Earlylands in Conversation

Earlylands Advisory
  • 5.0 (9)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY

A discussion series with leading thinkers focused on issues at the intersection of business, politics, and culture. Whether it be trends in corporate deal-making, shifts in geopolitics, or notable new writing, our aim is to focus on the ideas and themes that drive headlines, inform boardroom conversations, and motivate policymakers.

  1. 3D AGO

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 24 - The Guardian's Jason Burke on His Book "The Revolutionists: The Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s"

    "If you want to understand October 7th, if you want to understand what's happening in current politics in much of the Middle East, certainly in Iran, then the only place to start is the 1970s.” - The Guardian's Jason Burke Since our last episode, a new conflict has begun in Iran with ramifications not only for the broader Middle East but forthe entire world. We are very fortunate that today’s interview, which we recorded just hours before the first bombs fell on Tehran, is with a guest who is deeply expert on the roots of the conflict. Guardian journalist Jason Burke has reported from Middle East conflict zones for over 30 years and he isalso the author of the hugely successful 2025 book The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s. The book provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today’s world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. The book was short-listed for the 2025 Ballie Gifford prize for non-fiction, with the prize committee calling the book “a sweeping, scrupulously reported historical narrative with the pace and suspense of a thriller.” TheRevolutionists also featured on the best of 2025 lists for the Financial Times, The Times, The Economist, The Guardian, and BBC History. If you enjoy this and our other episodes, please like and subscribe.

    36 min

  2. FEB 24

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 23 - Brigadier (Ret.) Ben Barry on the Rise and Fall of the British Army

    For this episode we turn our attention back to the ever-evolving topic of European security. Rather than focusing on developments in Ukraine, we instead take a detailed look at the troubling state of the British Army, traditionally one of Europe’s most capable fighting forces and also one that is likely to play a leading role in any European stabilization force in Ukraine. Our guest today is Brigadier Ben Barry, a retired British Army officer who published last year The Rise and Fall of the British Army, 1975–2025. Noted military history Allan Mallinson in reviewing the book called it “an impressively detailed chronicle by an analyst well up to the task. Read it and weep.” Following a 35-year career in the British Army, Ben since 2010 has been a fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and is the author of a number of highly praised books looking at British Army operations in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Ben is also a visiting professor at the Department of War Studies at King's College London.    Of course, if you enjoy this and our other episodes, please like and subscribe. Books Mentioned In the Podcast Ben Barry, The Rise and Fall of the British Army, 1975–2025 Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Triumph Peter Elstop, Warriors for the Working Day Barney Campbell, Rain Harry Parker, Anatomy of a Soldier

    42 min

  3. FEB 10

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 22 - Standard Bank’s Simon Freemantle on Growing Signs That South Africa’s Recovery Is Underway

    Thousands of people are descending on Cape Town this week for the annual Mining Indaba, one of the industry’s largest annual global gatherings. I doubt any of them would arguewith the assertion that politics, whether it be geopolitics or national level issues, is one of the driving forces impacting the industry. And, while playing host to the Indaba, South Africa is also one country where politics and mining have been deeply intertwined for nearly a century and a half. We are joined today by Simon Freemantle, who is one of the most respected commentators on South Africa’s political economy. In his role as Standard Bank’s Senior Political Economist, Simon’s weekly newsletters are a must read among the investor and political analyst community. Simon has been ranked by Financial Mail as South Africa’s toppolitical analyst for ten consecutive years and he is a frequent speaker at institutions like Oxford and NYU Stern and he is a regular presence in South African and international media.   Of course, if you enjoy this and our other episodes, please like and subscribe. Books mentioned in the episode - -The full catalog of Jonny Steinberg -Jeff Wicks, The Shadow State: Why Babita Deokaran Had to Die

    40 min

  4. JAN 27

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 21 - Journalist & Author Ernest Scheyder on the Pivotal Role of Critical Minerals in Everyday Life

    “Critical minerals” – a phrase that we hear nearly every day yet one that is too often used with little explanation.  What exactly are critical minerals, where are they found, and why are they so “critical?"    We are joined for this episode by someone who is uniquely well-equipped to help us answer these and many other questions. Journalist Ernest Scheyder is the author of the award-winning book “The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives.” The book was longlisted in 2024 for the National Book Award for Nonfiction and the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book fo the Year. The FT called it “a nuanced and invaluable deep dive into the questions that need to be addressed if we are to fight climate change and achieve energy security.”

