The EI Podcast

Discover the roots of political distrust as experts discuss the critical importance of sound judgment in leadership. Dive into the complexities of political decision-making, distinguishing true leadership from mere expertise. The conversation highlights the need for leaders who embrace responsibility and navigate uncertainty with moral character. A renewed appreciation for the nobility of political life calls for conviction over codification, emphasizing the essential qualities that define effective leadership in today's world.

Journalist Duncan Weldon reveals how liberal capitalist economies adapt to total war. Read by Leighton Pugh. Image: Second World War-era British propaganda. Credit: Venimages / Alamy Stock Photo 

EI’s Paul Lay joins historian Andrew Lambert to discuss his book ‘No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One', Lambert's provocative new study of how Britain maximised its naval and diplomatic prestige to maintain a stable, post-Napoleonic Europe. Image: 'A squadron of the Royal Navy running down the Channel' by Samuel Atkins (c. 1760-1810). Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd

Historian Katherine Bayford exposes the fractures and contradictions that doomed the Confederacy from within. Read by Leighton Pugh. FURTHER READING: The rift that doomed the Confederacy | Katherine Bayford Image: A statue of Alexander Stephens in the US Congress. Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

This year marks the centenary of the publication of Franz Kafka’s novel, The Trial - a seminal work that continues to captivate and unsettle its readers. EI’s Alastair Benn and Paul Lay are joined by Karolina Watroba, author of Metamorphoses: In Search of Franz Kafka, to discuss Josef K’s tragic entanglement with a suffocating bureaucracy. Image: Portrait of Franz Kafka. Credit: history_docu_photo / Alamy Stock Photo 

Nicholas Morton, a historian dedicated to the study of the Knights Templars, shares fascinating insights into how marketing propelled the order to prominence. He discusses the myth and reality behind their rise, emphasizing their strategic branding and influential connections. The conversation also covers their legal troubles and the political machinations that led to their dramatic downfall under King Philip IV. Morton's expertise uncovers the less-known truths about these legendary figures and their impact on Christendom.

Leighton Pugh reads 'The Lost Art of Chorography' by Josh McLoughlin, an exploration of a distinctive literary form that merges geography and mythology. The discussion highlights chorography's roots in the works of Shakespeare and its evolution from classical to modern times. They delve into the contributions of figures like Humphrey Llewyd and William Camden, showing how their writings shaped cultural identity. The podcast also examines how literature reflects landscapes, particularly in the context of London's changing identity.

Historian Damian Valdez reflects on the meaning of 1975, a fateful year for the international order. Read by Leighton Pugh. FURTHER READING: 1975, the year that made the modern world | Damian Valdez Image: A helicopter is pushed off the overcrowded deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CV-19) off the coast of South Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

EI’s Paul Lay joins historian Tim Bouverie to discuss ‘Allies at War’, his gripping new book on how Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin’s uneasy alliance led to the end of the Second World War – and reshaped the global order in ways that are still felt today. Image: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta. Credit: Niday Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo

Writer Luka Ivan Jukic laments the all-but-total disappearance of facial hair from politics. Read by Leighton Pugh. FURTHER READING: What happened to the politician’s moustache? | Luka Ivan Jukic Image: A double portrait of Mozaffar al-Din Shah, the fifth Qajar shah of Iran. Credit: Penta Springs Limited / Alamy Stock Photo