Podcasts about shortest history

In this episode, Brooks sits down with Brian Bunk, Senior Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts and author of The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World's Most Popular Sport. Brian takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of the world's most popular sport — from its ancient roots to the multi-billion dollar global industry it has become today. Along the way, he dives into the rise of pay-to-play culture, the darker side of the beautiful game, and how soccer has transformed into one of the most powerful businesses on the planet. In this conversation, Brian opens up about:

UK needs a a strong liberal voice in the south to counter the predictable catastrophe of Farage and Reform In his latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to historian and author James Hawes about parallels between current political developments and fascist movements in the 1930s and 1970s. James compares Elon Musk's influence to that of Alfred Hugenberg in 1930s Germany, noting how both used media control to promote extreme right-wing parties. Nick and James discuss conservative establishment figures like Michael Grade at Ofcom were failing to enforce impartiality laws, how the government was unwilling to act against platforms promoting insurrection, and how the right-wing media landscape had shifted dramatically since the days when Enoch Powell was rejected by the Conservative Party. Hawes emphasises the need for a united liberal democratic front to oppose far-right parties like Farage's, warning that the first-past-the-post electoral system could allow Nigel Farage to become Prime Minister with less than a third of the vote if the left remained split. They conclude with calls for a "popular front" similar to those that successfully opposed fascists in the past, with both hosts expressing optimism that such a coalition could still be formed. The UK desperately needs a strong Liberal voice in the south to prevent Farage inflicting his second catastrophe on the UK after Brexit - a Reform government with the inevitable division, economic misery and national failure that would guarantee.Read all about it! James Hawes @jameshawes2 Renaissance man, historian, writer and novelist. James, the author of The Shortest History of England and The Shortest History of Germany. His latest in the series, The Shortest History of Ireland, is out next month.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the World Cup, Brian D Bunk takes a look back at the history of soccer with an American historian whose love of the beautiful game started at a Galway United match.

“That kind of put soccer on my radar as a sport. I saw how deeply it meant to people, in a way I didn't appreciate prior to that. And then I was in London when the World Cup began, and I saw the opening match — Argentina and Cameroon, with Cameroon winning in an upset. Just the whole spectacle of it gave me an appreciation for the game.” — Brian Bunk, on Ireland, Italia '90, and the moment everything changed Not long now. Only seven days until the World Cup begins. Just enough time to read Brian D. Bunk's new The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World's Most Popular Sport. History isn't Bunk with Brian. He looks a bit like Elton John, which is appropriate given that old Rocket Man was chairman of Watford and bankrolled the tiny English club to almost winning the league. Pop stars like Ed Sheeran (Ipswich) and Robert Plant (Wolves) love football, Bunk notes. Probably because it reminds them of where they came from. Bunk's thesis is that soccer's global dominance is not accidental. Born in the industrial communities of nineteenth-century England, the game gave workers a new identity, new evidence of their collective power, proof they'll never walk alone. That same logic explains why middle-aged men all over America religiously gather at their local bars to watch English teams with strange names like Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Such is religion in our globalised post-industrial age. “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that,” the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly quipped. That's the shortest of short histories of football. What the working-class Shankly meant was that it gives us social meaning — which is, indeed, more historically significant than the life or death of a single individual. Or even God. Football saves our souls, Brian Bunk concurs with Bill Shankly. Enjoy the World Cup. Five Takeaways •       Soccer Was Born in Industrial Communities for a Reason: The game emerged in industrial Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century not by accident but because industrialisation had shattered traditional community life. Mass migration to cities, technological disruption, the loss of familiar rhythms — all created a need for new kinds of identity and belonging. Soccer filled that need. It gave factory workers a team to follow, a ground to gather at, a shared identity that transcended ethnic and class lines. Bunk's argument: this community function is baked into the game itself, which is why it has replicated across every culture it has touched. •       Why Americans Love the Premier League: Bunk identifies the 1990s as the pivotal decade for American soccer. The 1994 World Cup on home soil. The women's World Cup. The formation of MLS. The arrival of the FIFA video game. The Premier League broadcasting deals with ESPN and Fox. All of these combined and snowballed. Add to that the NFL owners investing in English clubs, the celebrity ownership wave (Ryan Reynolds, Elton John), and the cultural footprint of shows like Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham. The result: a generation of Americans for whom following the Premier League is a primary source of community. •       Maradona: All the Contradictions of Football in One Man: Asked which historical match he would most want to attend, Bunk chooses Mexico City, June 1986: Argentina vs England. Not for the Hand of God goal — which was cheating — but for the second goal, the one where Maradona picked up the ball in his own half, went past five English players, and scored what is generally considered the greatest goal in the history of the game. Bryon Butler's BBC radio commentary: “turning like a little eel.” Andrew's verdict: if any single figure captures all the genius, joy, turbulence, and tragedy of football, it is Maradona. •       The World Cup Returns to North America: In seven days, the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the first time the tournament has returned to North America since the USA hosted in 1994. The timing of Bunk's book is deliberate. Soccer is more popular in America than at any point in history, and the home World Cup is the event that could push it into the first tier of American sports culture. The Premier League, MLS, women's soccer, and now the World Cup: the game's US footprint is larger than it has ever been. •       Andrew's Game: Tottenham vs Benfica, April 1962: Andrew's own fantasy match, offered unprompted at the end: the first leg of the 1962 European Cup semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Benfica at the Est00e1dio da Luz in Lisbon on March 20, 1962, with Eusebio and Jimmy Greaves on the same pitch. Spurs lost 320131 on the night, went out 420132 on aggregate. Two clear penalties not given. Andrew's conclusion: had Spurs won that match, the history of European football — and possibly his own life — would have been different. He notes that he has a son, and that he should have called him Jimmy. About the Guest Brian D. Bunk is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches courses on world history, modern Europe, and the global history of soccer. He is the author of The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World's Most Popular Sport (The Experiment, June 2026), Beyond the Field: How Soccer Built Community in the United States (University of Illinois Press, 2025), and From Football to Soccer: The Early History of the Beautiful Game in the United States (University of Illinois Press, 2021). He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. References: •       The Shortest History of Soccer by Brian D. Bunk (The Experiment, June 2026). •       Beyond the Field: How Soccer Built Community in the United States by Brian D. Bunk (University of Illinois Press, 2025). •       Argentina vs England, FIFA World Cup quarter-final, Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, June 22, 1986 — the Hand of God game, referenced as Bunk's fantasy match. •       Tottenham Hotspur vs Benfica, European Cup semi-final, Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, April 1962 — Andrew's fantasy match. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,900 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On A...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Professor Murray Pittock to talk about his latest book The Shortest History of Scotland, which is published with Old Street Publishing Ltd.“From Columba to The Corries, the Picts to Paisley, Doggerland to Devolution – here is the unmissable story of Scotland.”Murray tells us how he came to write this book, the challenges in deciding what to include and why (and fitting it into just over 200 pages), and how such restrictions shaped the structure and style. He also explains why he selected quotations from Václav Havel and Edwin Muir for the epigraph, where and why he chose to begin this story, and the challenges in dividing the eras and periods.The two then discuss the relationships with England and the rest of Europe, the Declaration of Arbroath, the importance of the formation of the royal burghs and how they held the key to trade, the economy, and education. They also touch upon the Enlightenment, early Scottish literature, John Knox, the Darien scheme, and so much more.There is also conversation about the present day and what the future may hold, and the complex yet important issue of selling Scotland around the world. It was such a pleasure to be able to talk to Murray, and the result is a fascinating dialogue about the nation's history and more.For full details, including all the ways to listen, head to scotswhayhae.com

