This week on the 15-Minute Book Club, Adrian Goldsworthy joins us to delve into the rivalry between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC and their continued influence on us today. Plus, we ask just how much of ancient history is just made up.

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781800245426

US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9781541619982

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

You can find all of Adrian's books below, including the fab Ferox series!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=adrian+goldsworthy

US Link: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Adrian+Goldsworthy

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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There is no room to swing a cat this week as we are wall to wall cats! Author Alex Howard joins us to tell us about Archie the streetwise cat's odyssey in his new book, The Ship's Cat, and he has just 15 minutes to convince you to buy it.

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Preorder The Ship's Cat by Alex Howard at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781785307706

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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James Holland joins us to convince you to buy his upcoming book, The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West in just 15 minutes! James' new book looks at the politics and economics of WW2 in a change of gear from his usual campaign focus. Let us know if he convinced you in the comments!

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West by James Holland at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link (7 May): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9780857509710

US Link (26 May): https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9780802168078

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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The sale of Chelsea FC in 2022 saw politics play a vital role in the sale of football. Nick Purewal, the then AP correspondent assigned to Chelsea had a ringside seat to the remarkable £2 billion pound sale. Nick joins us to discuss interviewing everyone from Roman Abramovich down with Chelsea fan Alex and Matt, who couldn't care less...

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781785909894

There is no US Bookshop link, so here is the link for that other bookstore place we don't really like, but hey, what can you do... https://a.co/d/06OJiXPK

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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On the 17th March 2026, author Len Deighton passed away at the age of 97. To remember this wonderful author, Boney is in the hot seat as he tries to convince Alex that Bomber is a must read from the extensive cateloge of Deighton's books.

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy Len Deighton's Bomber at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9780241493700

US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9780802161611

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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

At the beginning of the Great Depression, three groups of Germans moved to Floreana Island in the Galápagos to create their own utopia. Over the coming years, paradise crumbled into sex, acrimony, and eventually murder. Author Abbott Kahler joins Alex and Boney to ask what the hell happened and to convince you to buy Abbott's book, in just 15 minutes.

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II by Abbott Kahler at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9780008729721

US Link - https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9780451498663

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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

Our old buddy Kit Chapman joins us to tell us all about his new book, which looks at the global quest to achieve immortality, cure all disease and transmute lead into gold as he reveals the illuminating stories of how the alchemists first broke new ground and shaped the scientific method.

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Pre-order The Age of Alchemy: The Secret History of Chemistry from Ancient Magic to Modern Science by Kit Chapman at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link - Out on 30 Apr 2026: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781805221159

US Link - Out on 20 OCT 2026: https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9781778404177

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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

In August 1940, a man walked into Leon Trotsky's study in Mexico City and drove an ice pick into his skull. While the death of Trotsky is well known, the paths taken to that fateful day in Mexico City are not, and Josh Ireland had an incredible story tell, but can he convince you to buy his book in just 15 minutes?

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Buy The Death of Trotsky by Josh Ireland at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781399827294

US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/118682/9780593187104

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

0:00 Welcome to the 15 Minute Book Club

1:27 Introducing Our Guest: Josh Ireland

2:20 The Life of Leon Trotsky

6:02 Trotsky's Rivalry with Stalin

12:09 The Plot to Kill Trotsky

13:53 The Assassin: Ramon Mercader

16:37 The Relevance of Trotsky Today

Patreon members get extra time: 15 more minutes, in which you get to see behind the scenes and find out how the book was written. You can subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/15MinuteBookClub

Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/@15MinuteBook_Club

Buy [INSERT BOOK TITLE] at our Bookshop.org shop. Support authors, indie bookshops and us!

UK Link:

US Link:

Visit our Bookshop with books from all of our guests via the links below:

(UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

(US) https://bookshop.org/shop/15MinuteBookClub

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