logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
1h 5m

The 12 Books of Christmas | Zeinab Badaw...

Intelligence Squared
About this episode

To celebrate 2024, we’re taking a look backwards, and diving into the standout thinkers who have taken to the Intelligence Squared stage in the past 12 months. You might still be on the hunt for that perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, or perhaps you’re after some food for thought over the festive period. Either way, this 12 episode mini series will highlight the books that shaped 2024. We hope you’ll join us in 2025 for more events that intrigue, fascinate and entertain.


Too often historians have told the history of Africa through the prism of colonialism. But what picture of the continent emerges when we do away with making the story of Africa so anchored in European colonialism? Award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi came to the Intelligence Squared stage recently to tell a new history of Africa – in all its shades and complexities – without the stifling gaze of Europe. Drawing on the themes of her latest book, An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence, she describes the origins of humankind, the emergence of ancient civilisations and empires, and the joys and thrills of Independence. Badawi was in conversation with historian and broadcaster Kate Williams.


If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.


For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events

- Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox


...


Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series


...


Already a subscriber?

Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.


...


Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.

https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Can Trump Deliver Peace in Ukraine? With Mark Galeotti
On today's episode we're joined by Mark Galeotti, security expert and author, to discuss Trump's recent efforts to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Galeotti speaks to Conor Boyle, Head of Programming at Intelligence Squared, about how Trump's strategy is different t ... Show More
27m 1s
Aug 22
Fabergé’s Rediscovered Imperial Flower, with Helen Culver-Smith
This is an episode of The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. On today’s episode, the beauty of nature suspended f ... Show More
13m 20s
Aug 21
Who are the Hidden Women who Shaped our Economic History? With Victoria Bateman
How many female entrepreneurs, merchants and industrialists can you name? We all know the names Rockefeller, Medici and Ford, but what about Priscilla Wakefield, who founded the first bank for women and children? Or the businesswoman Julia Felix, who built a property empire in An ... Show More
44m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
The Birth of a Nation
Saudi Arabian professor of social anthropology and author of Salman's Legacy: The Dilemmas of a New Era in Saudi Arabia, Madawi Al-Rasheed, explains the foundations of the Saudi state and how two key factors – religion and oil – shaped the kingdom. This episode was hosted and pro ... Show More
16m 59s
Nov 2022
Who Inspired Wakanda's Warrior Women?
The fictional, fearsome, and all-female Dora Milaje in the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were inspired by a real group of African warriors: the Agojie. Nat Geo contributing writer Rachel Jones shares the history of the Agojie and discusses the way that movies and pop cultu ... Show More
29m 50s
Apr 2025
The Egyptian Revolution & Nasser's Era w/ Ahmad Shokr (AR&D Ep. 7)
With this episode of Guerrilla History, we roll into our next case study in our series African Revolutions and Decolonization. Here, we turn our focus to Egypt, and particularly the 23 July Revolution in 1952 and the rise of Nasser. However, to tell this story, we turn back to th ... Show More
1h 42m
Dec 2024
The Birth of the Carthaginian Empire
Carthage spent most of the fifth century BC building up its economy, but in the aftermath of the disastrous Athenian expedition to Sicily, the Carthaginians decided that the time was ripe to create a new Mediterranean empire.Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reforma ... Show More
40m 8s
Oct 2022
Talk: Hidden Voices of Ancient Egypt
This is a talk I gave for the Intelligent Speech Conference in 2021, discussing some recent discoveries and newer angles of exploration in Egyptology. It is also available on YouTube. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodca ... Show More
41m 6s
Jul 13
The Queen of Sheba
A figure of wealth, wisdom, and global fascination - how did the Queen of Sheba become one of history’s most enduring royal icons?In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Jillian Stinchcomb to trace the enduring story of the Queen of Sheba — from her biblical debut to her ... Show More
52m 16s
Oct 2019
The Fascinating Origins of Everyday Things (Part 2)
In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start off looking at that time the United States government banned pre-sliced bread… Really. Next up, we have a brief message from a sponsor, Blinkist, which gives you the key ideas from more than 3,000 bestselling nonfiction books in ju ... Show More
51m 6s
Mar 2025
‘One Day,’ with Omar El Akkad
‏Journalist, novelist, and memoirist Omar El Akkad talks about his latest book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This – a blend of memoir, social criticism, and moral philosophy. The book creates and shares space for everyone who is full of grief and rage, who cann ... Show More
53m 34s
May 11
Women who ruled over Africa
From rainmaking queens to dogged isolationists, the lives and reigns of Africa’s female rulers have long been shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and misogyny. Over the centuries and throughout the continent, these individuals navigated the rigid traditions of their own culture ... Show More
41m 58s
Nov 2024
The Rise of the Hellenistic World
Antigonus the One-Eyed came closer than almost any other figure in the post-Alexander world to recreating the dead king's empire, but his success aroused the ire of the other Successors, and his doom wasn't far behind.Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, R ... Show More
40m 11s