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by cultural historian Murray Pittock to discuss his new book, The Shortest History of Scotland – a concise but richly detailed journey through two millennia of Scottish history, from the Picts to the present day.Scotland's geography – the “land of the mountain and the flood”, in Walter Scott's phrase – made it virtually impenetrable until modern roads and railways. For centuries, the sea was the highway, and Scotland's east‑coast ports looked as much to continental Europe as to England. Understanding that terrain is key to understanding how Scotland became a state in historical time – and why the union with England was never a foregone conclusion.Murray explains the origins of his book, written as part of the bestselling Shortest History series, and the opportunity it offered to refresh a field dominated by either heavy tomes or outdated accounts. He focuses not just on kings and battles, but on people's lived lives, culture, and the built environment – while also signposting readers towards deeper dives, such as the Declaration of Arbroath.We then turn to the present. The story of modern Scottish nationalism begins with Winnie Ewing's shock by‑election victory in Hamilton in 1967, and her slogan “Stop the world – Scotland wants to get on”. The post‑imperial era marginalised Scotland's distinctive identity; Britishness, once a broad, inclusive identity shared by Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders, suddenly became something narrower and more insular. The memory of the two world wars – particularly the myth of 1940 as an English, south‑east England story – has played a complex role in the union's longevity.Murray explores the drivers of Scottish nationalism: economic anxiety, a desire for democratic control, and an internationalist outlook that became visible in the 2016 Brexit vote, where Scotland's pattern diverged dramatically from England's. He also reflects on the 2014 independence referendum – where pensions and currency fears likely tipped the balance – and on devolution, which Labour hoped would “kill nationalism stone dead” but which failed partly because Scottish Labour never truly became a nationalist party.We also discuss the formation of the union in 1707, a vote “forced” by economic weakness, English obstruction of Scottish overseas trade, and a lack of alternatives. The mercantile class later profited handsomely from the British Empire, shifting Scotland's economic centre of gravity from east to west – from the European ports to Glasgow and the American trade.Topics covered:The geography of Scotland and its historical impactWalter Scott's “land of the mountain and the flood”The Declaration of ArbroathWinnie Ewing and the birth of modern Scottish nationalismPost‑imperial Britishness and the Festival of Britain (1951)The memory of the world wars and its role in the unionDrivers of Scottish nationalism: economic, democratic, internationalistThe 2014 independence referendum and the currency/pensions questionDevolution: Labour's miscalculationThe 1707 union: economic weakness, Darien, and a forced voteMurray Pittock's The Shortest History of Scotland is available now from all good bookshops. Please consider buying from an independent retailer or directly from the publisher.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Explaining History podcast, Nick sets the scene for an upcoming interview with historian Murray Pittock on The Shortest History of Scotland, reflecting on the current wave of nationalist politics across Scotland, Wales, and Ireland—and how these movements connect to wider shifts in British and English identity.From there, Nick turns to global affairs, unpacking the stark contrast between Richard Nixon's landmark visit to China and Donald Trump's far more troubled encounter with Beijing. What did Nixon understand about power, diplomacy, and long-term strategy that seems absent today?The episode explores the tangled relationship between the United States, China, and Iran, looking at how recent events may signal a shift in global power—and what that means for American influence, its allies, and the future of international politics.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A purposely audacious speed-read, The Shortest History of Ireland attempts to condense the story of this country into just 250 pages. Not only that, author James Hawes has set out to challenge the recorded history of Ireland and debunk some popular myths along the way. Was there more to the murderous Oliver Cromwell than we think? Did Éamon de Valera really sign a book of condolences for Adolf Hitler? And why was Catholic Maynooth loyal to Protestant London? Host: Dave Hanratty Guest: James Hawes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, it's not Jackie who's asking the questions: it's you! Historian and author Professor Murray Pittock joins us in the studio to answer some of your burning questions spanning the Jacobite Uprisings, Nessie, and more. Murray also discusses his new book, The Shortest History of Scotland, which covers the full gamut of the nation's past and present in just over 200 pages. To get involved in future episodes like this, send us your questions on Scottish history via email to nts.editor(@)thinkpublishing.co.uk, or as a comment or review on this episode. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Step into the rich and complex story of Japan with acclaimed writer and Japan specialist, Lesley Downer, as she brings to life key moments from her book, The Shortest History of Japan. From samurai and shoguns to emperors, industrialists and pop culture pioneers, Downer unpacks the pivotal forces that have shaped one of the world's most influential nations. Whether you're new to Japan's history or looking to deepen your understanding, this conversation offers a sharp, accessible journey through centuries of conflict, creativity and transformation, illuminating how Japan's past continues to shape its present and global identity.

“Politics is the systematic organisation of hatreds.” — Henry Adams, quoted by Don Watson America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this July. In The Shortest History of the United States, Australian writer Don Watson has squeezed these 250 years into 60,000 words. Beginning with Mad King George, he ends with Mad King Donald. In between: the Puritan North, the plantation South, the miracle of the Constitution, the nightmare of slavery, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, two world wars, and the long arc from republic to empire that Americans have never quite admitted to themselves. Watson argues that America is a profoundly idea-driven place — unlike any other country on earth. The Bible and the Enlightenment documents of the revolution set the bar impossibly high. The Declaration of Independence, the preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the Second Inaugural: these are documents of aspiration that no group of people could ever live up to. Which is precisely why the American moral minefield has never been cleared. The greatest American politicians — Lincoln, FDR — are those who managed to cobble together the most improbable coalitions. The most profound American contradiction — building a country of liberty on the backs of 600 slaves — is one they were always aware of but could never move on from, because the republic couldn't survive without the South. The republic always came first. Even Calhoun, ardently pro-slavery, said he would hang any man who tried to split it. Is Trump different? Watson doesn't think so — not fundamentally. Trump is a chip off the old American block: a huckster, a Roy Cohn-formed Queens opportunist, playing the same game of racial pot-stirring and imperial presidency that has always lurked beneath the surface. The US was founded out of the overthrow of a mad, tyrannical king. From one mad king to another. Six words. The shortest history of America. Five Takeaways •       Eden with Savages to Remove: Watson begins in Australia, where he lives, to establish a point of contrast. Every new-world country has an appalling history of violence toward indigenous peoples. But America is different in one key respect: it found extraordinary land. Lewis and Clark head west and discover the Great Plains, cross the Rockies, see the great rivers, and return to the Mississippi. There is always somewhere to push west. It's Eden — with some savages to remove, who are easily accounted for in biblical terms. This is the first and most consequential American story: a cornucopia that licensed everything that came after. •       The Bar Was Set Impossibly High: America is exceptional in being an idea-driven place. The Bible is there. The Enlightenment documents are there: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the Second Inaugural. These are documents of incredible aspiration that no group of people is ever going to live up to. “A more perfect union” drives them on and damns them simultaneously. Watson's formulation: America is a moral minefield precisely because it set the bar so high. Every infraction of that rhetorical overlay becomes a scandal. Tocqueville grasped it in the 1830s, having barely left the East Coast. His observations are more relevant now than when he wrote them — which means either he was a genius, or America hasn't fundamentally changed in two hundred years. Probably both. •       The Republic Always Came First: A crucial distinction Watson draws: the Civil War was not fought to preserve democracy. It was fought to preserve the republic. Even Calhoun — ardently pro-slavery — said he would hang any man who tried to split it. Manifest destiny, Watson argues, lies latent within the founding: Jefferson and Madison both said the republic couldn't survive without pushing west. West takes you to the Pacific, and beyond. It's an empire from way back — but one that has never recognised itself as an imperial power. And a republic, Watson notes, that has always been an elected monarchy: the powers of the American executive exceed those of any existing European monarchy, and can be expanded, as recent events demonstrate, pretty much at will. •       Trump Is a Chip off the Old Block: The question: is Trump different, or has he always existed? Watson's answer: he's a profoundly American individual, a huckster shaped by Roy Cohn and Queens, who is playing an old game. The US was founded out of the overthrow of a mad, tyrannical king. The “no kings” rallies of recent times are interesting precisely because the struggle against a monarchical presidency has been perpetual. Watson's Gatsby comparison: Trump is Gatsby without the romance — born to be a huckster, not a dreamer. Henry Adams wrote in the 1880s that politics is the systematic organisation of hatreds. That has not changed. Nor has the deep-sea-fish quality of ordinary American life, insulated from the world beyond its own provincial borders. •       Mark Twain, FDR, and the Miracle of Cohesion: Watson's favourite American: Mark Twain. Beautiful voice. The irony. Huckleberry Finn as a seminal novel. Anti-imperialist in the end. Got his politics pretty much right. Among presidents: FDR, who saved and modernised the United States, who believed political leaders can't afford to stand still — you have to stay ahead of the regressive and self-interested forces. Watson's broader verdict: American history is a miracle of cohesion. You can read it as wild turbulence, or you can marvel that it holds together at all. Filaments of goodwill. Recognition of the necessity of holding together. Always threatening to fall apart. Never quite does. About the Guest Don Watson is an Australian author and screenwriter, former speechwriter to Prime Minister Paul Keating. He is the author of The Shortest History of the United States (The Experiment, 2026), American Journeys, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, and many other books. He lives in Melbourne. References: •       The Shortest History of the United States by Don Watson (The Experiment, 2026). •       Democracy: A Novel by Henry Adams (1880) — “Politics is the systematic organisation of hatreds.” •       Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (1835) — still the most quoted work on how American democracy works. •       Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson — the argument that American political life is a caste system. •       Episode 2871: Beverly Gage on This Land Is Your Land — road-tripping through America for the 250th anniversary. About Keen ...

In this bonus episode for Patreon subscribers, Tom and Emerald speak to Professor Toby Walsh, author of “The Shortest History of AI,” to learn all about data centres. As life becomes more and more online and AI enshittifies every aspect of existence, data centres are multiplying across the world and drinking up water and power. Is Eddington a documentary? ---------- The show can only exist because of our wonderful Patreon subscriber’s support. Subscribe for $3/month to get access to our fortnightly subscriber-only full episode, and unlock our complete library of over NINETY past bonus episodes. https://www.patreon.com/SeriousDangerAU ---------- Links - Follow Toby Walsh - https://tobywalsh.ai/ Watch Toby on Tonightly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMe-BD3pkFE Produced by Michael Griffin Follow us on https://twitter.com/SeriousDangerAU https://www.instagram.com/seriousdangerau https://www.tiktok.com/@seriousdangerauSupport the show: http://patreon.com/seriousdangerauSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get tips for experiencing what remains of Aztec culture in modern-day Mexico City. Then hear about what recent excavations in Pompeii are revealing about first-century life in the Roman Empire. And join a historian in considering how the cultures of France's many neighboring countries have long shaped and enriched its identity. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Riley, one of our favorite dinosaur writers, returns to discuss her latest book and lots of other dinosaur topics. Plus a new ceratopsian—Ferenceratops. And a new Dino Duels Championship.For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Quaesitosaurus, links from Riley Black, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Quaesitosaurus-Episode-560/Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.Dinosaur of the day Quaesitosaurus, a titanosaur with a skull similar to Diplodocus.Interview with Riley Black, an award-winning science writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Nature, Smithsonian, and more. She has written a number of books, including “The Last Days of the Dinosaurs,” “When the Earth was Green,” and most recently “The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs”. Follow her on Bluesky @restingdinofaceIn dinosaur news this week:There's a new ceratopsian dinosaur, Ferenceratops shqiperorumDinosaurs were “ecosystem engineers” that shaped their landscapes while they were alive—and after they died outA study of New Mexican dinosaurs supports that they were still thriving before the Cretaceous-ending asteroid hit the EarthOur dino duels are going again! Create your bracket here: bit.ly/dinoduelsbracketThen enter your picks for a chance to win a year of Triceratops-level patreon membership at bit.ly/dinoduelspicksComplete rules and restrictions at bit.ly/dinoduelsrules This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, go to https://www.squarespace.com/IKD to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code IKDThis episode is brought to you by the Colorado Northwestern Community College. Join them for two weeks digging up dinosaur bones in the field, preparing fossils in their lab, or in their new field geology program. For details go to CNCC.edu/paleo26See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

British author James Hawe will tell us of his nerves writing the Shortest History of Ireland. He challenges some orthodox views of our story in and it's a remarkable feat. The Shortest History of Ireland by James Hawes is out today.

