Rhiannon Stephens, a historian at Columbia University with expertise in pre-colonial and early colonial East Africa, dives into the dynamic conceptual history of wealth and poverty in eastern Uganda. She emphasizes that economic thought predates colonialism, reshaping our understanding of inequality. By using comparative historical linguistics, she uncovers the rich linguistic and social narratives surrounding poverty. Stephens explores how climate, gender roles, and societal interactions influenced local perceptions of wealth, revealing a nuanced socio-economic landscape.

Amit Levy, a Spinoza postdoctoral fellow at the University of Haifa, delves into the intersection of German scholarship and Middle Eastern studies in Israel. He examines how Oriental Studies evolved amid the Arab-Jewish conflict, emphasizing scholarly engagement over mere textual study. Levy discusses the founding complexities of the Hebrew University, showcasing interactions between Jewish and Arab intellectuals. He highlights the influence of historical events on academia and the vital role scholars played in cultural diplomacy and the nation-building process in Israel.

William M. Paris, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, delves into how time intersects with racial domination and utopian thinking. He illuminates historical figures like Du Bois and Garvey, examining their insights on current injustices. Paris critiques the traditional models of consciousness in social change and highlights the links between historical theories and modern mutual aid. He calls for a redefinition of power and agency in the context of capitalism, emphasizing the need for self-emancipatory practices to envision a more just future.

Peter Wien, a Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Maryland, explores the intricate world of Arab nationalism. He discusses how historical narratives shape contemporary identities and political dynamics. Wien emphasizes the cultural roots of nationalism through storytelling, literature, and theater, revealing its complexities influenced by colonialism. He dissects the interplay between Arab nationalism, fascism, and anti-Semitism, and examines emerging alternatives in the Arab world. Wien also dives into modern expressions of nationalism, showcasing how cultural connections endure amid crisis.

Asheesh Kapur Siddique, an assistant professor of history at UMass Amherst and author of "The Archive of Empire," dives into how the British Empire utilized archives to govern its vast territories. He discusses the crucial interplay between knowledge management and colonial expansion, revealing how written records shaped political orders. Siddique highlights the evolution of archival practices, the complexity of integrating diverse legal systems, and the transition of archives from secrets to public records, emphasizing their modern implications.

Melinda Cooper, a Professor of Sociology at the Australian National University, delves into the paradox of neoliberal public finance in her new book. She explores how austerity is often paired with extravagant financial policies favoring asset holders. The discussion reveals the evolution of supply-side economics and its mixed impact on the working class. Additionally, Cooper critiques the Republican Party's historical ties to fiscal conservatism and examines the shifting class alliances that challenge traditional labor dynamics. It's a profound analysis of capitalism's complexities.

Kathryn Taylor, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, delves into her book on early modern Venice. She discusses how Venetians navigated cultural differences amid global contact, utilizing ethnographic writing to influence state governance over minority populations. The conversation highlights the role of informal observations in shaping cultural understandings and reviews Venice's unique position as a diplomatic hub. Taylor also sheds light on the complexity of ethnographic thought within the social and political frameworks of the time.

British poet John Milton published one of the earliest and still tremendously important defenses of free speech for our modern world. From his famous pamphlet Areopagitca (1644) to Paradise Lost (1667), Milton participated in debates regarding censorship and the right of the public to access the inner workings of Parliamentary politics. I spoke with Ruby Lowe about how today’s conception of free of speech emerged during the English Civil Wars, the intimacies between political adversaries in these debates, and how Milton’s crucial role in this media revolution informs his most seductive literary characters, including the devil, God, Adam, and Eve.Dr. Ruby Lowe is a Lecturer in the History of Ideas at Trinity College, the University of Melbourne and the John Emmerson Research Fellow at the State Library of Victoria, in Australia. Her forthcoming book is The Speech Without Doors: John Milton and the Tradition of Print Oratory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

The period from the Mamlūk reconquest of Acre (1291) to the Ottoman siege of Constantinople (1453) witnessed the production of a substantial corpus of Middle English crusade romances. In English Literature and the Crusades: Anxieties of Holy War, 1291–1453 (Cambridge University Press, 2024) Dr. Marcel Elias places these romances in dialogue with multifarious European writings to offer a novel account of late medieval crusade culture: as ambivalent and self-critical, animated by tensions and debates, and fraught with anxiety. These romances uphold ideals of holy war while expressing anxieties about issues as diverse as God's endorsement of the crusading enterprise, the conversion of Christians to Islam, the sinfulness of crusaders, and the morality of violence.Reinvigorating debates in medieval postcolonialism, drawing on emotion studies, and excavating a rich multilingual archive, this book is a major contribution to the cultural history of the crusades. This title is part of the Flip it Open programme and may also be available open access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Histories of Britain composed during the "twelfth-century renaissance" display a remarkable amount of literary variety (Latin varietas). Furthermore, British historians writing after the Norman Conquest often draw attention to the differing forms of their texts. But why would historians of this period associate literary variety with the work of history-writing?Drawing on theories of literary variety found in classical and medieval rhetoric, Literary Variety and the Writing of History in Britain's Long Twelfth Century (York Medieval Press, 2023) by Dr. Jacqueline Burek traces how British writers came to believe that varietas could help them construct comprehensive, continuous accounts of Britain's past. It shows how Latin prose historians, such as William of Malmesbury, Henry of Huntingdon, and Geoffrey of Monmouth, filled their texts with a diverse array of literary forms, which they carefully selected and ordered in accordance with their broader historiographical aims. The pronounced literary variety of these influential histories inspired some Middle English verse chroniclers, including Laȝamon and Robert Mannyng, to adopt similar principles in their vernacular poetry. By uncovering the rhetorical and historiographical theories beneath their literary variety, this book provides a new framework for interpreting the stylistic and organizational choices of medieval historians.This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history