The Tim Ferriss Show

#634: Niall Ferguson, Historian — The Coming Cold War II, Visible and Invisible Geopolitics, Why Even Atheists Should Study Religion, Masters of Paradox, Fatherhood, Fear, and More

Nov 15, 2022

Niall Ferguson, historian and author of acclaimed works like 'The Pity of War' and 'The Square and the Tower', delves into the looming threat of a new Cold War, examining the geopolitical dynamics between the U.S., China, and Russia. He shares personal anecdotes about academia, fatherhood, and the impact of belief systems. Ferguson also discusses the significance of historical contingency, using Zelensky's leadership as a poignant example, while emphasizing the importance of accessible history for all. His reflections on parenting provide a heartfelt look at balancing career and family.

01:57:16

Episode guests

Niall Ferguson

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Courage Shapes History's Path

01:24

Insights from a Wall Street Analyst on Predicting Global Events

01:19

History is a Kaleidoscope

01:50

On Religious Observance and Its Role in Society

01:36

Intro

4min

Navigating History and Academia

11min

Reflections on the High Table

20min

The Resurgence of Tweed and Historical Contingencies

5min

Contingency and Historical Impact

14min

Navigating Cold War II: Geopolitical Dynamics

26min

Engaging History: From Observers to Change Agents

9min

Navigating Fatherhood and Identity

22min

Reflecting on Insights and Personal Health Considerations

2min

10.

Curated Weekly Recommendations and Essential Services

5min

Brought to you by Wealthfront high-yield savings account, ShipStation shipping software, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement.

Niall Ferguson (@nfergus), MA, DPhil, FRSE, is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is the author of 16 books, including The Pity of War, The House of Rothschild, Empire, Civilization, and Kissinger, 1923–1968: The Idealist, which won the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Prize.

He is an award-winning filmmaker, too, having won an International Emmy for his PBS series The Ascent of Money. His 2018 book, The Square and the Tower, was a New York Times bestseller and also adapted for television by PBS as Niall Ferguson’s Networld. In 2020 he joined Bloomberg Opinion as a columnist.

In addition, he is the founder and managing director of Greenmantle LLC, a New York-based advisory firm; a co-founder of Ualá, a Latin American financial technology company; and a trustee of the New York Historical Society, the London-based Centre for Policy Studies, and the newly founded University of Austin.

His latest book, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe, was published last year by Penguin and was shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize.

Please enjoy!

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[05:45] How Niall's multi-faceted career has gone according to plan.

[08:00] The license to be outrageous in academia ain't what it used to be.

[14:53] High table, dregs of Château Lafite, and hyperbolic references.

[20:26] A.J.P. Taylor and the philosophy of history.

[25:00] How does a historian find an "ear" for historical resonance?

[29:48] What Niall would ask A.J.P. if they were Château Lafite drinking buddies.

[34:30] An appetite for tweed.

[36:40] Historical contingency.

[43:40] A.J.P. Taylor reading for beginners and counterfactual history.

[46:41] Dan Carlin, Elon Musk, and Gavrilo Princip.

[48:39] What Niall gets out of digging deep into historical correspondence.

[54:04] Cold War II — what can we do?