We rarely stop to wonder who invented the wheel, the alphabet or the printing press but so much of what feels fundamental to daily life was once a bold, untested idea, and someone had to think it up first.In The Shortest History of Innovation, Andrew Leigh traces that long thread of human ingenuity from ancient breakthroughs through to the inventions reshaping our world today like the car, social media and artificial intelligence. He also debunks some of the myths about how these things into the word and what happens when they collide with humanity.The Shortest History of Innovation is published by Black Inc Books.The executive producer of Conversations is Nicola HarrisonThis episode of Conversations explores history, ancient civilisation, the industrial revolution, medical breakthrough, human progress, invention, innovation, human psychology, AI, penicillin, the wheel, cutlery, vaccines, nuclear bomb, nuclear energy, medieval historyTo binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

From axes to algebra, and steam to steel, innovation has been at the forefront of our development as a society and improved living standards. Scott chats to Federal MP and Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, about his new book, The Shortest History of Innovation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

English nationalism will destroy the UKNick Cohen talks with Lowdown regular, author and historian James Hawes, about the on-going damage wrought on the UK by English nationalists and their failed Brexit project. Now current polls indicate that the same nationalist charlatans look likely to take power at the next general election. James said a Whitehall mandarin's prediction of the future break-up of the UK after the next election is looking increasingly likely: Labour has failed to solve the insoluble shitshow of Brexit - making it ever more likely that a radical right party reform UK led by Nigel Farage - will take power at the next election. This new resurgence of extreme English nationalism along with its loony unworkable policies will be rejected by the people of Northern Ireland and Scotland - and possibly even Wales - and calls for secession from the UK by constituent nations could soon become deafening.Northern Ireland will be the first to leave a failing United Kingdom to escape Farage & coBoth Nick and James agree - Brexit has become like the mad relative squirrelled away in the attic by the embarrassed Victorian family. James predicts Northern Ireland/Ulster will want soon want to unite with the now much richer Republic of Ireland rather than face an increasingly impoverished and culture war-wracked future at the hands of incompetent English and divisive nationalists. Scotland will likely follow suit- dumping Labour for the Scottish nationalists. The future of the United Kingdom has never looked so bleak.Read all about it! James Hawes @jameshawes2 Renaissance man, historian, writer and novelist. James, the author of The Shortest History of England and The Shortest History of Germany. His latest in the series, The Shortest History of Ireland, is out next month.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With each passing day, the Make America Great Again movement is becoming more battle-hardened and less likely to disappear once Trump leaves office (whenever that may be). On this episode of After America, author and former speechwriter Don Watson joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the trajectory of the Trump administration, why Australia can’t avoid the rupture being brought about by the MAGA movement, and where Democratic leadership might come from in a “woefully” split party. This discussion was recorded on Friday 30 January 2026. A time for Bravery: what happens when Australia chooses courage is available now via Australia Institute Press. Usually available for $34.95, use the code ‘POD5’ to get $5 off – offer available for a limited time only. Guest: Don Watson, author of The Shortest History of the United States Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis Show notes: The Shortest History of the United States of America by Don Watson, Black Inc. (2025) ‘International cooperation on firefighting shows the best of the Australia-US alliance’ by Emma Shortis, The Point (January 2026) ‘Shorter America this week: Protest works; Name reality; It's the end of the world as we know it’ by Emma Shortis, The Point (January 2026) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To help unpack whether these positions are truly irreconcilable — or whether a pragmatic middle ground exists — John Maytham is joined by Professor Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, and author of The Shortest History of Migration. He places today’s tensions in historical context, challenging myths around migration while acknowledging why fear and frustration have become so politically powerful. Afternoon Drive with John Maytham is the late afternoon show on CapeTalk. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is our annual book episode! Angie and Trevor discuss the books they enjoyed in 2025, top picks for both fiction and nonfiction. Links Mentioned in This Episode Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. MetPro.co -For the first time ever, MetPro is offering MTA listeners a full 30-day experience for just $95 with absolutely no strings attached! See what it's like working with your own metabolic coach. Limited to the first 30 people. Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. AG1 Next Gen has new flavors: Citrus, Tropical, and Berry. Get a free Welcome Kit with your first order which includes 5 AG1 Travel Packs, a shaker bottle, metal canister, and a bottle of AG Vitamin D3+K2. The Book Episode: Our Top Reads in 2025 Angie got through a total of 241 books in 2025 (95 fiction and 146 nonfiction)(audio=144, hardcopy=94, ebook=3). Authors We Interviewed on the Podcast Here are the books we featured on the podcast this year. See links to the author interviews. Think Like a Runner by Jeff Horowitz How to Run the Perfect Race by Matt Fitzgerald The Norwegian Method by Brad Culp The Explorer's Gene by Alex Hutchinson Ballistic by Henry Abbott Extreme Balance by Joe DeSena The Runaway Housewives of the Appalachian Trail by Kitty Robinson Fuel for Thought by Renee McGregor Don't Call it a Comeback by Keira D'Amato Lootie's World Run by Marie Leautey The Running Ground by Nicolas Thompson Angie's Top 10 Non-Fiction Reads: The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr Memoir is one of my favorite genres and this book takes a peak behind the scenes on writing an engaging memoir. In fact, Mary Karr weaves in so many personal antidotes that it doesn't feel like a how-to book at all. Some of the core principles she talks about have to do with dealing with the truth as you remember it, turning vulnerability into art, and finding your unique story. Everyone from the causal reader to someone who wants to write a memoir will enjoy this book. Awake by Jen Hatmaker I've followed Jen Hatmakes on Instagram for a number of years and she has a very funny and relatable way of sharing her life. Her latest book is a memoir and talks about the dissolution of her 25 year marriage and how she had to come awake to many important areas in her life as a result. Bad Therapy- Why The Kids aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier The author is an investigative journalist who argues that aspects of the mental health industry is harming American children, not helping them but over-diagnosing and over-treating normal struggles. It's important to get children the mental health help that they need but Shrier warns that normal development challenges and emotions are sometimes mislabeled as mental disorders which can lead children to adopt an “illness identity.” It Didn't Start With You -How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn This book talks about how trauma and epigenetic are linked. Trauma can change how our genes work and influence stress responses, health, and mood and these alterations can be passed down to future generations, which can help explain intergenerational trauma. This was a very eye opening book and helpful for anyone processing struggles linked to family history. The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs by Joel Salatin Since reading Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, I've been working on getting the meat our family eats from ethically sustainable sources. Joel Salatin, owner and operator of Polyface Farms, makes the case for how farming and ranching practices need to change (for the good of the environment, the animals, the farmer, and society in general). Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy This is a book that was first published back in 2009 and was updated in 2020. It has been used by many professional athletes and high achievers to develop a stronger mental and emotional game. NFL player, A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles, was filmed reading this book on the sidelines of a January 2025 playoff game and the book started selling thousands of copies. Some of the principles in the book that resonated with me were detaching self-worth from outcomes so that your identity isn't tied to results or achievements. Instead of asking, “How did I do?” Ask, “What did I learn.” Another important take-away was learning to gain control over my inner world. We don't have to believe everything our mind tells us. Yes, we should recognize emotions and thoughts but come back to our core values to develop self-mastery. Estrogen Matters -Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer (Revised and Updated) by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris As a woman in perimenopause I've been educating myself on how to make this transition in life work for me. As a result I started using HRT two years ago and it has improved my life physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thankfully the FDA removed the black box warning on HRT in 2025 after years of misinformation. This book is a must read for women in their mid-30's and up, those who have experienced surgical menopause, or anyone who wants to understand the role of estrogen more completely. From Strength to Strength– Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks Brooks is a Harvard professor and happiness columnist for The Atlantic. He draws on philosophy, social science, biography, and spirituality to offer a helpful roadmap for aging well in the second half of life. In order to embrace, and not fight, the inevitable decline we need to redefine success (moving away from being primarily validated by money or job titles) and look to internal measures like a deeper sense of purpose, wisdom, strong relationships, and service to others. Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobson Annie Jacobson is one of those authors from which I will read anything she writes. In the rather bleak (but fascinating) book she lays out the history of nuclear programs throughout the world and presents a scenario in which nuclear weapons are used. Spoiler alert- there are no good outcomes. Breath- The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor I've struggled with allergies since childhood, dealing with a lot of nasal congestion. As a result I was a mouth breather and this book challenged me to take a look at my breathing patterns and make some changes. Over the course of a year I trained myself to breathe through my nose during the day (but nighttime was a bigger challenge). A few months ago I started using mouth tape at night (and an airflow clip nasal dilator called Snore Less Now to open up my airway). I've experienced better mouth hygiene and deeper sleep as a result. Honorable Mentions (nonfiction) Hidden Potential by Adam Grant All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert Slow Productivity by Cal Newport Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose Revenge of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher Angie's Top 10 Fiction Reads: The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (#19 in the Armand Gamache series) If you enjoy mysteries and thrillers this series is excellent. I've particularly enjoyed listening to them on audiobook since I'm not a French speaker and would probably mispronounce many names and places otherwise. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig I've enjoyed every book that author Matt Haig has written and this one was no exception. The Life Impossible follows a retired math teacher named Grace who is grieving the loss of her husband and son. She receives an unexpected inheritance which forces her outside her comfort zone, helping her to deal with her past and find new purpose for the future. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver This book is a modern retelling of Charles Dicken's David Coperfield. It follows a boy named Damon Fields who is born into poverty in modern rural Appalachia. He has a very tumultuous life particularly because of the weakness of the foster care system. The book deals with some very heavy subjects but it's ultimately a story of resilience and the power of finding hope in community and through art. The Burning White by Brent Weeks This is the fifth and final book in the Lightbringer Series, a modern fantasy set in a world governed by light and the magic of Chromaturgy. In this world, some people called drafters have the ability to harness light to create a physical substance called “luxin.” Each color has unique powers and identity and the drafter is changed over time. Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown My teens had read this series a few years ago so I was a bit late to the game. But once I finished the first book, Red Rising, I devoured the other five in this fantasy/sci-fi series and am eagerly waiting for the final book to be released next summer. The series centers on class warfare because of a rigid caste system and the main character gets involved in an attempted revolution. This fast paced series is full of action, violence and is set in space. The Measure by Nikki Erlick In this book everyone who reaches a specific age receives a box revealing their lifespan. The story follows eight people who wrestle with the decision whether to open their boxes or not and what to do with the information they get. Ultimately it's an uplifting book that encourages us to live life to the fullest. Twice by Mitch Albom This is a magical realism novel about a boy named Alfie who discovers that he gets two chances at everything in his life. It's a very engaging storyline (which kept me guessing until the end). It really made me see even more value in imperfection and that growth comes from learning. Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz This mystery follows freelance editor Susan Ryleland who finds herself unwillingly entangled in the death of an author whose book she is working on. I enjoy a mystery that keeps me guessing. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book which follows the story of Sonia and Sunny who are both Indian immigrants to the United States who are navigating love, family, country, class, and race. Trevor's Top Reads in 2025: Trevor managed to finish 41 books last year. These ones rose to the top: How the Irish Saved Civilization -The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill. Basically, the Irish saved civilization because their monasteries preserved classical texts, learning, and book making after the fall of the Roman Empire. Irish monks later established monasteries on continental Europe which became centers of learning. American Nations -A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard. This was a paradigm shaping book, it provides the best explanation for regional differences in the USA. As You Wish -Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride (1987) by Cary Elwes. If you love the movie, listen to the audio book to Cary Elwes and other cast members share behind-the-scenes stories. The Shortest History of Ancient Rome -A Millennium of Western Civilization, from Kingdom to Republic to Empire: A Retelling for Our Times by Ross King. Trevor is a big fan of the Shortest History series because they provide a short overviews without getting too myopic or tedious. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. This is a 1,200 page tome or 45 hours on audio book. Fun fact! Twain smoked between 22-40 cigars per day. Let’s end with some Mark Twain quotes: “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd druther not.” “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”. “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”  “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them”.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation's special summer season, multi-award-winning broadcaster, composer and author Andrew Ford AOM chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his latest book, The Shortest History of Music. Here's what you'll discover in this episode: Andrew Ford explains how he balanced brevity and intellectual depth while crafting a 200-page book spanning 4,000 years of musical history How he synthesised a multiplicity of musical traditions and cultures into a seamless narrative How he balanced historical accuracy with masterful storytelling Why he examined music from multiple angles: Its fundamental impulses; the impact of notation; music as a profession and commodity; the concept of modernism and the revolutionary effects of recording technology How he skilfully weaved history, culture and personal insight into a tapestry that celebrates music in all its forms.

