Throughout time, both authors and their readers have gone to war. In that process, the written word has become a deadly weapon and a glimmer of peace and hope – from the furious printing efforts behind publishing Mein Kampf to the daring exploits of James Bond. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Andrew Pettegree traces the surprising, and sometimes sinister, ways in which the written word has shaped, and been shaped, by the conflicts of last few centuries.

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Andrew Pettegree is the author of The Book at War: Libraries and Readers in an Age of Conflict (Profile Books, 2023)

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Authors

Emily BriffettPodcast editorial assistant

Emily is HistoryExtra’s podcast editorial assistant. Before joining the BBC History team in 2021, Emily graduated with an MA in Public History from Royal Holloway, University of London

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