How to Fight a War with Roger Boyes & Mike Martin

From Brazilian favelas and campgrounds in Nigeria to megachurches in Ukraine and South Korea, Pentecostal Christianity is taking over the world. ‘Beyond Belief’ by writer and journalist Elle Hardy exposes the Pentecostal agenda and its sway over politics and society around the world. In this episode listen to Elle in conversation with journalist and author Katherine Stewart about how Pentecostalism evolved into a multi-million megachurch industry, why it’s attracting so many people, and what the movement’s explosion means for the world. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

You cannot understand the historic events of 2022 without understanding Volodymyr Zelensky. But the Zelensky effect is less about the man himself than about the civic nation he embodies: what makes Zelensky most extraordinary in war is his very ordinariness as a Ukrainian. ‘The Zelensky Effect’ by Olga Onuch and Henry E. Hale tells the story of Ukraine through the journey of the man who has come to symbolise his country. In this episode, listen to Henry in conversation with Shaun Walker, the Guardian’s Central and Eastern Europe correspondent and writer, as they discuss how its now-iconic president reflects the hopes and frustrations of Ukraine’s first ‘independence generation’. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

Please note that this episode contains graphic depictions of violence, racism, and sexual assault, which listeners may find disturbing. Rohingya men, women and children have been fleeing their homes for forty years and are now almost entirely in exile. ‘I Feel No Peace’ by Guardian journalist Kaamil Ahmed is the first book-length exploration of Rohingya lives abroad, drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews and long-standing relationships within the diaspora. In this episode, listen to Kaamil in conversation with his fellow Guardian journalist and writer Amelia Gentleman about the complex and heart-breaking lives of the individuals who shared their stories with Kaamil, the lesser-known experiences of the Rohingya before the 2017 atrocities, and the complicity of the UN, international NGOs and the Bangladeshi state in the refugees’ plight. This episode was recorded in March 2023. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

Has any war in history gone according to plan? Monarchs, dictators and elected leaders alike have a dismal record on military decision-making, from over-ambitious goals to disregarding intelligence, terrain, or enemy capabilities. ‘How to Fight a War’ by former army officer and author Mike Martin is a crisp indispensable guide to understanding modern warfare. In this episode, listen to Mike in conversation with The Times’ Diplomatic Editor and foreign affairs columnist Roger Boyes about the fundamentals of warfare, from infantry to information, and from strategy to tactics, in order to better understand today’s wars, and be more prepared for the coming decades of conflict. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

Maharajah Ranjit Singh’s Sikh Empire stretched throughout north-western India into Afghanistan and Tibet. But how did one royal family come to achieve such pre-eminence over this entire region? Historian Priya Atwal’s dazzling book ‘Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire’ blasts through centuries of Orientalist and misogynist history to shed new light on the forgotten royals who aided the spectacular rise and eventual demise of this long-lost kingdom. In this episode listen to Priya in conversation with historian, screenwriter and author Alex von Tunzelmann as they explore how this kingdom came into being, how it operated, but also how and why it fell after just fifty years of existence. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

Over Britain’s first century of mass democracy, politics has lurched from crisis to crisis. A Times Book of the Year, ‘The Death of Consensus’ by writer and documentary-maker Phil Tinline brings to life those times, past and present, when the consensus—or the great compromise holding democracy together—has come apart, and the political class has been forced to make a choice of nightmares. In this episode, listen to Phil in conversation with historian Dominic Sandbrook about whether consensus has ever existed in British politics, how politics is transformed through fear, and the way in which apparent catastrophes can clear the path to a new era. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

AfterWords returns on 20th October 2023. In this series, listen to lively discussions between Hurst authors, journalists and leading experts as they interrogate the stories behind thought-provoking books. You’ll hear about how Pentecostal Christianity is taking over the world; the rise and fall of the Sikh empire; a hundred years of British political nightmares; whether any war in history has gone to plan; a vivid, powerful account of the Rohingya in exile; and how ordinary Ukrainians saved their nation. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

From Notre-Dame cathedral to the Houses of Parliament, the buildings Europeans have come to love may not be so European after all. A Spectator ‘Book of the Year’, Stealing from the Saracens by Diana Darke is the fascinating tale of cultural exchange, shedding new light on some of Europe’s greatest landmarks. In today’s episode Diana and Quilt.Ai’s Angad Singh Chowdhry will be discussing the ‘borrowing’ of Islamic architecture, Europe’s reluctance to associate with the Muslim world, and the importance of acknowledging cultural debt. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

We live in an era of big brands. Companies that wield incredible power and influence around the world. But as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility… Can companies do more than generate profits in the poorest and most fragile parts of the world? Should they move beyond simply ‘doing no harm’? In her book 'Corporate Peace', Mary Martin shows how big business is increasingly important in building a safer world. In this episode, Mary will be in conversation with Quilt.Ai’s Angad Singh Chowdhry about how businesses can use their influence for the common good, the potential dangers of their involvement in peacebuilding, and whether corporate peace is possible. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

China’s millennials feel stuck. They are caught between the country’s authoritarian politics, hypermodern technology, and economic boom. In her raw and revealing memoir, Under Red Skies, Karoline Kan turns to the three generations of women in her family to understand the ever-changing China she grew up in. In this episode, listen to Karoline in conversation with Quilt.Ai’s Angad Singh Chowdhry about life in China beyond the headlines: the remarkable story of Karoline’s family, her own experiences as a Chinese millennial and whether understanding the country’s youth holds the key to understanding China as it is today.