This episode of Long Reads is brought to you in association with Pluto Press.

Pluto have developed a new list of audiobooks for some of their most popular titles.

The British Museums by Dan Hicks is one audiobook you can buy from Pluto.

The New York Times described it as one of the best art books of the year,

and it spurred a number of museums to return stolen artifacts.

If you buy at least one audiobook from Pluto Books.com before the end of December,

you'll be entered for a draw to win one of three sets of the entire list.

Hello, you're very welcome to Long Reads, a jacoban podcast where we look in

depth at political topics and thinkers. My name is Daniel Finn.

On the features editor here at Jacoban, and I'll be presenting the show.

Erotrae's long struggle for independence finally ended in victory three decades ago.

It seemed like a fresh beginning for one of Africa's smallest countries.

But the Erotraean leader, Isaiah Safwerke, soon established a highly repressive political system

that caused many young people to flee. Since 2020, Afwerke's army has been a key protagonist

in one of the world's most destructive wars.

Our guest today is Michaela Wrong. She's a journalist and the author of several books about

African politics, including a history of modern Eritrea. I didn't do it for you.

She's also written a novel called Borderlines, inspired by events in Eritrea.

How did Eritrea become an Italian colony, and what were the main legacies of Italian colonial rule?

The story of Italian colonialism in Eritrea, it sort of takes two, it's in two parts, really.

When the Suez Canal was opened, there was a flurry of interest by European powers

in the Red Sea, because they thought this would open up the markets in Far East and Middle East.

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