This is a Patreon demo. Join to hear part one of our book club on the history of the Soviet Union as well as a Return of the King episode in two weeks!Part 1 of our 2 (?) part series on Sheila Fitzpatrick's ‘The Shortest History of the Soviet Union'. In this part 1, we cover the years 1860-1960 starting from the emancipation of the serfs to the end of Kruschev. ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/RememberShuffle ⁠⁠And make sure you sign up through the browser–not through the app, to save yourself 50%!Give Remember Shuffle a follow on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@RememberShufflePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to interact with the show between episodes. It also makes it easier to book guests.  

A composer, writer, and presenter, Andrew Ford is a unique and highly valued voice in Australia's musical landscape. His music has been heard all around the world, from Sydney to New York, and London to Singapore. It's been conducted by Jeffrey Tate and Benjamin Northey, played by Piers Lane and Lisa Moore, and sung by Yvonne Kenney and Teddy Tahu-Rhodes. He's educated us with his 11 books, most recently The Shortest History of Music, and entertained and enlightened us with his three-decade long presentation of The Music Show on Radio National.In this conversation, Andrew reflects on discovering composition as a teenager and how an encounter with Michael Tippett shaped his artistic outlook. He discusses balancing technique with intuition, the magic of hearing a work for the first time, and accepting that self-criticism and the realities of needing to finish a work are part of the creative process. Andrew also provides some fascinating cultural observations, especially on the history and future of music, innovation versus tradition, how audiences shape what endures, and how genres once thought ephemeral have matured into a kind of canon. This program was recorded at the 2025 Australian Festival of Chamber Music. The next Australian Festival of Chamber Music will take place in Cairns from July 24 to August 1, 2026.

The United States of America is a confounding place of triumph and tragedy, of high-minded statements of principle and the most appalling hypocrisy, of vaulting ambition for the equality of all but the reality of slavery and racism. 

There are myriad ways to talk about our history. It isn't just one story, and perhaps that is the problem in getting any agreed understanding of who we are and where we came from.

Asia Bookroom exhibits their most precious items at rare and antiquarian book fairs in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hong Kong. Look for them at the Sydney Rare Book Fair from Oct. 23-25. In this podcast we discuss some of the items on offer at the Sydney Rare Book Fair:The Disputed Islands Controversial Japanese Map by Hayashi Shihei from around 1790. This is a manuscript copy (written by hand), and includes the Takeshima/Dokdo islands indicating they belong to Korea.A silk sample book from the 1950sA Japanese policeman's notebook from shortly after Japan took over Taiwan. It details experiences with indigenous people of Taiwan.Materials from Communist ChinaBooks:The Tokyo Higher Normal School: Life of the Japanese Women of Today (from 1937)Samurai Tales: Manuscript Writing's on Revenge Killings and LoyaltyBooks mentioned in the podcast:The Shortest History of Japan, by Lesley Downer, China Running Dog by Mark Kitto, Samurai and Silk, by Haru Matsukata Reischauer.Books recommended by Sally Burdon:Myself a Mandarin by Austin Coates, about Hong Kong,Country Driving by Peter HestingsGhosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd ParryYou can visit Asia Bookroom online at https://www.asiabookroom.com/      The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

