Proofed: Episode 2The Grand Conflagration
George Santayana was a philosopher, essayist, and poet who died in the year 1952. He was known for his aphorisms and quotations, and it’s one of those that springs to mind- the phrase- ‘those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.” Human beings have a notoriously short memory, and it is for that chief reason I believe, that the historical nonfiction novel was born. There is a desperate need for the events of the past to be made accessible to current generations, because almost all of the issues that we currently face can be traced back to their temporal ancestors who made their mark centuries before.  If we do not analyze the past, then we cannot understand the present, nor can we craft our future. And the ability to craft the future of our species is a key aspect of what makes us human.

But- what makes a good historical novel? Why is it that so many members of the current generation shy away from the grand litany of past events? I’m your host Alexander Cole, and on today’s episode of Proofed, we’ll be analyzing a historical novel whose origins date back to the second world war and whose pages are stained with blood, edged with fire.

Proofed is a show which seeks to examine books, literature, writing, and the impact of each on the modern world.  A massive shout out, to the people who make this show possible- the Rogue Intel Network- make sure to look them up- they’re the very epitome of cool.

And now, episode 2 which is entitled; The Grand Conflagration

The audio you’re about to hear is an excerpt from the frontline  episode- The bombing of Al-Basra- The interviewer is Olly Lambert, and the event took place on October 28th, 2012. For the sensitive listeners, this does contain some graphic descriptions. Copyright infringement is not intended.

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That was from a bombing in Syria in 2012. As westerners, and citizens of the modern age,