AfterWords

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

In an increasingly dystopian world, 'Negotiating with the Devil' by Pierre Hazan takes readers inside the world of armed conflict mediation, offering insight into the political and ethical ‘red lines’ that shape talks with armed interlocutors, be they states or insurgents. In this episode, listen to Pierre and Victor Mallet in conversation about the high-stakes process of conflict mediation, the role of a peace negotiator, Pierre’s own thoughts about what makes a good mediator, and the grey areas as well as the shifting political imperatives impacting conflict mediation today. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com