Nick Cohen and historian and author James Hawes explore the rise of far-right sentiment in Britain and the Conservative Party's transformation, including their evolving definition of English identity and embrace of discriminatory immigration policies. Historical parallels were drawn between contemporary political events and pre-World War I era, with particular focus on the party's strategic shifts and potential mergers with right-wing factions. The conversation concluded with analysis of current political dynamics, including the challenges of governing under a first-past-the-post system and the implications of right-wing.populism on British society.The end of the UK is nighJames predicts the Tories' lurch to the far right will inevitably lead to the brea-up of the UK, if, as he sees likely, Reform and the Tories enter into some sort of merger. An ethno-nationalist far right government is bound to boost the prospects of nationalists elsewhere in the UK, particularly the SNP in Scotland and Plad Cymru in Wales.Rise of Far-Right Sentiment in BritainNick and Jim discuss the rise of far-right sentiment in Britain, highlighting events such as Tommy Robinson's march and Elon Musk's controversial statements. They examine how right-wing figures like Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick have embraced discriminatory immigration policies targeting black and brown migrants. Nick and James also critique the lack of pushback from the conservative press and party, while noting the emergence of pro-Palestinian sentiment and anti-Semitic attacks. They draw parallels to the Weimar Republic era, expressing concern about the current state of British society.Read all about it! James Hawes @jameshawes2 Renaissance man, historian, writer and novelist. James, the author of The Shortest History of England and The Shortest History of Germany. His latest in the series, The Shortest History of Ireland, out In the new year.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the summer of 1960, all eyes are on Israel. As the Jewish nation unveils its capture of Adolf Eichmann to the world, a bitter controversy swirls around the notorious SS officer. Eichmann's lawyer, Dr. Robert Servatius, scrambles to cobble together a defense strategy and save his client from the noose. In Jerusalem, journalist and scholar Hannah Arendt wrestles with questions about the nature of evil.    SOURCES: Aharoni, Zvi. Dietl, Wilhelm. Operation Eichmann: Pursuit and Capture. 1997.  Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann In Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. 1963. Bascomb, Neal. Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased  Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi. 2009. Bergman, Ronen. Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. The Mossad. 2019. Charles Rivers Editors. Germany and the Cold War. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. Israel's Most Legendary Operations. 2018. Goni, Uki. The Real Odessa: How Nazi War Criminals Escaped Europe. 2003. Fairweather, Jack. The Prosecutor: One Man's Batlle to Bring Nazis to Justice. 2025. Hourly History. The Nuremberg Trials. 2020.  Lipstadt, Deborah. The Eichmann Trial. 2011. MacLean, French. American Hangman: MSGT. John C. Woods. 2019. Roland, Paul. The Nuremberg Trials: The Nazis and Their Crimes Against Humanity. 2010.  Scott-Bauman, Michael. The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine. 2023. Stangneth, Buttina. Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of a Mass Murderer. 2014. Stein, Harry. Malkin, Peter. Eichmann In My Hands. 1990.  Steinke, Ronan. Fritz Bauer: The Jewish Prosecutor Who Brought Eichmann and Auschwitz to Trial. 2020.  Thomas, Gordon. The Secret History of the Mossad. 1999.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adolf Eichmann has been found. In the spring of 1960, Mossad launches a daring operation to kidnap “Ricardo Klement” and smuggle him back to Israel to face judgement.    SOURCES: Aharoni, Zvi. Dietl, Wilhelm. Operation Eichmann: Pursuit and Capture. 1997.  Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann In Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. 1963. Bascomb, Neal. Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased  Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi. 2009. Bergman, Ronen. Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. The Mossad. 2019. Charles Rivers Editors. Germany and the Cold War. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. Israel's Most Legendary Operations. 2018. Goni, Uki. The Real Odessa: How Nazi War Criminals Escaped Europe. 2003. Fairweather, Jack. The Prosecutor: One Man's Batlle to Bring Nazis to Justice. 2025. Hourly History. The Nuremberg Trials. 2020.  Lauryssens, Stan. The Eichmann Legacy. 2017. Lipstadt, Deborah. The Eichmann Trial. 2011. MacLean, French. American Hangman: MSGT. John C. Woods. 2019. Roland, Paul. The Nuremberg Trials: The Nazis and Their Crimes Against Humanity. 2010.  Scott-Bauman, Michael. The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine. 2023. Stangneth, Buttina. Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of a Mass Murderer. 2014. Stein, Harry. Malkin, Peter. Eichmann In My Hands. 1990.  Steinke, Ronan. Fritz Bauer: The Jewish Prosecutor Who Brought Eichmann and Auschwitz to Trial. 2020.  Thomas, Gordon. The Secret History of the Mossad. 1999.  https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/740686212/the-doctor-who-helped-israeli-spies-catch-eichmann-but-refused-recognition-for-i Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When World War II ended, SS officer Adolf Eichmann disappeared. As a key organizer of Nazi Germany's Final Solution, the genocidal program that murdered 6 million European Jews, Eichmann became one of the most hunted men on earth. For 15 years, he remained hidden. But in 1957, through the efforts of a West German lawyer, a blind man, and Israeli intelligence, Eichmann's trail was found, leading to Buenos Aires, Argentina…     SOURCES: Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann In Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. 1963. Bascomb, Neal. Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased  Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi. 2009. Bergman, Ronen. Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. The Mossad. 2019. Charles Rivers Editors. Germany and the Cold War. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. Israel's Most Legendary Operations. 2018. Goni, Uki. The Real Odessa: How Nazi War Criminals Escaped Europe. 2003. Fairweather, Jack. The Prosecutor: One Man's Batlle to Bring Nazis to Justice. 2025. Hourly History. The Nuremberg Trials. 2020.  Lauryssens, Stan. The Eichmann Legacy. 2017. Lipstadt, Deborah. The Eichmann Trial. 2011. MacLean, French. American Hangman: MSGT. John C. Woods. 2019. Roland, Paul. The Nuremberg Trials: The Nazis and Their Crimes Against Humanity. 2010.  Scott-Bauman, Michael. The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine. 2023. Stangneth, Buttina. Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of a Mass Murderer. 2014. Stein, Harry. Malkin, Peter. Eichmann In My Hands. 1990.  Steinke, Ronan. Fritz Bauer: The Jewish Prosecutor Who Brought Eichmann and Auschwitz to Trial. 2020.  Thomas, Gordon. The Secret History of the Mossad. 1999.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful episode of Holyrood Sources, historian and author James Hawes explains why Scottish independence is inevitable and argues the UK has been in terminal decline since 1922.Speaking with host Calum Macdonald, Hawes discusses:Why Labour's 2024 landslide won't save the UnionThe rise of Reform UK and Nigel Farage's “naked English nationalism”The SNP's crisis — and its historical parallel with Irish nationalism after ParnellWhether the UK is becoming a modern-day Habsburg EmpireWhat a post-UK future might look like for Scotland and Ireland

When Toby Walsh wrote his first book on AI, he figured he’d said all he had to say. But just a handful of years later, this British computer scientist and current Chief Scientist at UNSW Sydney’s AI Institute is here to discuss his FIFTH book, The Shortest History of AI – how it came about and some of the challenges around explaining this subject to a general audience. 00:00 Welcome10:05 Writing tip: ‘Just start writing’12:52 WIN!: The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer14:39 Word of the week: ‘Psithurism’15:09 Writer in residence: Toby Walsh15:55 Explaining The Shortest History of AI17:00 Deciding on the six ideas for the book18:25 How Toby developed his writing voice20:06 Balancing the academia and hysteria22:37 The purpose of writing AI books23:24 The challenges of writing for the public25:00 On becoming an accidental science communicator28:03 The secret circle of science communicators29:58 Untimely deaths in the timeline of AI30:30 Adding his expertise to the ‘Shortest’ series32:20 On designing his book cover and subtitle35:48 The role of great editors in writing37:24 Toby’s late night writing process 38:55 His next book project39:59 A pivot to writing fiction?42:07 Toby’s tip for writers43:23 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Cohen and historian James Hawes discuss wide range of political topics, focusing primarily on British politics, Brexit, and the rise of right-wing populism. Discussions included the historical context and current state of the Conservative Party, the challenges faced by Labour and the SNP, and the potential long-term implications of demographic changes on political landscapes. James Hawes argues that only liberal populists can counter the threat posed by Nigel Farage and Reform.Brexit's Long-Term Consequences and FailuresJames and Nick discusses the long-term implications and failures of Brexit, highlighting how Farage and other Brexit advocates had been promoting the idea for decades. Both criticise the lack of accountability and the continued influence of Brexit supporters despite the project's evident failures. James expressed optimism for a pro-remain populist leader to challenge Brexit advocates directly, rather than relying on complex economic arguments. He also shared a conversation with a top UK insider predicting the UK's collapse by 2029 due to Keir Starmer's inability to address the mess left by the Tories & BrexitThe Tory Party pickleJames & Nick discuss the historical and current dire state of the Conservative Party, highlighting its long history of populism and sectarianism. They argue that the party's true nature is being revealed through its alignment with Farage and its anti-migrant stance, which James compares to 19th-century Tory behaviour.Farage's Rise and threat to the UKThe discussion focuses on British politics, particularly Farage's rise and the potential for a shift towards far-right governance. James argues that Farage success in England will re-energise the SNP & inevitably speed up the UK's break-up. Both express concern about the working-class appeal of Farage's populism and discuss the perception of left-wing politicians as communists by some conservatives.Demographic Shifts and Political ImplicationsThe discussion focused on demographic challenges and political implications, with Nick and James exploring how an aging population and ironically more financially secure voters are more likely to vote for Farage and his brand of nut-job populist extremism, while younger generations face difficulties accessing housing and other opportunities. James argues that a more liberal -leftist brand of populism - with policies such as I.D. cards and German-like tests for trades people - might help counter the poison and certain chaos of Farageism.Read all about it!James Hawes @jameshawes2 is a historian and author of a novel and books such as including The Shortest History of Germany and The Shortest History on EnglandNick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While headlines about migration might make it seem like a relatively new phenomenon, the movement of people spans hundreds of thousands of years, and according to our guest, has been essential to the survival of the human species. Ian Goldin is professor of globalization and development at the University of Oxford, and author of "The Shortest History of Migration: When, Why, and How Humans Move-From the Prehistoric Peopling of the Planet to Today and Tomorrow's Migrants". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at the Uni of NSW's AI Institute and author of  "The Shortest History of AI", joins Philip Clark with a historical take on AI technology. 

Since the 1970s, historian Sheila Fitzpatrick has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of the Soviet Union. As a key figure in the "revisionist school" of Soviet history, Fitzpatrick along with other historians opposed entrenched Cold War era narratives about the USSR including (but not limited to) the "totalitarian thesis". Fitzpatrick in particular added texture and complexity in her studies of the Soviet Union by focusing on social history, perspectives "from below" and daily life as well as social and economic advancement & upward mobility during Stalinism. On today's episode, we welcome Sheila Fitzpatrick on as a guest to reflect on the development of Soviet history since the 1970s, her work and what the Soviet past looks like today. Sheila Fitzpatrick is a historian of the Soviet Union and modern Russia. Her books The Cultural Revolution in Russia, 1928-31 (1978), Education and Social Mobility in the Soviet Union, 1921-34 (1979) and The Russian Revolution (1982) were foundational to the field of Soviet social history. She taught for many years at the University of Chicago, before returning to Australia, the country of her birth. Her book, White Russians, Red Peril: A Cold War History of Migration was published by Black, Inc., Melbourne, in 2021; followed by The Shortest History of the Soviet Union in 2022. She is currently working on a monograph, Displacement: Repatriation and Resettlement of Russian and Soviet Displaced Persons after the Second World War, and a biography of Lenin's wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, under contract to Princeton University Press. She is currently a professor at the Australian Catholic University.

