TWNW Presents: Back-to-School Reading Special

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by CFR senior fellow Carla Anne Robbins to discuss their most recently beloved books, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the book they’re reading for fun.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Play Button Pause Button
0:00 0:00
x
Hosts
  • James M. Lindsay
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor
  • Carla Anne Robbins
    Senior Fellow

Show Notes

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the books they’ve recently loved, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the books they’re reading for fun.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

 

Jim’s Picks

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945–1975 by Max Hastings

President's of War by Michael Beschloss

A Legacy of Spies: A Novel by John le Carré

 

Bob’s Picks

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horwitz

This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality by Peter Pomerantsev

 

Carla’s Picks

Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer

The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem by Philip Kerr

Havana Gold: The Havana Quartet by Leonardo Padura

Russia

The fallout after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip ​​and release of all hostages further reveals a growing strain between the United States and Israel; Russia reels from the ISIS-K terrorist attack on concertgoers near Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin deliberating how to respond; the Cuban government cracks down on recent protests across the country over food shortages and power outages; and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is found to have stayed overnight at the Hungarian embassy in Brasília in February 2024. 

Nuclear Energy

Senegal holds its postponed presidential election amid fears of democratic backsliding; Slovakia chooses a new president in voting that could bolster Prime Minister Robert Fico’s illiberal tilt; Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan exchange blows after a string of terrorist attacks on Pakistani territory; nuclear energy gets a boost at a first-ever summit in Brussels, Belgium; and the European Union provides Egypt with $8 billion worth of aid. 

Russia

Russia holds its presidential election with the Kremlin aiming to orchestrate a sweeping endorsement of President Vladimir Putin; the U.S. Congress continues its partisan battles over the 2024 budget as concerns of shutdown and aid to allies mount; the U.S. Library of Congress flexes its soft power by awarding Elton John and Bernie Taupin with the Gershwin Prize; and the crisis in Haiti worsens.

Top Stories on CFR

Indonesia

Prabowo Subianto was named the winner of the Indonesian presidential election. But it is unclear which version of Prabowo—the more moderate candidate from the campaign trail or the self-styled strongman—will govern Indonesia.

Russia

The mass casualty theater attack in Moscow was a reminder that affiliates of the Islamic State have reorganized and infiltrated even powerful states.

India

With India's development continuing to gain steam, one of the biggest challenges will be to avoid the mistake that others have made when they failed to recognize their newly acquired global systemic influence and adapt accordingly. Both China and Big Tech show that it is never too early to start managing one's own rise.