiences, driving his desire for total control. NUMBER 16

DEFOE THE MASTER SPY AND AVERY THE STRATEGIST Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The group discusses the irony of Defoe and Avery attending a play about Avery's life, which Defoe secretly wrote under a pseudonym. Kingsley emphasizes Defoe's role as a master spy using multiple aliases. They conclude that Avery was a strategist who defied the simple "swashbuckling" pirate stereotype. NUMBER 4

SECRET AGENTS IN FALMOUTH: ESPIONAGE AND UNDECIPHERED CODES Colleagues Sean Kingsleyand Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. By 1700, Defoe and Avery work as secret agents in Falmouth, influencing elections and intercepting mail for the Crown. Kingsley explains that Defoe later employed Avery as his enforcer while manipulating public opinion in Scotland. The segment also discusses an undeciphered code found in a letter written by Avery. NUMBER 3

DANIEL DEFOE ENCOUNTERS THE GENTLEMAN PIRATE Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The conversation shifts to Daniel Defoe, a debt-ridden merchant and dissenter seeking financial redemption. Defoe encounters Avery in disguise, who is fleeing a manhunt but evolving into a political operative. Cowan describes Avery as a "gentleman pirate" whose intelligence allowed him to survive while other pirates perished. NUMBER 2

HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACYColleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King to discuss Henry Avery, a "complicated genius" who raided a Mughal treasure ship in 1695. While this heist sparked the Golden Age of Piracy, the authors reveal that Avery did not merely vanish but entered a world of espionage. NUMBER 1

PICKETT'S CHARGE AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslanddetails Lee's risky decision to attack the Union center, contrasting it with Meade's data-driven defense. Despite the failure of Pickett's Charge, unit cohesion drove the soldiers forward. Finally, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address utilized the victory to expand the war's purpose toward a "new birth of freedom." NUMBER 4

DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely, Union Colonel Strong Vincent displayed initiative by disobeying orders to successfully secure Little Round Top. Unlike Lee, UnionGeneral George Meade utilized a council of war to build consensus for remaining defensive. NUMBER 3

REYNOLDS' DEATH AND LEE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslandanalyzes General John Reynolds' death while leading forward elements, highlighting frontline leadership risks. He explains Robert E. Lee's strategic goal was winning the war through decisive victory. Additionally, Lee's discretionary orders to new commander Richard Ewell resulted in a missed opportunity to overwhelm Union forces. NUMBER 2

GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified key ridge terrain and chose to delay superior Confederate infantry using dismounted cavalry. By trading space for time, Buford screened the arriving Union army and secured advantageous ground for the coming battle. NUMBER 1

THE RETREAT FROM WOKE CAPITALISM AND RETURN TO THE BOTTOM LINE Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino describes a current retreat from "woke capitalism" as firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachsface financial losses and consumer pushback. Citing Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, he concludes that prioritizing political activism over shareholder returns is counterproductive, asserting that businesses are now pivoting back to the bottom line. NUMBER 4

DISNEY'S POLITICAL MISSTEPS AND ESPN'S IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Focusing on Disney, Gasparino details how CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mishandled political conflicts with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, damaging the company's finances. He also discusses ESPN's political shift, highlighting the departure of Sage Steele, who faced backlash for expressing views contrary to the network's progressive ideology. NUMBER 3

CORPORATE GROUPTHINK AND THE SEC'S PROGRESSIVE SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino argues that corporate adoption of progressive policies was a defensive reaction to populism like Occupy Wall Street and fostered by "groupthink" at elite summits like Davos. He further contends that the SEC has shifted from investor protection to enforcing "woke" environmental and social agendas under the Biden administration. NUMBER 2

THE ORIGINS OF CORPORATE RADICALIZATION AND STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM Colleague Charles Gasparino, Fox Business correspondent and author of Go Woke, Go Broke. Gasparino discusses his book Go Woke, Go Broke, tracing the origins of corporate radicalization to the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of ESG and DEIinitiatives. He explains how asset managers like BlackRock's Larry Fink embraced "stakeholder capitalism" to enforce progressive changes while seeking profit and social adulation. NUMBER 1

THE FATAL 1930 LAUNCH AND INEVITABLE TRAGEDY Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne argues that the fatal 1930 launch was rushed so Thompson could arrive in India as the new Viceroy and return for an imperial conference. Despite warnings about the rotting cover and storms, the ship flew too low, leading to a tragedy Gwynne characterizes as inevitable. NUMBER 4

THE R101: AN OVER-ENGINEERED SOCIALIST PROJECT Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne describes the R101 as an over-engineered "socialist" government project filled with unproven technology, including heavy locomotive engines and fragile gas bags made from cattle intestines. He also highlights the danger posed by the flight program's leader, "Scotty," who was suffering from severe alcoholism during the trials. NUMBER 3

KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco. Thompson championed the "Imperial Airship Scheme" to link the British Empire technologically; Gwynne suggests this ambition was driven partly by a desire to impress Bibesco and facilitate travel between imperial holdings like India. NUMBER 2