For better or (mostly) worse, Jiang Qing left her mark on the 20th century.Even before she was married to Chairman Mao, Jiang was a charismatic actor, and her passion for culture helped her spearhead the Cultural Revolution as part of the Communist Party in China, later in life.Joining Kate for this fourth and final episode of our limited series, Real Wives of Dictators, is Linda Jaivin, author of Shortest History of China and the upcoming Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China.How did she make her way to the head of the Communist Party? Why did she describe herself as "Mao's dog"? And what brought about her downfall?This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.If you'd like to get in touch with the show you can contact us at betwixt@historyhit.com.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, the multi-award-winning broadcaster, composer and author Andrew Ford chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting, The Shortest History of Music. A lively, authoritative tour through 4,000 years of music, this book explores music's role in human society.   Here's what you'll discover in this episode: Andrew Ford explains how he balanced brevity and intellectual depth while crafting a 200-page book spanning 4,000 years of musical history How he synthesised a multiplicity of musical traditions and cultures into a seamless narrative How he balanced historical accuracy with masterful storytelling Why he examined music from multiple angles: Its fundamental impulses; the impact of notation; music as a profession and commodity; the concept of modernism and the revolutionary effects of recording technology How he skilfully weaved history, culture and personal insight into a tapestry that celebrates music in all its forms.

