Dec. 8, 2025
#8 Greatest Book of All Time
There is a lot to praise about Herman Melville's Moby Dick, which comes in at #8 on the History of Literature's list of 25 Greatest Books of All Time. In Episode 747, Jacke considers this tale that is so much more than a story about a whale. Eager to dive deeper into the novel? Take a listen to episodes 481 and 482, a pair of episodes in which Jacke pursues 10 essential questions regarding this literary leviathan that begins with the memorable first line:
Call me Ishmael.
Episode 813: George Sand with Fiona Sampson
In Episode 813 of the History of Literature Podcast, Jacke talks to award-winning poet and biographer Fiona Sampson about her book Becoming George, which examines George Sand's iconoclasm and rehabilitates her as an intellectual and artistic gi…
Episode 812: Mary Beard on the Classics
Why are we so fascinated by the ancient world? What can we find in the distant past that is recognizably human — and how do we grapple with the complicated and controversial issues that the past forces us to address? In Episode 812, Jac…