    38 min

  5. JAN 13

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 20 - Historian & Strategist Ben Connable on the Realities of Modern Ground Combat

    2026 has started with a proverbial bang, with the hard realities of military force brought squarely into the headlines with the US operation to seize Nicholas Maduro. And, of course, the grinding war of attrition continues in Ukraine as do conflicts in countries as varied as Sudan and Myanmar. While so much of the media coverage of these wars focuses on the role of technology and the apparent video game-like quality of the contemporary battlefield, our guest today argues that the reality of modern war remains very similar to what was experienced by infantryman throughout the conflicts of the 20th century and even centuries before. Ben Connable is the author of the recently published book, Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War. Thebook serves as a compelling argument against any belief that conflict is now more about joysticks and video screens than it is about the deprivation, fear, and uncertainty that have been associated with ground war since time immemorial. Ben, who holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, is the executive director of the Battle Research Group. He also is an adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University and a former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation.  Ben is a retired Marine Corpsintelligence and Middle East foreign area officer. Books & Documentaries Mentioned on the Podcast Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War by Ben Connable Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall 2000 Metres to Andriivka The Last 600 Meters

    38 min

  6. 12/30/2025

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 19 - Novelist and Biographer DJ Taylor on the Fascinating Life and Continuing Relevance of George Orwell

    "Orwell himself has become what academics would call a floating signifier. He's escaped from his original grounding like a hot air balloon and gone floating off across the landscapes of the world. And he means virtually anything that anybody wants him to mean." DJ Taylor on the legacy of George Orwell As we close out 2025, a year that has undoubtedly been one of the most consequential in recent memory, the Earlylands team thought it would be appropriate to have a conversation that could shed light on a man – George Orwell – whose name has become an adjective that is an ever increasing part of daily discourse. We are very fortunate to be joined in this endeavor by DJ Taylor, who is considered Orwell’s leading biographer (in addition to being a highly successful novelist and short story writer). Taylor published in 2023 Orwell: The New Life, which served as a major revision to his previous award-winning work, Orwell: The Life, which was released in 2003. The most recent book received wide critical praise, such as the Wall Street Journal noting that, “Expertly told and subtle in judgment, 'The New Life' will not be the last word in the ever-growing field of Orwelliana, but it will become its central monument.” Of course, please like and subscribe so that you don't miss any of our biweekly episodes. Books mentioned on the podcast: Orwell: The New Life by DJ Taylor On 1984 by DJ Taylor Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin Eileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia Topp Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit

    40 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 18 - Professor Michael Beckley on the Changing Face of Great Power Competition

    The release earlier this month of the Trump administration's new National Security Strategy vividly captures the tectonic shifts that are occurring in global affairs. For many observers of the international order, it can feel as if there is no framework or structure to the chaotic period in which we are living. If that opinion resonates with you, then today's guest may be able to offer an analytic lens through which to understand our present state of affairs. Professor Michael Beckley published in the November/December 2025 issue of Foreign Affairs a feature article entitled "The Stagnant Order." In this thoughtful and deeply researched piece, Professor Beckley argues that the “era of power transitions is ending. For the first time in centuries, no country is rising fast enough to overturn the global balance.” Yet while he argues that the likelihood of a global conflict like last century’s world wars is receding, “The age of rising powers is ending, but its immediate aftermath may prove no less violent.” Michael Beckley is an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and a Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. His research on great power competition has received numerous scholarly awards and been featured in a wide variety of leading media outlets. In addition to numerous articles and essays, he is also the author of Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower (2018) and Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict With China (2022). Articles and Books Referenced in the Episode "The Stagnant Order" - Foreign AffairsThe Rise and Fall of Great Powers by Paul Kennedy The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert Gordon Why the West Rules - For Now by Ian Morris The Global Transformation - History, Modernity, and the Making of International Relations by Barry Buzan and George Lawson

    43 min

  8. 12/02/2025

    Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 17 - The Economist's Tom Gardner on Ethiopia's Uncertain Future

    Ethiopia is one of the most consequential states on the African continent. With more than 130 million people, one of the largest armies in Africa, and a critical role as a supplier of low-cost power, developments in Ethiopia reverberate far beyond its borders. At the center of the country’s contemporary story is its prime minister, Abiy Ahmed. For this episode we welcome Tom Gardner, The Economist’s Africa correspondent and author of The Abiy Project: God, Power, and War in the New Ethiopia. Foreign Affairs called the book “essential reading,” while the LA Review of Books described it as “groundbreaking.” The book is a critical read for anyone seeking to understand this fascinating country. Books referenced in the podcast The Wife's Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam - https://tinyurl.com/3pmctm5b Oromay by Baaalu Girma - https://tinyurl.com/k7dvpup9

    39 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

A discussion series with leading thinkers focused on issues at the intersection of business, politics, and culture. Whether it be trends in corporate deal-making, shifts in geopolitics, or notable new writing, our aim is to focus on the ideas and themes that drive headlines, inform boardroom conversations, and motivate policymakers.

Information

  • Creator
    Earlylands Advisory
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Earlylands Advisory
  • Show Website
    Earlylands in Conversation

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