This week the Honorable Dr Andrew Leigh MP, and philosopher Peter Singer, join host Lloyd Vogelman on the couch for an unfiltered conversation that digs into the personal side of the Principle of Charity.Peter Singer - BioPeter Singer is emeritus professor of bioethics at Princeton University. He has a background in philosophy and works mostly in practical ethics. He is best known for Animal Liberation and for his writings about global poverty.In 2021, Peter received the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The prize comes with $1 million, which Peter donated to the most effective organizations working to assist people in extreme poverty and to reduce the suffering of animals in factory farms.Peter is the founder of The Life You Can Save, an organization based on his book of the same name.His writings in this area include the 1972 essay “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”, in which Peter argues for donating to help the global poor, and two books that make the case for effective giving, The Life You Can Save (2009, 2nd edition 2019) and The Most Good You Can Do (2015).Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment, and Federal Member for Fenner in the ACT. Prior to being elected in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Arts and Law. Andrew is a past recipient of the Economic Society of Australia's Young Economist Award and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences.His books include Innovation + Equality: How to Create a Future That Is More Star Trek Than Terminator (with Joshua Gans) (2019), Reconnected: A Community Builder's Handbook (with Nick Terrell) (2020), What's the Worst That Could Happen? Existential Risk and Extreme Politics (2021), Fair Game: Lessons From Sport for a Fairer Society and a Stronger Economy (2022) and The Shortest History of Economics (2024).Andrew is a keen Ironman triathlete and marathon runner, and hosts a podcast called The Good Life: Andrew Leigh in Conversation, about living a happier, healthier and more ethical life.CREDITSYour hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman This podcast is proud to partner with The Ethics CentreFind Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked inFind Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and XThis podcast is produced by Jonah Primo and Sabrina OrganoFind Jonah at jonahprimo.com or @JonahPrimo on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we're joined by Federal Member for Fenner, the Honorable Dr Andrew Leigh MP, and philosopher and emeritus professor of bioethics at Princeton University, Peter Singer, to consider if we should value the lives of unborn future generations, more than we value those of us alive today. The consideration of lives unborn sits at the heart of ‘existential risk'. It asks us to take seriously all the future generations who, if humanity gets it right, could end up far far more numerous than every life lived to date. We could in fact, be just at the beginning of our beautiful journey as a species. But we do face a number of very real risks that could literally destroy us all - biowarfare, climate change and AI to name but a few.So, should we spend our limited resources helping the poorest and most in need today, wherever they live? Or should we divert resources to reduce the sorts of risks which, if left unchecked, could prevent countless generations from coming into existence at all?Peter Singer - BioPeter Singer is emeritus professor of bioethics at Princeton University. He has a background in philosophy and works mostly in practical ethics. He is best known for Animal Liberation and for his writings about global poverty. In 2021, Peter received the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The prize comes with $1 million, which Peter donated to the most effective organizations working to assist people in extreme poverty and to reduce the suffering of animals in factory farms.Peter is the founder of The Life You Can Save, an organization based on his book of the same name. His writings in this area include the 1972 essay “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”, in which Peter argues for donating to help the global poor, and two books that make the case for effective giving, The Life You Can Save (2009, 2nd edition 2019) and The Most Good You Can Do (2015).Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment, and Federal Member for Fenner in the ACT. Prior to being elected in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Arts and Law. Andrew is a past recipient of the Economic Society of Australia's Young Economist Award and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences.His books include Innovation + Equality: How to Create a Future That Is More Star Trek Than Terminator (with Joshua Gans) (2019), Reconnected: A Community Builder's Handbook (with Nick Terrell) (2020), What's the Worst That Could Happen? Existential Risk and Extreme Politics (2021), Fair Game: Lessons From Sport for a Fairer Society and a Stronger Economy (2022) and The Shortest History of Economics (2024).Andrew is a keen Ironman triathlete and marathon runner, and hosts a podcast called The Good Life: Andrew Leigh in Conversation, about living a happier, healthier and more ethical life. CREDITSYour hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman This podcast is proud to partner with The Ethics CentreFind Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked inFind Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and XThis podcast is produced by Jonah Primo and Sabrina OrganoFind Jonah at jonahprimo.com or @JonahPrimo on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few books are timelier than Ian Goldin's new The Shortest History of Migration. Drawing from his personal history as a South African emigrant and his experience working with Nelson Mandela, the Oxford based Goldin explores the when, why and how humans move - from the prehistoric peopling of the planet to today and tomorrow's migrants. He addresses current political tensions, including J.D. Vance's recent criticisms of European migration policies and Elon Musk's controversial stance on immigration. Goldin argues that migration has been fundamental to human progress and economic growth, while acknowledging that there are legitimate questions about unregulated immigration policy. Here are the five KEEN ON take-aways from our conversation with Goldin* Migration patterns have remained remarkably consistent (about 3% of global population) over the past century, though absolute numbers have increased with population growth. However, what has changed dramatically is the creation of formal borders, passport controls, and our perception of migration.* There's a growing disconnect between political rhetoric and economic reality. While many politicians take strong anti-immigration stances, economies actually need migrants for their dynamism, particularly in aging societies. This is evidenced by Silicon Valley's success, where over half of tech entrepreneurs are migrants.* The distinction between economic migrants and refugees is crucial but often conflated in public discourse. Goldin argues that different policies are needed for each group - economic migration can be managed through choice, while refugee protection is a humanitarian obligation.* Local pressures versus national benefits create tension in immigration debates. While immigration's economic benefits often accrue nationally and long-term, the immediate pressures on housing, public services, and infrastructure are felt locally, leading to public resistance.* Future migration patterns will be dramatically reshaped by demographic changes, climate change, and automation by 2050. Goldin predicts that current debates about keeping people out may reverse as developed countries compete to attract migrants to address labor shortages and maintain economic growth.Full transcript of the Goldin interviewKEEN: Migration is back in the news. A couple of days ago, J.D. Vance was in Europe, in Munich, attacking Europe over its migration policy. Meanwhile, European politicians have slammed France's call to be inclusive of far-right parties which are hostile to immigration. Immigration is really one of the most controversial issues of our age, perhaps of any age, as is underlined by my guest Ian Goldin, one of the great thinkers on globalization. He has a new book out this week in the U.S., "The Shortest History of Migration." Ian is joining us from Oxford, where he lives and teaches. Ian, what do you make of this latest violent spat in Europe? Is it something new or just more of the same?GOLDIN: I think it is an escalation of previous trends. For the U.S. to come to Europe and talk about domestic policies represents a change not only in tone and intensity but also in diplomacy. Politicians don't tend to go to other countries—UK and European politicians don't go to the U.S. and tell the U.S. how to run itself. So it is different when the vice president of the U.S. comes to Europe and comments very directly about individuals, meets with far-right leaders, and basically tries to advise Europe on what to do. It's a big step up from what we've seen before, and it's very polarizing.KEEN: This term "far right"—and it's not a term that I know you invented, you just used it—is it appropriate to describe these anti-immigrant parties in Europe and indeed in the U.S.? The AfD in Germany, the Reform Party in the UK, the MAGA movement in America. Are they all premised on hostility to immigration?GOLDIN: Immigration unites parties across the political spectrum, and anti-immigration is certainly not the preserve of far-right parties. Even the Labor Party in the UK at the moment has come out as very hostile to immigration. But what's different about Vance's visit to the UK is that he met with the AfD leader in Germany, didn't meet with the leader of the government. He's the only major global leader who's met with the AfD. Similarly, we've seen members of Trump's cabinet, like Elon Musk, endorsing the Reform Party in the UK and pumping up what I think are legitimately described as far-right parties on the political spectrum in Europe. But as you say, it's not the exclusive domain of the far right to be anti-immigrant. This is sweeping the board across the spectrum in many European countries and in the U.S. The Democrats are also pretty anti-immigration.KEEN: You brought up Musk. You have something in common with him—you're both South African migrants who've made good in the West. There's something very odd about Musk. Maybe you can make more sense of it, particularly given what you have in common. On the one hand, he is the poster child for globalization and migration. He was brought up in South Africa, came to the U.S., made a fortune, and now is the richest man in the world. On the other hand, he seems to be the funder of all these reactionary, anti-immigrant parties. What's going on here?GOLDIN: There's a lot to be said. Musk was an immigrant himself, just like Trump's grandfather was to the U.S., just like many members of the Cabinet's forebears were. So there's a contradiction of people who really owe their histories and where they are to immigration being so anti-immigrant. Personally, I not only come from the same town and went to the same high school in Pretoria, South Africa, but I've met him. He came to Oxford—if you look on the Oxford Martin School website, you'll see a conversation we had when he brought the first Tesla up to Oxford. I think he's moved a long way in the last years. It's difficult to explain that, but clearly what he's saying today is not the same as he was saying 5 or 10 years ago.He and others like Peter Thiel are very strong supporters not only of MAGA but of similar parties in Europe. I think it represents a new force—the amount of money these people have is very significant, and they do make a real impact on politics. Indeed, it's likely that Musk directly through his giving had material impact on the U.S. presidential election. Rich people have always given to political parties and owned media, but this is a whole new level of engagement where extremely rich people can influence outcomes.KEEN: The subtitle of your book, "The Shortest History of Migration" is "When, Why, and How Humans Moved from the Prehistoric Peopling of the Planet to Today and Tomorrow's Migrants." It's an ambitious book, though short. Has something changed over the last 50 or 100 years? Humans have always been on the move, haven't they?GOLDIN: There have been dramatic changes. One change is the creation of borders as we know them today and passports, border controls. That's relatively recent—before the First World War, people could basically move around without the controls and identity documents we know today. Secondly, there are many more countries now, well over 100 countries. The number of borders has greatly increased.The cost of travel and the risk associated with travel—I don't mean dangerous crossings across the Rio Grande or the Sahara, but air travel, ship travel, and motor vehicles—has gone down dramatically. The world population has increased significantly. Although the share of people migrating hasn't budged over the last hundred years—it's about 3% of the world's population—the absolute numbers have increased because 3% of 8 billion people is clearly a much bigger number than 3% of what it was around 2 billion 100 years ago.The big change has really been in the way we think about migrants today compared to, for example, the age of mass migration when 20-25% of the U.S. was migrant in the period 1850-1892, before the First World War.KEEN: But wasn't that also fair to say in the U.S. that there have been cycles of anti-immigrant politics and culture where at points the border was open and then got slammed shut again?GOLDIN: Yes, very much so, particularly in the post-Second World War period. We have what we might see again now, which is this two-handed approach. On one hand, politicians trying to be very strong on migration and saying things which they feel appeal to voters, and at the same time in practice very different things happening.We've seen that in many countries where the rhetoric on migration is very strong, where there are attempts to show that one is doing a lot by policing, by deporting, by building walls, etc. But the numbers of migrants actually go up because of the need for migrants. The stronger the economy, the more migrants you need; the older the economy, as the workforce ages, the more migrants you need.GOLDIN: Migrants are a source of economic dynamism. They are much more likely to create startups. It's no accident that Musk is a migrant, but well over half of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs are migrants. It's a characteristic of migrants that they are much more productive, typically. They're much more likely to invest and to start up businesses. So if you want to have a dynamic economy and if you want to look after the elderly and pick your agriculture, you need migrants. I'm sure that even those in the government of the U.S. that are violently anti-immigrant recognize these things. That's where the tension will be played out.KEEN: You argue today's rich countries owe much of their success to the contributions of migrant workers. Is there any argument against migration? You're clearly on one side of the debate. What's the best argument against allowing migration into your country?GOLDIN: I'm not utopian in the sense that I do believe we need border controls and need to regulate the number of migrants who can come in. Clearly, we need to keep some people out—criminals and sex traffickers, for instance. But where we get real problems is that migrants can put a lot of pressure in the short term on resources. You see this in housing markets. People are feeling a lack of affordability of homes in dynamic cities—San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, London, and many others. And it is true that in part this is because of the number of immigrants in these cities.Now, the immigrants also contribute and make these places dynamic. So it's a virtuous circle, but one has to address the concerns of citizens who say they cannot afford a home or public transport is too crowded, or that the lines are too long at hospital emergency services. These are real concerns. The challenge we face is that investment in resources, in public services, in housing, in transport and so on hasn't kept pace with population growth in dynamic cities particularly, and people are feeling the pinch.There's not much truth to the claim that immigrants undermine wages. In fact, there's quite a lot of evidence that they create jobs and lift wages. But there's also a short-term and long-term issue. The costs are often local, so people feel in a particular locality that they're overwhelmed by the number of immigrants, while the benefits are national and long-term. The immigrants build the houses, work in the hospitals, demand goods and services. They're buying things, building things, creating things. But that doesn't all happen at the same place at the same time.The other important thing is to distinguish between migrants and refugees. A lot of the problems that societies have is because these things are conflated. When I think of migrants, I think of economic migrants, of students, of people coming that are going to benefit themselves and the countries, but have a choice. Refugees are different. Refugees have a legitimate fear for their lives if they do not get refugee status. Governments need very different policies for refugees than they do for migrants.KEEN: You've mentioned the US, the UK—your book breaks down immigration around the world. You argued that the US is home to the largest absolute numbers of migrants, 51 million. Is the US still symbolically the place where the pro-anti migration argument gets played out? Trump, of course, has been outspoken and arguably it was really the reason why he was elected president again.GOLDIN: Yes, I think it is the place where it's being played out. It has the most migrants. It's a society we've always thought of historically as being constructed by migrants. It's an immigrant country—of course, it displaced an indigenous people that were living there before. But it is a society now that's basically come from elsewhere. The future dynamism of the US, where the US is going to be in ten, 20, 30 years' time, is going to depend to a large extent on its policies on immigration. If it throttles the source of its lifeblood that created the country that we know as a dynamic world-leading economy, it's going to fall back.KEEN: Musk is, as always, a little bit more complicated than he seems on immigration. On the one hand, he's obviously opposed to mass immigration. On the other hand, as a tech billionaire, he's sympathetic to qualified people coming into the country. And there seems to be a division within the Republicans between Musk and people like Steve Bannon, who seem to be opposed to all forms of immigration. Is this an important debate that you think will be played out on the American right?GOLDIN: Yes, I think it's extremely important. Both Musk and Steve Bannon have said pretty harsh things about the other side of this debate. Musk gets that the US needs tech workers. The tech industry is dependent on Indian and many other programmers. He's aware that the leaders of many firms, including Microsoft and Google, are immigrants, as is he. He's been focusing on the need for high-skilled immigrants. Steve Bannon is taking the fundamentalist MAGA line, claiming immigrants will take jobs—of course, they don't take jobs, they create jobs.My own guess is that Musk is going to win this particular debate, both because he's right at the center of power and because the businesses around him also get it. For agriculture, it's absolutely essential to have immigrants across the economy. Business will be crying out. And interestingly enough, as I highlighted in my Project Syndicate piece, a lot of Republican governors have been asking for immigration.KEEN: You mentioned you and Musk were born in the same South African town. You worked for Mandela. How do you place the colonial experience in your history of migration—where the white Europeans who showed up and conquered Africa, were they migrants, or something different?GOLDIN: They were migrants—migrant armies, migrant businesspeople, migrants, settlers. Some of them, particularly in Australia, were convicts shipped out. They often were underdogs doing it out of desperation. My grandparents migrated to South Africa because they were in that state. My grandfather on my father's side was from Lithuania, in Russia, where those who remained were all killed. Those of my mother's side who stayed in Austria and Germany were all killed. These were migrant refugees.The impact of colonialism was devastating. This goes back to the first settlers in the Americas—600 Spaniards who landed probably led to the death of over 20 million Native Americans through guns, germs, and steel, but mainly through germs. And before the colonial period, there was slavery, which is a terrible stain on humanity. Over 20 million people were forced into this absolutely inhumane system across the Atlantic. Slavery wasn't new—it had existed from before the first millennia. But the industrialization of it, the scale and horror of it, and the number of people who died in transit, that was new.I emphasize in the book that not all migration is good, and that migration is often a very unhappy experience, a brutal experience. But we need to try and understand this historical context. Certainly with immigration today, we need to make it more humane, better, and recognize that often what migrants do, they're doing to support their families, to create better opportunities for themselves and future generations. And the recipient countries need it too. The question is, can we better manage it?KEEN: Should the two histories be seen side by side—the images of North Africans and sub-Saharan Africans coming to Europe, children dying on beaches—should we be thinking about this as a counter-migration, a consequence of the European colonization of Africa?GOLDIN: There are clearly some links, but Africa is where it is today as a result not only of its colonial history and slavery, which often was driven by African slave kings before Africa was colonized. There are much more recent explanations as well—massive mismanagement of resources in Africa, the despotic actions of governments. The refugees coming to Europe are often in fear for their lives, whether it's being called up into the Eritrean army or what's happening in Somalia and Sudan. These people are escaping to protect their lives and to sustain people left behind through remittances.KEEN: Your book is very personal. You dedicate it to your grandparents. You write with the sensibility of a relative of migrants and a man who's migrated himself. You seem to be a citizen of the world. This is a labor of love, isn't it?GOLDIN: It is. I wrote another book on migration in 2012, "Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future." When the publishers came to me with this series, I leaped at it. I learned an enormous amount doing it. It's difficult to compress the whole history of migration, which is everything about humanity really, into 250 pages. But the main aim was to raise a sensibility that we're all migrants and that we need to better understand the role of migrants in our own personal histories and our countries' histories. These migrants are not "other people"—they are where we come from. I believe fundamentally that migration is what makes humans an exceptional species. It's the reason we've thrived. If we hadn't migrated, we would have died out.KEEN: So you don't buy the argument that the world is divided into the "somewheres" and the "everywheres"—the thesis that some people are locked into a place for generations, and others like yourself move around all the time?GOLDIN: I've debated that with David Goodhart. I think what he's picked up on, which I empathize with, is that people have an identity based on place. It's important not to deny that identity. But what his argument completely fails to pick up on is that firstly, that can be threatened. My mother's parents thought they were absolute Viennese—my grandfather was on the Viennese Opera Committee. It didn't help him when they decided to kill all the Jews in Vienna. My grandparents on my father's side were upright members of the Lithuanian community running a small business—that didn't help them.There's no evidence that having immigrants in your society makes you weaker or threatens your community. Indeed, if you want your community to thrive, you're going to need immigrants—not only to do the work that your community doesn't want to do, whether it's picking fruit or cleaning hospital floors, but to keep the place dynamic. That's what these governors in the US who are calling for more immigrants have recognized about their dying towns in the Midwest. They need immigrants to keep their communities alive.Dynamic cities are great examples of places which thrive on being melting pots. The magnetism of them is quite phenomenal. Look at Dubai, which I was in last week—90% immigrant.KEEN: Let's cast our eyes forward. What might the future hold for migration? Are there conceptual differences as the 21st century evolves? By 2050, will the debate be the same? Could technology change it? Musk is trying to settle on Mars—might that be the difference in 25 years' time?GOLDIN: It would be easier to settle at the North or South Pole than on Mars. I think there will be major differences by 2050. One of the major drivers is going to be demographic change. We're seeing a very rapid reduction in birth rates in well over half the countries of the world. We're going to see big labor contractions in labor markets in North America, Europe, and across Asia. As societies age and people live longer lives, we're going to see great shortages of labor.I think the fragility of different places is also going to be played out. Extreme climate and weather will lead to very different migration patterns. Oceans are going to rise, there'll be flood plains, intense weather, extreme droughts, lack of water by 2050. A place like Miami is going to be very threatened.AI will likely take over repetitive jobs, manufacturing, call centers. But the jobs that people will want in our wealthier societies—hospitality, elderly care, massages—these are what economists call non-tradable services. We'll need more of these, and they cannot be done remotely. They are unlikely to be done by machines by 2050. We're not going to want machines giving us massages or meals.So I think we're likely to see Europe, North America, and many parts of Asia turn the current debates on their head—from keeping people out to how we get more people into our societies. Population will start declining very rapidly, and workforces will decline before populations decline.KEEN: Finally, Ian, you write about the history of passports. You say they began in the early 20th century. With our increasingly sophisticated technology of data, how will that play out in your future history of migration?GOLDIN: I think it's going to play out differently in different places. The big question is how much we trust those who have the information. How we feel about it in Europe will be different from how people feel about it in China. One of the amazing experiments of the late 20th century is that within 27 countries in Europe, there are no passport controls. It's proved to be a remarkable, successful experiment.I hope increased surveillance becomes part of a bigger bargain in which we accept more people into our societies, treat them more fairly, protect them, and give them rights. But we also say we don't want some people to come, and we are able to control this. It gives people confidence that they don't feel out of control. So I do see a silver lining if it's used in a humane and effective way. The risk is that it's not, and people are continually forced into dangerous passages across the Mediterranean or the Rio Grande. That's what we need to work against.KEEN: There you have it. Amidst all this controversy about migration, some wisdom from Ian Goldin. Thank you so much.GOLDIN: Thank you so much for having me and all the best to you and to all your listeners.Ian Goldin is the Oxford University Professor of Globalization and Development and founding director of the Oxford Martin School, the world's leading center for interdisciplinary research into critical global challenges, where he has established forty-five research programs. Previously, he was vice president of the World Bank and its Head of Policy, responsible for its collaboration with the United Nations and key partners. He served as adviser to President Nelson Mandela, has been knighted by the French government, and is the author of three BBC series. Ian has been an advisor to numerous businesses, governments, and foundations and is a founding trustee of the International Center for Future Generations and Chair of the CORE Econ initiative to transform economics. He is the author of twenty-five books, including Age of the City, which was selected by the Financial Times as one of its best books of 2023.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

