Toppings Event Book Talk: James Holland’s The Visionaries

As students in a university town, we are certainly not short of lectures given by academics specialised in their fields. What makes Topping & Company’s events so delightful, however, is their singularly convivial air. The bookshop itself, warmly lit and intimate, creates closeness — both actual and emotional, in a sense — with the speaker. You are offered a glass of wine, or a miscellaneous non-alcoholic sparkling drink, upon entry, and given a seat, a refuge from the outside world for about an hour. 

Glancing over the lineup of Toppings’ events and visiting writers is often a gratifying experience, and at times a surprising one, too — what, in little St Andrews, attracts these frequently significant literary names? James Holland is an English popular historian whose primary focus has been on the Second World War. At this event, Toppings granted us an opportunity to find out more about his latest work, The Visionaries, which analyses the larger picture of 20th Century history: the making of post-war order, and the people — ‘visionaries,’ like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman —  and policies which aimed to promote economic growth, peace, and prosperity in the West. 

“The idea came to me last summer [...] I was looking at what was going on in the world, and sort of despairing a little bit. I feel really really strongly that history matters, and I also feel really really strongly that those who have high office really do need to learn their history.” said Holland. He further discussed the currently fragile state of democracy across the world — the book’s purposes become clearer as he continues — and depicts the latter half of the twentieth century as a source of optimism for how today’s leaders might find a way forward.

The book is principally about leaders and leadership. Towards the end of the event, the floor was opened up for questions from audience members. One asked: “Who do you see as our modern day visionaries?” Holland’s face consequently fell, producing a laugh from the crowd.

“This is what really worries me. I mean, where are they? Where’s the Roosevelts, where’s the Trumans [sic]? [...] I’ve met Keir Starmer, and he’s a very nice man, and I felt at least, you know, he’s got a moral backbone.” There’s that. At one point, Holland, while reflecting over the state of British politics, stated, “this latest fiasco, putting Olly Robbins under the bus [...] I mean, what the hell is going on?”

As for today’s international visionaries, Holland states that “Zelensky’s obviously the towering figure of our age, a man of vision and a kind of moral backbone.”

Holland’s perspective is just that — a well-argued point of view, upon which he elaborates over the course of a couple hundred pages in his newly released book. I am sure I speak for many in being very grateful to Topping & Co for giving St Andrews and its people the opportunity to listen to its speakers, and to partake in literary-historical discussions. 

Photo from Wikimedia Commons