• 37 minutes 34 seconds
    Camden's Clever Questions

    Back into the archives to see what happened when Camden Borough Council wrote to the Home Office in 1984 with some clever questions.


    All the archive material referred to in the episode has been uploaded to my Patreon, so please consider becoming a member. You get archive material, bonus episodes, and ad-free access. See www.patreon.com/atomichobo



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    22 July 2026, 7:29 pm
  • 29 minutes 8 seconds
    Tetchy Tarzan Takes 'Em On

    Michael Heseltine - nicknamed Tarzan - became Defence Secretary in Jan 1983 and formed Defence Secretariat 19, a group charged with attacking CND.


    To get ad-free access and archive material, visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 July 2026, 1:23 am
  • 27 minutes 5 seconds
    Ditching Hard Rock

    Hard Rock in 1982 would've been the biggest nuclear war planning exercise in Britain for years - but the government were forced to cancel it, and anti-nuclear campaigners reacted with glee! What happened?


    See the SOLACE report, and get ad-free listening, on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 July 2026, 10:19 am
  • 29 minutes 41 seconds
    Nuclear War in Florida

    Our nuclear book club has now started on Patreon, and the first video is free to view. You can watch it at www.patreon.com/atomichobo


    The first book was THE CHRYSALIDS but the second one, to be discussed in July, is ALAS BABYLON which is set in 1950s Florida, and so I thought we'd have a podcast episode looking at the local newspaper archives for Florida in that era. If you think of Florida as sun-kissed and care-free, it was slightly different under the nuclear tensions of '59.

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    16 June 2026, 4:49 pm
  • 18 minutes 43 seconds
    Pressing the Button: JFK and the PALs

    How does a "pal" stop an "individual psychotic" from launching a nuke? JFK had the answer.


    To get ad-free access, and bonus episodes, visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 May 2026, 7:53 pm
  • 25 minutes 37 seconds
    Pressing the Button: Eisenhower

    Eisenhower introduced three big nuclear changes which overturned Truman's policies on presidential sole authority.


    To get ad-free access, plus extra episodes, consider joining my Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo


    Thank you,

    Julie

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    12 May 2026, 4:00 am
  • 25 minutes 20 seconds
    Pressing the Button: 'Fat, dumb and happy'

    More on Truman and sole presidential authority, and why did Curtis LeMay say he would refuse to be 'fat, dumb and happy' if America got nuked?


    As with last week's episode on Truman, I must acknowledge the brilliant new book by Alex Wellerstein called The Most Awful Responsibility.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 May 2026, 5:00 am
  • 30 minutes 37 seconds
    When The Wind Blows, Part 19

    Jim finally accepts how dire their situation is.


    To get ad-free listening and bonus episodes, join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 May 2026, 5:00 am
  • 20 minutes 33 seconds
    Pressing the Button: Truman

    First in a new series looking at presidential sole authority to "press the button", and what each President has done with that authority. First up is Truman, obviously, and the lesson for the military seems to be: don't mess with Harry!


    To get ad-free listening and bonus episodes on your own private pod feed, join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo


    Julie

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    27 April 2026, 5:00 am
  • 26 minutes 6 seconds
    When The Wind Blows, Part 18

    Oh dear, it's starting to get really grim!


    To get ad-free listening, plus bonus epiosdes, join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 April 2026, 5:00 am
  • 23 minutes 14 seconds
    Shadow Libraries

    How do you protect the written word from the bomb? Using salt mines and shadow libraries and iron mountains!


    To get ad-free listening join my Patreon at www.patreon.com/atomichobo

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 April 2026, 2:40 pm
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