So when did The British Empire begin? Well, the idea of it was probably much earlier than you think and in this episode Charlie Higson is going to be asking questions about a time in English history when English monarchs seriously started looking at colonising other nations.And to assist Charlie in his quest, he's invited James Hawes back on the show. James is the author of The Shortest History of England and as well as looking at Empire, he also explains how England has been - and in many ways still is - split between a French elite and an English man in the street. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While most of us can at least hope for a happy new year in 2025, the same can't be true for the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank. That, at least, is the view of Michael Scott-Baumann, author of The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine. Given the ineffectiveness of the United Nations and the unwillingness of the United States to rethink its alliance with Israel, Scott-Baumann suggests, nothing is likely to change this year. So while there will be lots of talk of an Abraham Accords 2.0 under Trump, he predicts, the world's most intractable problem will only become more miserably intractable in 2025. Indeed, given the increasing power of Netanyahu's right flank and Trump's indifference to the human suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, Scott Baumann suggests, things will probably only get worse for the Palestinians this year. Michael Scott-Baumann is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has 35 years' experience as a history teacher and lecturer. He has traveled widely in the Middle East and worked as a volunteer under the auspices of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, with whom he conducted field work on the West Bank. He lives in Cheltenham, England.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

The Artificial Intelligence revolution has dwarfed everything else in tech during 2024. But according to Toby Walsh, author of the upcoming The Shortest History of AI, 2025 also promises to be a revolutionary year in the history of AI. The AI agents are coming, Walsh suggests, warning that 2025 might be the first year in which we will be able to quantify the job losses caused by smart machines. And then there's regulation, the Australian based Walsh notes, predicting that in 2025 we are going to see more and more governments around the world directly confront the consequences of technology that is about to revolutionize the world. Toby Walsh is one of the world's leading researchers in Artificial Intelligence. He is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales and leads a research group at Data61, Australia's Centre of Excellence for ICT Research. He has been elected a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of AI for his contributions to AI research, and has won the prestigious Humboldt research award. He has previously held research positions in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Sweden.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

The supposed “science” of eugenics is one of the most dangerous myths of the modern age. As Erik Peterson, author of The Shortest History of Eugenics explains, it not only was used by Nazi thugs to justify the Final Solution, but also has been deployed by American racists to justify slavery and inequality. And today, in a brave new world increasingly shaped by advances in biotech, Peterson warns, eugenics persists, having adherents who mistakenly believe that it can be used for the betterment of society.Erik L. Peterson, PhD, is Associate Provost and Associate Professor of the History of Science & Medicine at The University of Alabama. He publishes and teaches about the historical relationship between race and science in the United States and abroad.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Last year, Michael Scott-Baumann, author of The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine and a peace activist at the Balfour Project, came on the show to talk about the problem to end all problems - the Israel-Palestine question. Today, Scott-Baumann explains, this problem has, if anything, metastasized into something even more shameful and insoluble. Gaza has been transformed from what he calls “the world's largest outdoor prison” into a war zone and the two sides are no nearer what the Balfour Project calls “peace with justice, security and equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis.” Given this deeply depressing situation, it's essential that analysts like Scott-Baumann keep giving us the bad news. There is nothing to be cheerful about here. The situation, Scott-Baumann reminds us, is unrelentingly bad. And it is likely to get considerably worse. Michael Scott-Baumann is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has 35 years' experience as a history teacher and lecturer. He has traveled widely in the Middle East and worked as a volunteer under the auspices of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, with whom he conducted field work on the West Bank. He lives in Cheltenham, England.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Since the dawn of humanity, people have been on the move. Our ancestors' ability to travel across vast distances and adapt to different environments has been the key to our species' survival. But why do we migrate? When did passports first come into existence? And what impact have slavery, colonialism and war had on migration? In this 'everything you wanted to know' episode, Ian Goldin speaks to Danny Bird to answer listener questions about this age-old phenomenon. (Ad) Ian Goldin is the author of The Shortest History of Migration (Old Street Publishing, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shortest-History-Migration-Ian-Goldin/dp/1913083446/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Sackur speaks to the renowned economist Ian Goldin, who wants to reframe the debate around migration. He's been a senior official at the World Bank, an economic adviser to Nelson Mandela and he's now professor of globalisation and development at Oxford University. His latest book, The Shortest History of Migration, illustrates the centrality of movement to the evolution of humanity – from the earliest human travellers leaving East Africa some 300,000 years ago to all of the people seeking sanctuary and prosperity across today's national borders.Migration is, right now, a hot and contentious topic. Powerful political voices across the world link migration with insecurity, crime and cultural breakdown. Others say migrants bring new ideas and energy and are vital to economic growth. It seems no amount of border security will stop people wanting to move; indeed, global heating and political instability are likely to see the numbers increase. Will migration, and how we deal with it, be the defining issue of this century?

The huge peninsula of what we today call Italy saw waves of invasions and sweeping changes over the course of the Medieval period, with huge differences between, say, Milan in the north stretching to Sicily in the south. They spoke different languages, had different rulers, and were settled by very different groups of people. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tries to make sense of Italy's complex history in the Middle Ages with Ross King, critically-acclaimed author of the new book The Shortest History of Italy, to sort out the Visigoths from the Vandals and the Papal States from Pisa. This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.