Shows
Earlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Ep. 22 - Standard Bank’s Simon Freemantle on Growing Signs That South Africa’s Recovery Is UnderwayThousands 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 Af...
2026-02-1039 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Ep. 21 - Journalist & Author Ernest Scheyder on "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives"“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 f...
2026-01-2737 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 20 - Historian & Strategist Ben Connable on the Realities of Modern Ground Combat2026 has started with a proverbial bang, with the hard realities of military force brought squarely into the headlines with the US operation to seize Nicholas Maduro. And, of course, the grinding war of attrition continues in Ukraine as do conflicts in countries as varied as Sudan and Myanmar. While so much of the media coverage of these wars focuses on the role of technology and the apparent video game-like quality of the contemporary battlefield, our guest today argues that the reality of modern war remains very similar to what was experienced by infantryman throughout the conflicts of the 20th...
2026-01-1337 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 19 - Novelist and Biographer DJ Taylor on the Fascinating Life and Continuing Relevance of George Orwell"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 a...
2025-12-3039 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 18 - Professor Michael Beckley on the Changing Face of Great Power CompetitionThe 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...
2025-12-1643 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 17 - The Economist's Tom Gardner on Ethiopia's Uncertain FutureEthiopia 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 “g...
2025-12-0238 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 16 - South Africa Expert Dr. Terence McNameeSouth Africa this month is hosting the G20 summit in Johannesburg, an opportunity for the government of Cyril Ramaphosa to shift the focus from a steady drumbeat of news about the country's highly contentious relations with the US. We are very fortunate to be joined for this episode by prominent analyst of South Africa, Dr. Terence McNamee. Terence published this month in the Christian Science Monitor a cover story entitled “End of the Rainbow?,” a title that bluntly describes a country that he feels has dramatically lost its way. In this conversation we look at what has gone wrong in t...
2025-11-1839 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 15 - Ukraine Defense Tech Investor Perry BoyleFor episode 15 we welcome Perry Boyle, who has fast established himself as one of the most prominent Western investors – via his firm MITS Capital – in Ukraine’s burgeoning defense industry. Ukrainian defense technology, whether it be highly capable yet low-cost unmanned aerial and ground systems to path-breaking electronic warfare products, isgrabbing the attention of Western investors and highlighting the fact that defense innovation does not need to involve development cycles taking multiple years and tens of millions of dollars of investment. Perry and MITS Capital, and the just launched MITS Industries, is at the leading edge of this trend. Two qu...
2025-11-0432 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 14 - DR Congo Expert Christian-Géraud NeemaChristian-Geraud Neema is one of the foremost commentators on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Today we’re excited to discuss with him the DRC's always fascinating and often vexing politics. Geraud wears many hats, including serving as Africa Editor of the China-Global South Project and as a nonresident scholar in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Africa Program. A technical note - because of recording issues, Todd's voice track isn't as clear as usual, but fortunately Geraud's is unimpacted.
2025-10-2140 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 13 - Former Latvian President Valdis Zatlers on Putin's Motivations in Ukraine & Crisis Leadership"When Putin was a student in the KGB university, he was perfect in a subject called 'verbovka.' In Russian, that means recruiting new agents. So he's perfect in manipulation of people." -Former Latvian President Valdis ZatlersPresident Valdis Zatlers served as Latvia’s head of state from 2007-2011, a period that coincided with the global financial crisis that hit Latvia arguably harder than any country in the world. President Zatlers also was the first and only Latvian leader to visit Moscow on a state visit, where he gained first-hand knowledge of what drives President Putin and ho...
2025-10-0736 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 12 - The Times' Correspondent Oliver Moody on the Geopolitical Importance of the Baltic StatesIn 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 econ...
2025-09-2336 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 11 - Anzana Electric Group COO Josiah Brand on Challenges & Opportunities in Africa's Power SectorThe 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 ahea...
2025-09-0934 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 10 - Harvard Historian Danielle Leavitt on the Human Impact of Russia's War on Ordinary UkrainiansHarvard 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 th...
2025-08-2636 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 9 - US-Africa Policy Expert Judd DevermontJudd 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 - ht...
2025-08-1238 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 8 - Historian of Covert Action & Intelligence Professor Rory CormacJoin 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...
2025-07-2935 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 7 - Lawyer & Mining Industry Expert Rebecca CampbellRebecca 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 Be...
2025-07-1538 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 6 - Award-Winning Author Linda KinstlerLinda 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 f...
2025-07-0133 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 5 - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-LewisCape 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/C...
2025-06-1740 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 4 - CFR's Michelle GavinJoin 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/
2025-06-0333 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 3 - War Correspondent Francis FarrellJoin 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
2025-05-2034 min
Earlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 2 - Spy Novelist David McCloskeyJoin 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.
2025-05-0737 minEarlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Episode 1 - FT's Tom WilsonJoin 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.
2025-04-2238 min