The EI Podcast

EI's Paul Lay and Alastair Benn discuss an attention dilemma that has haunted western thought for centuries. READING LIST Our attention dilemma is age-old | Alastair Benn Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium | Seneca The Essays of Michel de Montaigne Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes Engelsberg Ideas is funded by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. EI Talks... is hosted by Paul Lay and Alastair Benn. The sound engineer is Gareth Jones. Image: Detail from Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse, 1903. Credit: SuperStock / Alamy Stock Photo

Through his visionary leadership, inspired rhetoric, and willingness to compromise, John F. Kennedy summoned the narrative of American hope, his most powerful and enduring legacy. Read by Helen Lloyd. Image: Senator John F. Kennedy at Hyannis Port. Credit: Phillip Harrington / Alamy Stock Photo

One of the few leaders on whom history has bestowed the title ‘the Great’, Akbar was a noted connoisseur of cultures and architect of political pluralism. Read by Sebastian Brown. Image: Akbar the Great hunting. Mughal Scool, 1590. British Museum. Artist Unknown. Credit: CM Dixon/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Like it or not, Japan has become one of the most critical actors in contemporary international politics. Read by Helen Lloyd. Image: A naval exercise conducted by Japan. Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo 

Michael Sheridan, author of The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China, joins EI's Angus Reilly to discuss the personal and ideological roots of one of the world's most powerful, and inscrutable, leaders. Engelsberg Ideas is funded by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. EI Talks... is produced by Alastair Benn. The sound engineer is Gareth Jones. Image: Xi Jinping with the Chinese flag. Credit: JHG / Alamy Stock Photo

Daisy Dunn, an expert on heroic figures and their societal impact, delves into the allure of greatness shaped by ancient myths. She explores how legendary figures like Romulus and Aeneas influenced cultural identities. Dunn discusses the Aeneid as a foundational text and critiques its connections to Augustus's regime. The conversation also reveals how political leaders leverage ancestral myths for legitimacy, echoing timeless themes of heroism in modern politics. Finally, she critiques the modern perception of greatness, advocating for an understanding of flawed historical characters.

Having witnessed first-hand the mechanised onslaught of the Great War, Captain Basil Liddell Hart sought a philosophy of warfare based on the prudent use of technology, psychology and deception – and the avoidance of the 'total war' catastrophes of preceding decades. Read by Sebastian Brown. Image: A picture of Basil Henry Liddell Hart studying a tactical situation in 1947. Credit: Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

The US must adopt a grand strategy of democratic expansion. Only then can global security be established. Read by Helen Lloyd. Image: American Second World War-era poster. Credit: Mouseion Archives / Alamy Stock Photo

Rachel Cockerell, an author delving into the quest for a Jewish homeland, shares her insights and personal narratives influenced by her father's immigrant experience in North London. She discusses Theodore Herzl's pivotal role in the Zionist movement and the urgency for a homeland following events like the Kishinev pogrom. Cockerell also explores the Galveston Movement's alternative immigration path, the family's journey amid historical turmoil, and the cultural resilience developed in response to adversity, enriching the conversation with layers of history and identity.

The tumultuous relationship between Red China and the Soviet Union hints at an uncertain future for the Sino-Russian partnership. Read by Helen Lloyd. Image: Sino-Soviet propaganda poster. Credit: Album / Alamy Stock Photo