Ben Judah is a writer whose work delves into the complexities of the modern world, often with a focus on the political and social landscapes he has explored through extensive travel. His prose is characterized by its sharp observation and insightful analysis, offering readers a nuanced perspective on contemporary issues.
In This is London, the author turns his reporter’s eye on home, immersing himself in the hidden world of the city’s immigrants – from the richest to the poorest – to discover the complex and varied individuals who are making London what it is today. He’s had dinner with oligarchs and meetings with foreign royalty, spent nights streetwalking and sleeping rough; he’s heard stories of heart-breaking failure, but also witnessed extraordinary acts of compassion, hope and the triumph of love.
What does it now mean to call yourself European? Who makes up this population of 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start? In a series of vivid, ambitious, darkly visceral but always empathetic portraits of other people's lives, Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a frenetic and vibrant continent which has been transformed by diversity, migration, the internet, climate change, Covid, war and the quest for freedom. Laid dramatically bare, it may not always be a Europe we recognize - but this is Europe. _____ Praise for Ben Judah's This Is London: 'An epic work of reportage' Guardian 'Eye-opening' Sunday Times 'Opens readers' eyes to the hardships experienced by many and ignored by most' Independent 'Shares Orwell's appetite for documenting parts of society that are easily overlooked' Spectator 'Full of nuggets of unexpected information about the lives of others' Financial Times
Despite a propaganda programme intent on maintaining the cliche of stability, Putin's regime was suddenly confronted in December 2011 by a public protest movement that told a different side of the story. The author argues that Putinism has brought economic growth to Russia but also weaker institutions, and this contradiction leads to instability.
London is a global city. More than half of those who live in the UK's capital came from somewhere else - and most arrived in the last ten years. Migration is transforming London, for better and for worse. Ben Judah is an acclaimed foreign correspondent. In This Is London, he turns his keen reporter's eye on home, immersing himself in the hidden world of the city's immigrants - from the richest to the poorest - to discover the complex and varied individuals who are making London what it is today. He's had dinner with oligarchs and meetings with foreign royalty, spent nights streetwalking and sleeping rough; he's heard stories of heart-breaking failure, but also witnessed extraordinary acts of compassion, hope and the triumph of love.