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In this episode of the Explaining History podcast, host Nick Shepley is joined by veteran journalist and author Paul Vallely to explore the definitive inside story of Live Aid and its far-reaching legacy. Vallely’s new book, Live Aid: The Definitive 40-Year Story from Pop and Poverty to Politics and Power, chronicles the journey from the 1984–85 Ethiopian famine and the iconic 1985 Live Aid concert through four decades of activism against global poverty. The conversation delves into how a charit
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What was life really like for the poor and powerless in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars? In this episode of the Explaining History podcast, we’re joined by Katharine Quarmby, author of the powerful new historical novel, The Low Road.Set in 1813, The Low Road is a story of hardship, struggle, and love found in the most brutal corners of English life. Based on a true story unearthed from her hometown in Norfolk, Catherine’s novel follows an orphaned girl, Hannah, as she navigates the cruel institu
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Table of Contents Introduction: Turning Off the Money Tap While the sports boycott struck at the heart of white South Africa’s cultural identity, another, arguably more potent, form of international pressure was targeting its wallet. The divestment movement was a strategic, global campaign to economically isolate the apartheid regime by pressuring institutions to withdraw their investments from companies doing business in South Africa. It was a complex, multifaceted weapon that operated on both a moral and a financial plane. This movement, which grew from university campuses and city halls to the boardrooms of multinational corporations, did not merely aim to…
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When we picture the architects of our modern economy, who comes to mind? We see industrialists in top hats, bankers in boardrooms, and perhaps legions of men in flat caps marching out of factories. The story of economic history, as it’s almost always been told, is a story about men. It is a narrative of male innovation, male labour, and male genius. And according to historian Dr Victoria Bateman, it is a monumental falsehood. In a compelling episode of the Explaining History podcast, Dr Bateman discusses her new book, Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power, a hugely ambitious project that…
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Who really built the global economy? Traditional history books tell a story dominated by men—inventors, industrialists, and financiers. But what if this narrative is missing half the picture?In this eye-opening episode, host Nick is joined by Dr. Victoria Bateman of Gresham College to discuss her hugely ambitious new book, Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Dr. Bateman challenges the very foundations of economic history, arguing that our understanding of wealth creation is f
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Unveiling Uzbekistan: A Nation at the Crossroads of History and FutureJoin host Nick as he welcomes back acclaimed journalist and author Joanna Lillis to the Explaining History podcast. Seven years after her last appearance to discuss her book on Kazakhstan, “Dark Shadows,” Joanna returns to shed light on the enigmatic nation of Uzbekistan, the subject of her new book, “Silk Mirage.”This episode delves into the complexities of a country that was, for 25 years, one of the world’s most brutal dict
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Date: September 17, 2025 Author: The Explaining History Podcast Table of Contents Introduction: A Treatise for Our Times In the final years of his life, the esteemed historian Tony Judt penned a powerful and moving lament. His book, Ill Fares the Land, is more than a historical analysis; it is a poignant treatise on the perceived death of social democracy and the subsequent ruination wrought by neoliberalism. Judt writes not as a detached academic, but as a concerned citizen mourning the loss of a collective ideal—the post-war consensus that sought to build a more equitable society through state intervention and…
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This week, two seemingly separate events tell a single, troubling story about Britain’s place in the modern world. First, a massive, 100,000-strong far-right rally, supported by American funding, took to the streets of London. Now, Keir Starmer’s government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for an unprecedented second state visit for Donald Trump.These are not separate events. They are two acts in the same play.In this episode, Nick Shepley argues that Britain is preparing to advertise its
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Introduction The Marshall Plan occupies a hallowed place in twentieth-century economic history, widely celebrated as the catalyst that transformed war-shattered Europe into an economic powerhouse. This triumphant narrative, however, rests on surprisingly fragile empirical foundations when subjected to rigorous quantitative scrutiny. While political leaders and popular histories have perpetuated the image of American dollars single-handedly rescuing Europe from collapse, economic historians have increasingly questioned the actual macroeconomic significance of the $13.3 billion assistance program. This article examines the Marshall Plan through the lens of empirical economic analysis, separating measurable impacts from mythological attributions to develop a more nuanced understanding of…
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Introduction The standard narrative of the Marshall Plan as an uncontested blessing for postwar Europe requires significant qualification when examined through the lens of its contemporary critics. While political leaders and economic beneficiaries celebrated American generosity, substantial intellectual and political movements across Europe developed sophisticated critiques that questioned the Plan’s motives, methods, and consequences. These criticisms emerged from multiple positions on the left—from communist parties taking direct orders from Moscow to independent socialist intellectuals concerned with preserving European autonomy to social democrats wary of American capitalism—and collectively represented a significant counter-discourse to the enthusiastic official reception of American aid. This…