The Observer Book Club

What did the Trojan War look like through the eyes of an ordinary soldier?Life of Pi author, Yann Martel, discusses his new novel, Son of Nobody, which is inspired by Homer’s Iliad with the Observer’s Erica Wagner. Recorded at the Manchester Literature Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Donald Trump bend American power to his will? According to journalist Jacob Weisberg, he had a lot of help.Ahead of next week’s US midterm elections, The Observer’s Political Editor, Rachel Sylvester is joined by Jacob Weisberg and legal expert Philippe Sands to dissect Weisberg’s new book, Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era. They discuss the money men, lawyers, and political elites who enabled an increasingly unchecked White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Observer’s Deputy Comment Editor Erica Wagner is joined by Deborah Frances-White, live from the Manchester Literary Festival, to talk about her latest book, Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have. Their discussion covers the new fights for women's rights, the perils of social media addiction, and the importance of free speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Observer’s Literary Editor, Tom Gatti, is joined by author William Boyd to talk about his new book, Cold Sunset, the final instalment in the thrilling Cold War trilogy.Set amidst the smoke, booze, and high-stakes tension of 1960s espionage, the novel follows "accidental spy" and travel writer Gabriel Dax. Boyd reflects on the art of keeping readers guessing, why he thinks spies might betray their country, and how the Cambridge Five inspired his latest work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Observer’s Literary Editor, Tom Gatti, talks to historian Simon Sebag Montefiore about his new book, The Cauldron, which is about the making of the modern Middle East. As America’s war with Iran enters a new phase, Simon Sebag Montefiore takes us back to the 1979 revolution, when the Shah was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic theocracy. To what extent was this world-changing event the key to understanding today’s Middle East?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Observer Book Club, editor-in-chief, James Harding, talks to the Dutch historian and author, Rutger Bregman, about his latest book, Moral Ambition. Recorded live at the Observer's London newsroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.