Earlylands in Conversation

Today's episode is out of cycle, but as the issues under discussion are the very essence of timely, we wanted to bring them to you as soon as possible. Our conversation is with Bloomberg's Global Defense Editor Gerry Doyle. Gerry is at the forefront of coverage of the wars in Iran and Ukraine and much else around the world when it comes to defense and security. We go deep on key trends and lessons learned from Iran and also on how the war in Ukraine is changing the global defense industry in locations as varied as Estonia and South Korea. Gerry is also the author of Carrier Killer: China's Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles and Theater of Operations in the early 21st Century.I’m doubly pleased to welcome Gerry to the podcast as we are both proud University of Kansas Jayhawks havinggraduated in the same class long ago – “rock chalk” as they say in Lawrence, Kansas.Books Mentioned in the PodcastCarrier Killer: China's Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles and Theater of Operations in the early 21st Century, Gerry Doyle & Blake HerzingerThe Big Sleep, Raymond ChandlerA Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr.

The world of air travel is unquestionably a modern marvel, yet it is also highly complex and brutally competitive. And now, in this period of skyrocketing fuel prices and global hubs shut down because of the spiralling conflict in the Gulf, the sheer difficulty of running a global airline is in sharp focus. Our guest today is well placed to give us insight into this fascinating world. Allan Kilavuka stepped down early this year as Group CEO of Kenya Airways. His six-year tenure leading the airline through the tumult of Covid along with a major restructuring effort provides him unparalleled exposure to the challenges of running a national carrier in a time of global flux. Of course, if you enjoy this and our other episodes, please like and subscribe.Books Mentioned In the PodcastDare to Lead by Brené BrownFooled by Randomness by Nassim TalebHigh Road Leader by John C. Maxwell 

"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 BurkeSince 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.

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 PodcastBen Barry, The Rise and Fall of the British Army, 1975–2025Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Triumph Peter Elstop, Warriors for the Working DayBarney Campbell, RainHarry Parker, Anatomy of a Soldier

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

“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.”

Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps officer and author with a PhD in War Studies, shares his insights on modern ground combat. He challenges the notion that technology has drastically changed warfare, emphasizing enduring realities of fear and uncertainty. Connable details his research on 423 battles, contrasting the persistent need for motivated infantry with the rise of drones. He stresses the importance of rigorous field research over convenience bias and highlights the psychological impacts of combat. His perspective offers a compelling counter-narrative to popular military myths.

"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 OrwellAs 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 TaylorOn 1984 by DJ TaylorFinding George Orwell in Burma by Emma LarkinEileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia ToppOrwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit

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 KennedyThe Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert GordonWhy the West Rules - For Now by Ian MorrisThe Global Transformation - History, Modernity, and the Making of International Relations by Barry Buzan and George Lawson

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 podcastThe Wife's Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam - https://tinyurl.com/3pmctm5bOromay by Baaalu Girma - https://tinyurl.com/k7dvpup9