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Jan 7
57m 8s

Now & Then with Robert Saunders: Home Ru...

David Runciman
About this episode
Today’s episode in our occasional series with historian Robert Saunders on significant political anniversaries looks at the event that blew British politics apart at the start of 1886. The ‘Hawarden Kite’ – when William Gladstone’s son Herbert floated the idea that his father had committed to Irish Home Rule – split the Liberal party, upended political alleg ... Show More
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Jan 14
Politics on Trial: The Gang of Four vs the New China
In today’s episode David explores the trial that gripped China at the end of 1980: the case against the three men and one woman accused of being responsible for the worst excesses of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). How did the court try to hold Mao’s followers responsible for ... Show More
1h 1m
Jan 11
Politics on Trial: Muhammad Ali vs. the Draft
Today’s episode is about the epic battle between Muhammad Ali and the US government over its attempt to draft him during the Vietnam war and what happened when that fight reached the US Supreme Court. What were Ali’s grounds for claiming to be a conscientious objector? How did th ... Show More
1 h
Jan 4
Films of Ideas extra: The Designated Mourner
An extra episode to accompany our Films of Ideas series: David explores The Designated Mourner by Wallace Shawn, the writer and co-star of My Dinner with Andre. How did a play first performed in 1996 turn into a prophetic text for our times? How was it shaped by Shawn’s experienc ... Show More
1 h
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