Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

We're living in unusual times, with political history being made every week and the seemingly imminent collapse of a certain global super power on the horizon. "Once you pull on the thread of collapse, the entire tapestry of history begins to unravel," writes Luke Kemp. What can we learn from looking at the collapse of past societies? Guest: Luke Kemp, research affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. His first book is 'Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse'. Originally broadcast on 21 May, 2025

A new history of the union movement in Australia says marginalised groups like migrants, women, Indigenous Australians and LGBTQIA+ people were often left to run their own grassroots campaigns, and were only embraced by the broader union movement once their campaigns had gained momentum. But the approach of unions reflected the broader attitudes of the Australia of the day.  GUEST: Dr Liam Byrne, author of ‘No Power Greater - A History of Union Action in Australia’  published by Melbourne University Press.  Originally broadcast on 21 May, 2025

Before the 1967 war, radio ruled the Middle East—TV was a rare luxury. For the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Israel, the airwaves buzzed with news, and more often than not, propaganda. Alongside the giants like the BBC, hundreds of smaller stations across the region churned out their own political messages. GUEST: Margaret Peacock, Professor of History, University of Alabama and author of Frequencies of Deceit: How Global Propaganda Wars Shaped the Middle East PRODUCER: Ali Benton   Originally broadcast on March 19, 2025

'One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.' That tweet, by Omar El Akkad, in October 2023, three weeks after Israel invaded Gaza, has been viewed over ten million times. Its author, Omar El Akkad, has now written a book of searing essays, asking, among other things, what it is that 'polite liberal progressives' actually stand for. Guest: Omar El Akkad, US-based journalist, novelist, author of ‘One day, everyone will have always been against this’ (Text)  Producer: Ann Arnold   Originally broadcast March 27, 2025  

The thickness, colour and texture of facial and head hair showed character traits about men and women, it was believed in 19th century America. The assessments were imbued with judgements about race and gender.  Guest: Sarah Gold McBride, author of 'Whiskerology: the culture of hair in 19th century America’ (Harvard University Press, due out in June 2025). Sarah is an historian, and lecturer in the Program in American Studies, University of California, Berkely  Producer: Ann Arnold Originally broadcast April 24, 2025