If You’re Listening

The world’s most important stories boldly explained by a man hiding in his basement

Matt Bevan, host of the wildly popular podcast If You’re Listening, takes readers on a fascinating journey through the murky waters of history, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves. From a decade-long dispute with his mother-in-law over a comment he may – or may not – have made, to unravelling the mysteries of world-shaping events like the Yalta Conference, the assassination of Julius Caesar, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Matt explores how history is often a patchwork of conflicting accounts, misremembered details and outright myths.

With wit, curiosity and a knack for uncovering the unexpected, Matt dives into tales of lemon trees conjured by Stalin, Bob Hawke’s emotional misstep on Tiananmen Square, and the bizarre flight of a German teenager into Soviet airspace. Along the way, he examines how our biases, assumptions and even evolutionary quirks shape the way we interpret the past – and what that means for how we understand the present.

Perfect for history buffs, sceptics and current affairs addicts, If You’re Listening: Declassified will make you laugh, think and above all re-examine whether the things you think you know about the world are, in fact, true.