Jun 15
Episode 113: Antarah ibn Shaddad
Antarah ibn Shaddad, a killer, a lover, and an epic hero, was also one of early Arabic literature's most famous poets. Parker's Song: https://youtu.be/bTVWrxfb5wk Episode 113 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-113/ Episode 113 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.c ... Show More
2h 4m
May 14
Episode 112: Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry
Prior to the dawn of Islam, the Arabian Peninsula had a great poetic tradition, with many genres, and many poets who are still celebrated and studied today. Episode 112 Quiz https://literatureandhistory.com/quiz-112/ Episode 112 Transcription: https://literatureandhistory.com/epi ... Show More
2h 19m
Mar 2023
497 The Art of War by Sun Tzu
By any measure, the ancient Chinese military treatise The Art of War has had an astonishing literary history, proving itself over two and a half millennia to be one of the world's most essential and enduring books. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the life and legacy of thi ... Show More
58m 23s
Jun 2023
518 The Curse of the Marquis de Sade - A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal in Literary History (with Joel Warner) | My Last Book with Diane Rayor
Not even imprisonment could stop the Marquis de Sade from writing his insanely intense, unrelenting erotica - and not even Sade's eventual death could stop his secret manuscript, temporarily hidden in a Bastille wall to protect it from looters and revolutionaries, from haunting i ... Show More
41m 54s
Sep 2023
547 Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality (with William Egginton)
Jacke talks to author William Egginton about his new book Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality, which uses the examples of three profound thinkers to explore the differences between reality "out there" and reality as we experience it. PLUS Jacke continues ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2024
594 Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) has been called the last person to have read everything. He is also one of the greatest poet-critics in the history of literature, known for works like "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Kubla Khan," "Frost at Midnight," and ... Show More
1h 12m
Apr 2024
604 How Russian Literature Became Great (with Rolf Hellebust) | My Last Book with Valeria Sobol
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov... the familiar Russian names are at the pinnacle of world literature. How did this happen? Was it merely a happy accident? Did events conspire to bring it about? In this episode, Jacke talks to Rolf Hellebust, author of How Russian Literature Became ... Show More
1h 4m
Dec 2023
574 The Book at War (with Andrew Pettegree) | My Last Book with Robin Lane Fox
Books are often viewed as the pinnacle of civilization; war, on the other hand, is where civilization breaks down. What happens when these two forces encounter one another? In this episode, Jacke talks to esteemed literary historian Andrew Pettegree about his new book, The Book a ... Show More
52m 1s