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The General & The Journalist

The Times
Russia
Ukraine
NATO
Iran
China
Donald Trump
United States
United Kingdom
North Korea
Israel
Gaza
Vladimir Putin
Taiwan
Ukrainian Children Abducted By Russia
People's Liberation Army
Undersea Cables
Nuclear Weapons
Hamas
Benjamin Netanyahu
European Union

How wars start, how they are won and what they leave behind them.

General Sir Patrick Sanders and Tom Newton Dunn first met in a war zone. Drawing on their real-life experience of armed conflict, they bring you the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and the dozens of other bitter struggles being fought across our increasingly divided planet.

From interviews with key people on the frontlines of modern warfa... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes76Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsNews Commentary

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Latest Episodes

Russia is holding its first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the Kremlin has worked to ensure the outcome is never truly in doubt. Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of the former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, j... more

It was one of the most audacious acts of sabotage in modern history - in September 2022, explosions ripped through the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia underneath the Baltic Sea. The attack reshaped European geo-politics but at ... more

YouTube

Across Nato’s eastern flank, defence planners are increasingly focused on one date: 2030. War games, military assessments and troop deployments are being shaped around a stark question – could Moscow be ready to test Nato within the next few years?

more

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Pact, a new defence alliance built around the promise that an attack on one is an attack on all.

Together they bring Saudi money and religious authority, Turkey’s military strength and defence ... more

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Recent Guests

Bojan Pancevski
The Wall Street Journal's chief European political correspondent who wrote The Nord Stream Conspiracy
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: Who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline?
Simon Mayall
Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall, former UK Deputy Defence Chief of Staff and Senior Defence Advisor for the Middle East
UK Government (Former)
Episode: The new Middle East: Can a ‘NATO of the East’ work?
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Historian and author of The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East
Historian/Author
Episode: The new Middle East: The battle to shape a region
Victor Cha
US expert on the Korean Peninsula, former White House official, CSIS chair
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Episode: How Putin made North Korea richer – and more dangerous
Yossi Cohen
Former Mossad Director, national security advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu, author of The Sword of Freedom
Mossad
Episode: Inside Mossad: How Israeli spies penetrated Iran
Mark Urban
Colleague from The Sunday Times, journalist
The Sunday Times
Episode: EXPLAINER: Britain's £5 billion drone gamble
Sean Bell
Air Vice Marshal, former RAF Harrier pilot
Royal Air Force / MoD
Episode: Is Pete Hegseth’s macho culture fit for the military?
Natia Seskuria
Lead Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Security at RUSI
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Episode: How Ukraine’s leadership crisis impacts the war
Kirsten Fontenrose
Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council; former White House Advisor, Gulf on the National Security Council
Atlantic Council
Episode: Can Trump force open the Strait of Hormuz?

Hosts

Tom Newton Dunn
Host of The General & The Journalist
Patrick Sanders
Co-host of The General & The Journalist; General sir with strategic military perspective

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 448 ratings
  • Enjoying it

    Really enjoying this podcast. Fab range of guests, great balance of deep and wide ranging discussion and light hearted mirth. Excellent shirt choices too 😉👍🏻 Well done both of you, Pete

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CO XIX
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • For goodness sake, what's with the deeply annoying and intrusive action film background music for the drone episode? Deeply silly.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    iggs58
    a month ago
  • Top quality and highly enjoyable.

    Fascinating insights, well paced and very accessible. The podcast I look forward to most each week and the one I savour most.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NevMac
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Generally interesting

    Generally interesting but some episodes fall into the trap of trump sane washing, please dont insert your intelligent strategy into trumps actions. People so often forget that he is just a failed business man with a background in tv and corruption.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Glydyr
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Interesting, but…

    I do really like this program, some of the interviewees and the subjects are fascinating.

    But the constant “Labour is failing” theme is grating - maybe Labour is not investing what they need to, but there is history here! There is too little comment about the context- decades of under-investment by all governments

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    David in Norwich
    United Kingdom2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critics note strong viewpoints and occasional perceived bias, but still value in-depth exploration of complex issues.
Fans appreciate the combination of journalism and military expertise, delivering clear, grounded geopolitical analysis.
Listeners praise the balanced, thought-provoking discussions and high-quality guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#25
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#60
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#102
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#195
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#236
Germany/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#53
New Zealand/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline?
Q: How did investigators finally narrow down to the suspects, and what were the key turning points in the case?
A combination of intelligence tips, boat rental records, satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, high-resolution camera footage, and DNA traces together pointed to a Ukrainian-led group; arrests followed after a long, transnational investigation.
The new Middle East: The battle to shape a region
Q: Why do you describe the Middle East as the epicenter of our interconnected world, and what does that imply for global stability?
The guest notes the region's historical role as a bridge among continents and its current engagement with multiple great powers, meaning conflicts there have outsized implications for global security and diplomacy, not just regional concerns.
The new Middle East: The battle to shape a region
Q: Do you think the concept of a homogeneous nation-state is a poor fit for the Middle East, and could zombie states be a major future concern?
Yes, the guest argues that the mosaic of ethnic, religious, tribal, and linguistic identities makes strict nation-states fragile, and that many states could unravel or reform through federations or autonomy arrangements as external powers and internal factions compete for influence.
The new Middle East: The battle to shape a region
Q: What inspired you to title the book The Cauldron and to begin with the birth of modern Saudi Arabia?
Montefiore explains the cinematic, novelistic approach was chosen to reveal how the trajectory of the Middle East is shaped by foundational moments, with Saudi Arabia's early resurgence illustrating how central power centers shape later conflicts and alignments.
How Putin made North Korea richer – and more dangerous
Q: What would surprise people most about North Korea in five years, if we spoke again.
The regime could be gone, or it could be thriving even more; the range of possibilities is very wide, and the most hopeful development is the growth of civil society and markets which could gradually shift politics.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The General & The Journalist

What is The General & The Journalist about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A hard-edged geopolitical and defense podcast that blends frontline military experience with sharp geopolitical analysis. Episodes typically feature former military leaders, foreign policy experts, and senior journalists who dissect current conflicts, alliance dynamics, and strategic risk—ranging from Ukraine and Israel to Iran, Russia, and broader security architectures. The tone is informed, candid, and geared toward decision-makers and thoughtful listeners who want practical context for complex security questions. A notable strength is its dual-host format: a seasoned journalist and a high-ranking military figure, which tends to yield rigorous questioning, clear explanations of warfighting concepts, and grounded assessments of policy tra... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The General & The Journalist?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The General & The Journalist:

1. The State of It
2. The Rest Is Politics
3. BFBS Sitrep
4. The Rest Is Politics: Leading
5. Battleground

How many episodes of The General & The Journalist are there?

The General & The Journalist launched a year ago and published 76 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The General & The Journalist?

Recent guests on The General & The Journalist include:

1. Bojan Pancevski
2. Simon Mayall
3. Simon Sebag Montefiore
4. Victor Cha
5. Yossi Cohen
6. Mark Urban
7. Sean Bell
8. Natia Seskuria

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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