Hilary Mantel, David Runciman and Helen Thompson: ‘Exercising Power’

Hilary Mantel talks to David Runciman and Helen Thompson about the politics of the Tudor court, revolutionary France, royal bodies and more, to mark the publication in paperback of ‘Mantel Pieces’.
Buy Mantel Pieces from us here: lrb.me/mantelp...
Read more by Hilary Mantel in the LRB: www.lrb.co.uk/...
This was a live recording of the 'Talking Politics' podcast: www.talkingpol...
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[@maryw246]

What a loss the literally world has suffered. Not only was she a wonderful author, she was a wonderful speaker and communicator.

[@teamcrumb]

Hilary is endlessly wonderful!

[@mohsinrao4334]

Simply brilliant!

[@maz4388]

such a loss for us all!

[@mountpleasantmusic]

That zoom at 58 minutes in.

[@fastkarr8256]

@Jonathan Philips when she says she was a self aware little creature?

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

@45:31 a bit intrusive....

[@jolantahill787]

Yes poor posture and no flowers for Hilary💐

[@PocketSatan]

Excellent, apart from the host stupidly rephrasing perfectly coherent intelligent questions from the audience. When I was listening to the Wolf HAll books, I kept thinking "Does Hilary want us to like Cromwell? really?" and realised that I won't fall for it. I loved the books but don't share her admiration for him. I realised that he is fascinating for others but boring for me. To me he is a workaholic. Such people can be really ruthless, utterly functional, totally unretrospective, and they walk over others. Their brilliance is used to destroy.

[@Thomas...191]

That is the nature of those who are able to weild power. Its all in "the Prince" I suppose. Do you feel the same reprehension towards everyone in politics?

[@francesca9423]

i feel like this is a rather simplistic look at cromwell. He could be very ruthless and did some horrible things, that's absolutely true. but his interest in welfare and social reform (where many other ministers didnt seem to care at all) imo shows him to have been more than simply self-serving or destructive. if you read non-fiction about him theres more to any person than solely being a 'workaholic'. he did so much work, yes, but in personality he seems to have been quite the opposite of 'utterly functional' theres also nothing to 'fall for' in the books, imo. so long as you remember it's 1. Just fiction and 2. through his eyes. he's not an objective narrator haha