These essays explore history, public policy, technology and professional practice. Some expand on themes developed in my published work; others examine contemporary issues or reflect on broader questions of evidence, innovation and social change.
New essays will be added each month.
July 2026
I had a chat with HAL… and this is what I learnt
A website rebuild undertaken to support the publication of my first new book in a decade became an unexpected exploration of artificial intelligence. This first essay reflects on that experience and considers what it might mean for the future of human productive labour.
August 2026
Australia has made a profound strategic and industrial commitment through AUKUS. This essay looks back to the choices made in the late 1930s and asks what history can tell us about dependence on great-power allies.
September 2026
Winston Churchill remains one of the most celebrated—and contested—figures of the Second World War. Prompted by his portrayal alongside Charles de Gaulle in the film Resistance, this essay asks how the imperialist and political adventurer became the leader Britain needed in 1940—and why his greatest strengths were inseparable from the qualities that made him so problematic.