Arms and the Covenant is a collection of 41 speeches by Winston Churchill, delivered between 1928 and 1938. The book serves as a precursor to his famous war speeches, highlighting his persistent warnings about the dangers of appeasement and the need for British rearmament in the face of rising threats from Nazi Germany. The title references the League of Nations Covenant, which was intended to maintain peace after World War I.
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's "Futurist Manifesto" (1909) is a foundational text of the Futurist movement. It celebrates speed, technology, violence, and youth, rejecting tradition and embracing modernity. The manifesto's influence extended beyond art, impacting literature, architecture, and even political ideologies. Its glorification of war and technology foreshadowed the rise of fascism. The manifesto's radical rejection of the past and embrace of the future continues to spark debate and analysis.
In this book, Boris Johnson details the life and impact of Winston Churchill, emphasizing his leadership during World War II and his broader influence on British and world history. Johnson portrays Churchill as a genius with contagious bravery, breathtaking eloquence, and matchless strategizing. The book covers Churchill's career as a journalist, soldier, and social reformer, and discusses his role in shaping the welfare state, inventing the RAF and the tank, and his critical contributions to Britain's victory in both World Wars. Johnson argues that Churchill's unique personality and determination were crucial in changing the course of history, making him a resounding human rebuttal to the idea that history is driven solely by impersonal economic forces.
Published in 1874, 'Far from the Madding Crowd' is Thomas Hardy's first major literary success. The novel is set in Hardy's fictional region of Wessex and follows the life of Bathsheba Everdene, an independent and ambitious young woman, and her interactions with three men: Gabriel Oak, a humble and honest sheep farmer; William Boldwood, a wealthy landowner; and Sergeant Frank Troy, a dashing but reckless soldier. The story delves into themes of love, honour, betrayal, and the harsh realities of rural life in Victorian England. It is known for its vivid descriptions of rural landscapes and its complex characters, and has been adapted into several films, television dramas, and stage productions.
In this book, Toby Ord argues that humanity is in a uniquely dangerous period, which he terms 'the Precipice,' beginning with the first atomic bomb test in 1945. Ord examines various existential risks, including natural and anthropogenic threats, and estimates that there is a one in six chance of humanity suffering an existential catastrophe within the next 100 years. He advocates for a major reorientation in how we see the world and our role in it, emphasizing the need for collective action to minimize these risks and ensure a safe future for humanity. The book integrates insights from multiple disciplines, including physics, biology, earth science, computer science, history, anthropology, statistics, international relations, and moral philosophy[1][3][5].
Today’s episode is the second of our two recent live recordings of PPF, this one in front of an audience at the Bath Curious Minds Festival. David talks to historian Robert Saunders about the life of Winston Churchill and all its twists and turns of fortune: from disgrace in WWI, economic disaster in the 1920s, wilderness in the 1930s, through to redemption in 1945 and rejection by the voters in the same year. How to make sense of it all? Is there a thread that connects the ups and downs? Has there ever – anywhere – been another political life like it?
Out now on PPF+: David discusses the influence of Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto (1909) – from cars to cod liver oil, from fascism to techno-optimism, from the madness of pre-WWI Europe to the craziness of Silicon Valley today. To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus
Next time: The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Lenin and Trotsky
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