The Book Club Archives - The Podcast Browser

John Sellars – Stoicism Is Not What You Think

Interview with John Sellars about his book Stoicism Is Not What You Think. Clarifies pervasive misconceptions about Stoicism, distinguishing the colloquial “small s” stoicism from the comprehensive philosophical system. Highlights how Stoicism isn’t about emotionless repression but cultivating virtues like courage and justice – essential for a good life and self-control over ‘uncontrolled’ emotions such as anger and fear. Though deterministic, the philosophy empowers individuals through rational choice and personal character. Discvusses research finding benefits for well-being, increased agency, and reduced negative emotions.

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Anand Gopal – Days of Love and Rage

A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution

Interview with Anand Gopal about his book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. Explores the Syrian Revolution, focusing on the city of Manbij. Details the protest movement’s transformation from a brutal Ba’athist dictatorship to a brief democratic experiment, its internal divisions, and the subsequent rise of ISIS. Discusses his immersive research methods, highlighting individual stories that reveal the nuanced complexities of freedom, democracy, and tyranny. Reflects on how reporting on the conflict compelled him to re-evaluate his understanding of these fundamental concepts.

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Simon Sebag Montefiore – The Cauldron

The Making of the Modern Middle East

Interview with Simon Sebag Montefiore about his book The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Discusses how Western-imposed nation-state ideas, following the Ottoman Empire’s collapse, led to immense suffering and ethnic cleansing, as seen with the Armenian genocide and the creation of exclusive Arab ethno-states. Highlights how Arab-Israeli hostility was not inevitable, with early Zionist discussions considering a bi-national state. The region’s complexity demands understanding its multi-ethnic past and the agency of local leaders in navigating external influences.

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Tim Whitmarsh – Rome’s Age of Revolution

Augustus, Empire, and the Making of Christianity

Interview with Tim Whitmarsh about his book Rome’s Age of Revolution: Augustus, Empire, and the Making of Christianity. Argues that early Christianity was fundamentally shaped by the Roman Empire, which created the necessary framework for its flourishing. Describes the pivotal role of Roman roads – not just for infrastructure but for ideologically connecting the empire – and the term ‘the Way’ (hodos) used by early Christians. Explores paradoxes such as Augustus’s dual role as traditionalist and innovator, which found echoes in Christian narratives. Touches on the re-telling of saviour-child birth myths, the move away from Jewish roots, and the successful entrepreneurial institutionalisation of Christianity in the Greek-speaking East.

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Frank Cottrell Boyce – A British Childhood

Interview with Frank Cottrell Boyce about his book A British Childhood. Discusses childhood’s profound, unaddressed transformation. Schools, isolated by austerity, now provide extensive welfare. Frictionless digital platforms erode rhythmic storytelling vital for development and bonding. The decline of bedtime stories removes crucial predictability and human connection. Champions reading repetition and child agency, noting digital engagement equates to unknowingly working for AI, stifling future imagination. Stresses addressing childhood poverty and housing insecurity for educational stability, advocating slower, reflective narrative engagement to cultivate agency.

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Andrea Wulf – The Traveler

One Man’s Quest for Humanity from the South Seas to Revolutionary Paris

The Book Club | 10 June 2026 | 0h 39m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Andrea Wulf about her book The Traveller: One Man’s Quest for Humanity from the South Seas to Revolutionary Paris. Discusses the life of George Forster, who sailed with Captain Cook, toured Europe as an intellectual celebrity and sparred with Kant and Rousseau over race and human civilisation – before throwing his lot in with the French Revolution.

Edmund Richardson – Alexander: God, King, Man

The Book Club | 20 May 2026 | 0h 52m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Edmund Richardson about his book Alexander: God, King, Man. Discusses Alexander the Great, why there is still a fresh story to tell about this most storied of historical figures, why his empire collapsed as soon as it came into being yet nevertheless changed history – and how Alexander conquered the world by mistake.

Stefan Fatsis – Word Freak

The Book Club | 25 March 2026 | 0h 51m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Stefan Fatsis about his 2001 book Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble. Discusses how a journalistic project turned into a quarter-century obsession with tournament Scrabble, how dramatically tournament Scrabble differs from the living-room game, the criticality of maths rather than word skills, and why we’re still having the same arguments over word lists.