Ill Literacy: Books with Benson

Latest Episodes:

Ill Literacy, Episode 156: The Hollow Parties (Guest: Sam Rosenfeld) Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 154 of Ill Literacy, Tim Benson talks with Sam Rosenfeld, co-author of The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics.

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Sam Rosenfeld, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director, Public Affairs and Policy Research Initiative at Colgate University, to discuss his new book, co-authored with Daniel Schlozman, The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics. They discuss how party hollowness lies at the heart of our democratic discontents and how the nation’s parties became so dysfunctional. They also chat about the history of the party system in the United States, how today’s fractious party politics arose from the ashes of the New Deal order in the 1970s, how the 1968 DNC transformed presidential nominations but failed to lay the foundations for robust, movement-driven parties, and how, in Rosenfeld’s estimation, modern American conservatism hollowed out the party system, deeming it a mere instrument for power.

Get the book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691248554/the-hollow-parties

Show Notes:

Capital Research Center: Michael E. Hartmann – “Donors, The Hollow Parties, Distance, And Democracy”

https://capitalresearch.org/article/donors-the-hollow-parties-distance-and-democracy/

The New Republic: Ben Metzner – “The Decay of America’s Political Parties”

https://newrepublic.com/article/184302/decay-americas-political-parties-schlozman-rosenfeld-interview

New York Times: Sam Rosenfeld and Daniel Schlozman – “The Republican Party Has Devolved Into a Racket”

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/opinion/politics/republican-party-trump-racket.html

Politico: Ian Ward – “Democrats Are Feckless and Republicans Are Chaotic. Here’s Why.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/01/hollow-political-parties-donald-trump-00155297

Reason: J.D. Tuccille – “Hollow Major Parties Preside Over a Politics of 'Fear and Loathing'”

https://reason.com/2023/08/07/hollow-major-parties-preside-over-a-politics-of-fear-and-loathing/

Semafor: Davie Wiegel – “Why political parties desperately need to make a comeback”

https://www.semafor.com/article/05/10/2024/why-political-parties-desperately-need-to-make-a-comeback

Washington Examiner: Ben Jacobs – “Political party crashers”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/magazine-life-arts/3010630/political-party-crashers/

We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus (Guest: Sean A. Mirski) Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Sean A. Mirski, Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, to discuss his new book, We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus. They discuss how the United States became a regional hegemon in the century following the Civil War, which no other great power in the modern era has managed to achieve. They also chat about what America’s rise to hegemon status can teach us about the United States faces from China, Russia, and Iran today.

Get the book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sean-a-mirski/we-may-dominate-the-world/9781541758438/?lens=publicaffairs

Show Notes:
The Spectator: David J. Garrow – “Visiting a forgotten chapter in American history”
https://thespectator.com/book-and-art/visiting-forgotten-chapter-american-history-sean-mirski/

Washington Examiner: Jackson Lopez – “Review: We May Dominate the World by Sean Mirski”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2441248/review-we-may-dominate-the-world-by-sean-mirski/

An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War South (Guest: Robert K.D. Colby Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Robert K.D. Colby, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi, to discuss his new book, An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War South. They discuss how Southerners made the internal slave trade a cornerstone of Confederate society, a bulwark of the Rebel economy, and a central part of the experience of the Civil War. They also chat about how slave trading helped Southerners survive and fight the war by using this commerce to navigate food shortages and mitigate the demands of military service and other hardships on the home front.

Get the book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/an-unholy-traffic-9780197578261?cc=us&lang=en&

Show Notes:
The Guardian: Rich Tenorio – “An Unholy Traffic: how the slave trade continued through the US civil war”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/28/robert-colby-unholy-traffic-slave-trade-civil-war

Who Is Big Brother? A Reader’s Guide to George Orwell (Guest: D.J. Taylor) Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by award-winning novelist, critic, and biographer D.J. Taylor to discuss his new book, Who Is Big Brother? A Reader’s Guide to George Orwell. They discuss Orwell’s books, life and thought, including his conflicted relationship with religion to his competing anti-imperialism and fascination with empire. They also discuss Taylor’s recently released, completely overhauled biography, Orwell: The New Life.

