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Niall Ferguson

Senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and the Center for European Studies, Harvard. He has published fourteen books, the latest of which is The Square and the Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power.

Series

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor2 episodesThe Learning Curve1 episodeThe Ricochet Podcast5 episodes

Recent Episodes

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

AI is Activating Antisemites Left and Right - with Niall Ferguson

Can historians win the fight against antisemitism and viral misinformation in the age of AI? Historian Niall Ferguson joins Dan to warn that fact-based historians are losing the battle with social media algorithms that spread false and antisemitic content to increasingly receptive audiences on both the right and left. He argues the rules of the fight have changed. Drawing on a new essay co-authored with AI researcher John-Clark Levin, Ferguson offers data on how algorithms, non-human bots, and AI are transforming how antisemitic ideas go viral, making traditional methods of exposing lies increasingly ineffective. If facts alone are no longer enough, what comes next? Read The Death of History by Niall Ferguson and John-Clark Levin. Books by Niall Ferguson including The War of the World and The Square and the Tower. ___ Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.
Host:
Dan Senor

February 2026

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

What’s Trump’s plan with Iran, and beyond? - with Niall Ferguson

Is there a deeper strategy underlying President Trump’s actions? Dan is joined by historian, Free Press columnist, CBS contributor, and Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution Sir Niall Ferguson to connect the dots on how President Trump is using leverage, unpredictability, and selective force across Iran, Venezuela, Europe, and beyond. They discuss why a counter revolution in Iran has little chance without foreign intervention, what “regime alteration” means, whether we're still living through Cold War II, and why Europe keeps taking the bait. In this episode… - Iran strike timing, targets, and endgame - “Regime alteration” vs. regime change - Why Iran’s protests failed and fear works - Turkey’s mediation and Erdoğan’s ambitions - Saudi pressure and regional deterrence logic - Cold War II and the authoritarian axis - Davos, Europe’s weakness, and the Greenland distraction - MAGA tensions, Israel, deterrence, and Taiwan This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack.
Host:
Dan Senor

October 2023

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

They’re Called ‘World Wars’ for a Reason

That war in the Middle East had been predicted did little to allay the shock of all who’ve followed the news from Israel since October 7th. Today's first guest Niall Ferguson was among those who made such a prediction. He joins to discuss the Second Cold War, why it's warming up, and the difficulties the US will face if the temperature continues to rise. And Eli Lake joins to expound upon a shift in Israel's national security policy as the country concludes that existence in a world that contains Hamas is impossible. Sound clip from the opening music: Benjamin Netanyahu's address in response to Hamas' attack. Photo credit: Pro-Israel demonstrators take place in a rally in response to the attack in Israel, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo: Ringo Chiu/Shutterstock)
Hosts:
James LileksPeter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet

September 2022

The Learning Curve
The Learning Curve

Hoover at Stanford’s Dr. Niall Ferguson on Britain, the English-Speaking World, & the Politics of Catastrophe

This week on “The Learning Curve," Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Niall Ferguson, the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is the author of 16 books, including Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. Dr. Ferguson comments publicly for the first time on the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, and how we should teach about Britain’s wide impact – positive and negative – on the world in her era and over the last several hundred years, from the Magna Carta to Winston Churchill. Dr. Ferguson shares findings from his most recent book, which charts the history of disasters, from the 1346–1353 Black Death to COVID; whether our handling of these catastrophes – from both public health and economic standpoints – has improved; and how we can learn from mistakes to better prepare for the future.
Hosts:
Cara CandalGerard Robinson
Organization
Pioneer Institute

March 2022

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Perspectives on History and Herstory

Whenever James roams for the week, a dilemma emerges. How do we make up for his erudition and charm? This time we reached out for a northerner from across the pond. Our guest is Niall Ferguson, one of the few men alive truly qualified to explain the subtleties of consensus misinterpretations of history–and the consequences. Are western leaders making foolhardy wagers in Ukraine? And if so, what's informing them? Tune in to get a take from "the world's most useful historian." Further, Peter and Rob give their unscientific answers to the curiously controversial woman question, their thoughts on our presumed new Supreme Court Justice; plus the state of the Oscars and movies themselves. Music from this week's podcast: I'm Every Woman by Whitney Houston
Hosts:
Peter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet

May 2021

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

‘Doom’ and Boom

Rob's out in an interview with Greg Gutfield, so it's just Peter and James this week. Even so we've got a packed podcast-full of wonders and terrors. First up is Niall Ferguson to discuss his brand new book, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. He and the hosts explore our fascination with disaster. (Be sure to catch his interview with Peter on Uncommon Knowledge as well!) Then they're joined by Stephen Meyer, who has a new book of his own: Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal The Mind Behind The Universe. (We've got UK episode for that as well!) Also, Peter is shocked to learn Biden's economy is sputtering and James sets the record straight-on what, you ask? Listen to find out. Music from this week's episode: God Only Knows by the Beach Boys.
Hosts:
James LileksPeter Robinson
Organization
Ricochet

January 2020

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Benignly Pompous

Now that impeachment is upon us we thought we'd let the guys do a long segment (that's not a euphemism) on it themselves. Then, Niall Ferguson joins to explain why the Trump administration is like the Corleone family, but trust us -- he means this as a compliment (calm down and read the column, MAGA folks). We go celestial with this week's Lileks Post of The Week Winning the Cosmic Lottery by @brycecarmony. Are we alone? Give us your take in the comments. And finally, the Attorney General wants Apple to create a back door to our phones. Since we always forget to lock the back door, we tend to think this is a bad idea. How about you? Music from this week's show: You Ain't The Problem by Michael Kiwanuka
Hosts:
Peter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet

March 2018

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

A Roseanne By Any Other Name

This week, we are very media centric: first, a few thoughts about the Ingraham-Hogg contretemps, then a deep dive into the Rosesanne phenomenon with noted TV expert Rob Long. After that, it's out good pal Robert Costa, national political correspondent for The Washington Post and inexplicably a Phish fan (but we still love him). Finally, Niall Ferguson, the Hoover Senior Fellow and the author of The Square and the Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power stops by for a detailed conversation about Facebook -- what they did, whether they'll stop, and can they survive. By the way: Ricochet never has and never will sell your personal info. And we close with some thoughts on Easter. But no chocolate bunnies. Sorry about that.
Hosts:
James LileksPeter RobinsonRob Long
Organization
Ricochet