A socio-political history that looks at eight pivotal moments where the outcome of a debate could have gone either way, with world-changing consequences, this is a fascinating and timely exploration of the debates that shaped our history and what we can learn from them to shape our future. 

It has often been said that the most important battles are fought not between armies, but between ideas. Many of the turning points of history have been preceded by a debate; the course of action that followed was determined by the rhetoric and persuasion of the winning side. 

Whether it is leaders deciding between peace and war or citizens speaking up to shape the national identity of their country, these knife-edge moments see sides taken, stories crafted, arguments and counterarguments made. Sometimes the ‘right’ side won; sometimes the consequences were catastrophic.

In an increasingly polarised world, the skill of disagreeing agreeably is under threat. Political debate has turned into a mutually destructive zero-sum game, which increasingly often progresses from violent language to actual violence, with tragic results. Public debate on social media has become an echo chamber that only reinforces our worst prejudices. What happens to society when the ability to debate is lost?

In Debates That Changed the World, author Julian Bell looks at eight moments in history where the result of a debate could have gone either way, with world-changing consequences.  By taking a deep dive into the personal stories of those taking part in the debates, he breathes life into the discussions, putting us right into the rooms where they happened. 

As one of the UK’s leading debate experts, Bell guides us through the key principles of healthy debate, showing how they played out on a world stage. The result is a fascinating socio-political history that takes us behind the doors of some landmark moments, exploring exactly how and why things unfolded in the way they did.  

Covering debates on the brink of war, civil rights and social justice movements and referenda on race, religion and geopolitics, Debates that Changed the World is perfect for armchair historians and fans of The Rest is Politics, The Rest is History & The Rest is Classified 

JULIAN BELL is the UK’s leading expert on debate. He is the author of the two standard textbooks for student debating, The Debating Book: everything you ever need to know about debating and Think Like A Debater: how to get better at debating. His business Debating for Everyone offers consultancy and training in debating and public speaking; clients have included a crypto-currency firm, a trainee lawyer, a fine art dealer and a professor of economics.  He has set up debating programmes in over 30 schools across the UK and abroad, and runs numerous debating competitions.