Get the books here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300272987/who-is-big-brother/ & https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Orwell/D-J-Taylor/9781639364510

Show Notes:

The Critic: Andrew Doyle – “The making of a modern prophet”
https://thecritic.co.uk/The-making-of-a-modern-prophet/

First Things: John Wilson – “The Lure of Orwell”
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/05/the-lure-of-orwell

The Guardian: Blake Morrison – “Orwell by DJ Taylor review – a very English socialist”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/01/orwell-by-dj-taylor-review-a-very-english-socialist

Law & Liberty: Theodore Dalrymple – “Orwell's Arresting Ambiguities”
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/orwells-arresting-ambiguities/

Literary Review: David Dwan – “An Unsociable Socialist”
https://literaryreview.co.uk/an-unsociable-socialist

The Spectator: Camilla Cassidy – “Will we ever know the real George Orwell?”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/will-we-ever-know-the-real-george-orwell/

The Times: John Carey – “Orwell: The New Life by DJ Taylor review — great writer, terrible husband”
https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/orwell-the-new-life-by-dj-taylor-review-great-writer-terrible-husband-0t8w7qrlx

Wall Street Journal: Dominic Green – “‘Orwell’ Review: A Fresh Biography of Truth’s Champion”
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/orwell-review-champion-of-an-ordinary-truth-e439ecf9

Democracy's Resilience to Populism's Threat (Guest: Kurt Weyland) Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Kurt Weyland, Mike Hogg Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss his new book, Democracy's Resilience to Populism's Threat: Countering Global Alarmism. They discuss how populist leaders can only destroy democracy under special, restrictive conditions, which many never face. They also chat about how left-wing populists typically suffocate democracy only when benefitting from huge revenue windfalls, whereas right-wing populists must perform the heroic feat of resolving acute, severe crises.

Get the book here: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/politics-international-relations/comparative-politics/democracys-resilience-populisms-threat-countering-global-alarmism?format=HB

Show Notes:

National Constitution Center: Democracy, Populism, and the Tyranny of the Minority (VIDEO)
https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/podcasts/democracy-populism-and-the-tyranny-of-the-minority

Germany in the World: A Global History, 1500-2000 (Guest: David Blackbourn) Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by David Blackbourn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Distinguished Chair of History Emeritus at Vanderbilt University, to discuss his new book, Germany in the World: A Global History, 1500-2000. They discuss the existence of a distinctly German presence in the world centuries before its unification. They also chat about Germany’s leading role in creating modern universities and its sinister involvement in slave-trade economies, as well as how Germany has maintained its pivotal place for the world, even after its tragic and criminal Twentieth Century.

Get the book here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631491832

Show Notes:

The Guardian: Neal Ascherson – “Germany in the World by David Blackbourn review – a rich and full-throated account of the past 500 years”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/02/germany-in-the-world-by-david-blackbourn-review-a-rich-and-full-throated-account-of-the-past-500-years

Literary Review: Iain Bamforth – “From Brandenburg to Brazil”
https://literaryreview.co.uk/from-brandenburg-to-brazil

London Review of Books: Richard J. Evans – “Not So Special”
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n05/richard-j.-evans/not-so-special

Hitler’s Panzer Generals (Guest: David Stahel) Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by David Stahel, senior lecturer in history at the University of New South Wales, to discuss his new book, Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded. They discuss the significance of the unpublished wartime correspondence of these generals and what it reveals about their personalities, their private fears, and the public pressures they were under. They also chat about their response to the criminal dimension of the Nazi way of war as well as their role as leading military commanders conducting large-scale operations.

Get the book here: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/history/military-history/hitlers-panzer-generals-guderian-hoepner-reinhardt-and-schmidt-unguarded?format=HB

Show Notes:

The Past: Calum Henderson – “Hitler’s Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt, and Schmidt unguarded”
https://the-past.com/review/books/hitlers-panzer-generals-guderian-hoepner-reinhardt-and-schmidt-unguarded/

Ill Literacy, Episode 147: Colonialism (Guest: Nigel Biggar) Jun 20, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 147 of Ill Literacy, Tim Benson talks with Nigel Biggar, author ofColonialism: A Moral Reckoning.

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Nigel Biggar, Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, to discuss his new book, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning. They discuss whether the British Empire was driven primarily by greed and the lust to dominate, whether we should speak of “colonialism and slavery” in the same breath, and whether the Empire was essentially racist. They also chat about whether the Empire was driven by economic exploitation, whether it was essentially violent, and whether colonial government was or was not illegitimate.

Get the book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-World-That-Wasnt/Benn-Steil/9781982127824

Show Notes:

The Critic: Robert Lyman – “The British empire, for good and ill”

https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/march-2023/the-british-empire-for-good-and-ill/

First Things: Nigel Biggar – “A Christian Defense of American Empire”

https://www.firstthings.com/article/2022/10/a-christian-defense-of-american-empire

The Guardian: Kenan Malik – “Colonialism by Nigel Biggar review – a flawed defence of empire”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/20/colonialism-a-moral-reckoning-by-nigel-biggar-review-a-flawed-defence-of-empire

Law & Liberty: Sumantra Maitra – “Was the British Empire Really a Force for Good?”

https://lawliberty.org/book-review/was-the-british-empire-really-a-force-for-good/

Literary Review: Jonathan Sumption – “Cruel Britannia?”

https://literaryreview.co.uk/cruel-britannia

National Post: Peter Shawn Taylor – “Peter Shawn Taylor: Colonialism contained 'good things as well as bad.' Why can’t we just accept that?”

