Earlylands in Conversation
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© Earlylands Advisory
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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.
12 Episodes
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In episode 12 we look at the Baltic region, which has repeatedly been in the headlines of late as it sits on the frontline of NATO’s physical and rhetorical face-off with Russia. Just a few days ago, Russian military aircraft penetrated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, in yet another challenge to the Western defense alliance. We are extremely fortunate to have with us Oliver Moody, who is the Times of London’s correspondent in Berlin. Early this year Oliver published the book Baltic, which has been called a “timely analysis” by the Financial Times and “fascinating…essential reading” by noted political economist Helen Thompson. Oliver helps us understand a region that far too often is ignored in discussions about Europe but which he argues plays an absolutely critical role in geopolitics.Books Mentioned in the Podcast -"The Northern Crusades" by Eric Christiansen"Peter the Great" by Robert K. Massie"Understanding the Baltic States" edited by Charles Clarke
The headlines regarding Africa’s infrastructure needs are ever-present, whether it be the requirement to serve the continent’s rapidly growing cities or construction of export routes for Africa’s minerals. Core to all of these needs is provision of reliable baseload electricity. There are very few companies as advanced in their project pipeline and as committed to Africa’s long-term development as the Anzana Electric Group. Anzana COO Josiah Brand gives us unique insight into the company’s value proposition, its strategy for competing in a highly complex, bureaucratic, and long-cycle industry, and why he hopes that the years ahead bring more competition in their sector. Books mentioned in the podcost -"Dancing in the Glory of Monsters" by Jason Stearns - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-stearns/dancing-in-the-glory-of-monsters/9781610391597/?lens=publicaffairs"Cobalt Red" by Siddharth Kara - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250284297/cobaltred/
Harvard historian Danielle Leavitt's recently published "By the Second Spring" provides a harrowing look at the impact of Russia's war on the lives of seven ordinary Ukrainians. Noted scholar Lawrence Freedman says, "Leavitt uses the individual stories to showcase Ukrainian resilience and resistance...with empathy, candor, and a cautious optimism for Ukraine’s future." Join us for a fascinating discussion with Danielle focused on the unique path she took to writing the book and the many lessons she found in the bravery of her subjects. Books mentioned in the podcast - "By the Second Spring" by Danielle Leavitt -https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374614331/bythesecondspring/"The Gates of Europe" by Serhil Plokhy - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/280294/the-gates-of-europe-by-plokhy-serhii/9780141980614"The Orphange" by Serhiy Zadan - https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300243017/the-orphanage/"In Isolation: Dispatches from the Occupied Donbas" by Stanislav Aseyev - https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674268784
Judd Devermont is unquestionably one of the US’s leading policy practitioners and experts on Africa. His experience ranges from the White House (President Biden's senior Africa advisor) to the CIA (senior political analyst) and many points in between. Not only has he had a ringside seat at the making of US-Africa policy, but he's also a historian who has undertaken fascinating studies looking at how past US presidents have handled relations with the continent. Judd's Substack page - https://substack.com/@judddevermont"High Noon in Southern Africa" by Chet Crocker - https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Noon-South-Africa-Neighbourhood/dp/0393034321"Betting on the Africans: John F. Kennedy's Courting of African Nationalist Leaders" by Philip Muehlenbeck - https://history.columbian.gwu.edu/betting-africans-john-f-kennedys-courting-african-nationalist-leaders
Join us for a fascinating discussion looking at the interplay of intelligence, covert action, and secret statecraft in the conduct of international affairs. We are joined by Professor Rory Cormac, who is unquestionably one of the leading scholars on the theory and practice of covert action both throughout history and in the contemporary world. Rory has written a number of books on the subject, including most recently How to Stage a Coup and The Secret Royals: Spying and the Crown from Victoria to Diana. He has researched and fronted three documentaries for UK Channel 4 and he regularly features in a wide variety of UK and international newspapers and TV and radio news broadcasts.Books mentioned in the podcast -Watching the Jackals – Daniella Richterova
Rebecca Campbell is a London-based partner at law firm White & Case, where she leads the firm’s Global Mining and Metals Industry Group. Rebecca has advised on a wide array of project development and financing deals, notable mining focused M&A transactions, and regulatory reforms in a number of global jurisdictions. She is a true substantive expert on an industry that is playing an ever more important role in geopolitics and which will underpin everything from the rise of AI to the green energy transition.Books and publications referenced in the podcast -"The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives" by Ernest Scheyder"Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization" by Ed ConwayWhite & Case Insights
Linda Kinstler is the author of the book Come to this Court and Cry, which was named a Wall Street Journal 2022 Book of the Year and won the 2023 Whiting Award for Nonfiction. In the words of The Guardian, the book is a “tremendous feat of storytelling, propelled by numerous twists and revelations, yet anchored by a deep moral seriousness.” The book traces the post-World War Two journey of Herbert Cukurs - celebrated Latvian aviator turned mass murderer known as the “Butcher of Riga" - who was abducted and assassinated by the Mossad in 1965. Simultaneously, Linda weaves in her own fraught family history - including her grandfather’s ties to Cukurs' Nazi-affiliated unit and Soviet intelligence - while exploring how Holocaust memory, justice, and truth can be contested, distorted, and erased. Books referenced in the episode include:Axiomatic by Maria TumarkinOresteia by Aeschylus
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, at 38-years old, has been marked out as a name to watch in South African politics. His leadership of the “Mother City” has garnered widespread praise from both domestic and international observers. Join us for a discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges facing one of the world’s great cities, the state of opposition politics in South Africa, and a thoughtful takedown of the notion of a “white genocide” (plus much else). Books referenced in the podcast -Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cry,_the_Beloved_CountryMy Traitor’s Heart by Rian Malan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Traitor%27s_HeartOn the Contrary by Tony Leon - https://tonyleon.com/books-publications/A Cricket in the Thorn Tree by Helen Suzman - https://books.google.es/books/about/A_Cricket_in_the_Thorn_Tree.html?id=SUkKAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
Join us for a discussion with Ambassador Michelle Gavin as we discuss the impacts thus far of the Trump administration on Africa and also look at long-term trends to watch on the continent. Michelle is the Council on Foreign Relations' Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies. Books referenced in the podcast -"Shallow Graves" by Richard Reid - https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/shallow-graves/
Join us for a discussion with The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell as we look at the brutal realities of life on Ukraine's frontlines. Links to material discussed in this episode:--The Kyiv Independent--Francis Farrell on the Pokrovsk frontline --Francis Farrell with Air Assault medics --Yaroslav Trofimov's Our Enemies Will Vanish--Oleksandr Mykhed's The Language of War--Artem Chekh--Myroslav Laiuk's Bakhmut--The Kyiv Independent's The Power Within
Join us for a discussion with Sunday Times bestselling spy novelist and former CIA analyst David McCloskey as we discuss the craft of writing fiction in this time of global disorder.
Join us for the inaugural episode of Earlylands in Conversation. In this episode, we are joined by the Financial Times's Tom Wilson. Tom is a seasoned commentator on the global energy and mining sector and joins us to discuss "minerals for security" agreements and the interplay of mining, minerals, and geopolitics in the era of Trump 2.0. Please use this link to access the FT article referenced in the episode.
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