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/colonialism-contained-good-things-as-well-as-bad-why-cant-we-just-accept-that

National Review: Andrew Roberts – “The Upside of Empire”

https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2023/07/31/the-upside-of-empire/

The New Statesman: Tomiwa Owolade – “Nigel Biggar’s whitewashing of empire”

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2023/03/nigel-biggar-whitewashing-empire

Public Discourse: Samuel Gregg – “Reckoning with Colonialism”

https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2023/05/88467/

Quadrant: Matthew White – “A Moral Reckoning of the British Empire”

https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2023/05/a-moral-reckoning-of-the-british-empire/

Quillette: John Lloyd – “Colonialism and Its Discontents”

https://quillette.com/2023/02/06/colonialism-and-its-discontents/

The Spectator: David Crane – “Failing to denigrate Britain’s entire colonial record has become a heinous crime”

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/failing-to-denigrate-britains-entire-colonial-record-has-become-a-heinous-crime/

The Telegraph: Tim Stanley – “Colonialism by Nigel Biggar review: defending the British empire, this book is spoiling for a fight”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/colonialism-nigel-biggar-review-defending-british-empire-book/

Times Literary Supplement: David Arnold – “In defence of empire”

https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/colonialism-nigel-biggar-book-book-review-david-arnold/

Wall Street Journal: Tunku Varadarajan – “‘Colonialism’ Review: Empire Without Apology”

https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/colonialism-review-empire-without-apology-80ecc195

Washington Free Beacon: Douglas Murray – “The Upsides of Empire”

https://freebeacon.com/culture/the-upsides-of-empire/

Ill Literacy, Episode 146: Arabella (Guest: Scott Walter) Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 146 of Ill Literacy, Tim Benson talks with Scott Walter, author ofArabella: The Dark Money Network of Leftist Billionaires Secretly Transforming America.

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Scott Walter, president of the capital Research Center, to discuss his new book, Arabella: The Dark Money Network of Leftist Billionaires Secretly Transforming America. They chat about what is the Arabella Advisors network, who its chief backers are, how it functions, and what exactly is “dark money.” They also discuss why Arabella is different than right-wing “dark money” networks, and what impact it has on American politics and policy.

Get the book here: https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/arabella/

Show Notes:

Wall Street Journal: Scott Walter – “Inside the Left’s Web of ‘Dark Money’”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-lefts-web-of-dark-money-11603408114

Ill Literacy, Episode 145: The Myth of Left and Right (Guest: Hyrum Lewis) Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

In Episode 145 of Ill Literacy, Tim Benson talks with Hyrum Lewis, co-author ofThe Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America.

Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Hyrum Lewis, associate professor of history at Brigham Young University-Idaho, to discuss his new book (co-authored with his brother, Verlan), The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America. They chat about how, the book declares, there is no enduring philosophy, disposition, or essence uniting the various positions associated with the “liberal” and “conservative” ideologies of today—there is nothing other than tribal loyalty holding together the many disparate positions that fly under the banners of "liberal" and "conservative." They also discuss how the political spectrum came to the United States from Europe in the 1920s, and how the left and right have evolved in so many unpredictable and contradictory ways.

Get the book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-myth-of-left-and-right-9780197680629?lang=en&cc=us

Show Notes:

Acton Institute: Jonathan Leaf – “Getting Beyond Right-Wing and Left-Wing”

https://rlo.acton.org/archives/124983-getting-beyond-right-wing-and-left-wing.html

Deseret Magazine: Hyrum Lewis – “The myth of left and right”

https://www.deseret.com/2024/1/15/24002083/the-myth-of-left-and-right-politics/

The Public Discourse: Andrew Busch – “The Tribal, and Philosophical, Basis of the Left and Right in American Politics”

https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2023/05/88878/

Reason: Jesse Walker – “The Left-Right Spectrum Is Mostly Meaningless”

https://reason.com/2023/05/21/the-left-right-spectrum-is-mostly-meaningless/

The University Bookman: Lee Trepanier – “Essentially Lying About the Left and Right”

https://kirkcenter.org/reviews/essentially-lying-about-the-left-and-right/