Secrets, Scandal, and War: Robert Harris on Precipice and the Affair that Shook a Nation

The Not Old - Better Show

Today, we’re diving into a world on the verge of collapse—where passion, politics, and peril collide in the summer of 1914. The world was inching toward the Great War, and in the heart of Britain, secrets were being exchanged that could have changed everything.

Our guest today is the brilliant Robert Harris, whose latest novel, available on Apple Books, Precipice, masterfully intertwines history and fiction to bring this harrowing moment to life. Harris, renowned for his storytelling and meticulous research, takes us inside a clandestine affair between the British Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, and the young, aristocratic Venetia Stanley. But this is far more than a tale of forbidden love—it's a thriller that exposes the fragility of power, the dangerous intersection of personal and political, and how the secrets of a single woman could threaten an entire nation.

Asquith, caught between his obsession for Venetia and his responsibility to lead a nation into war, is a man crumbling under pressure. Meanwhile, Venetia, clever, bored, and reckless, is no victim but a woman caught in the very machinations of history—at a time when women couldn't even vote. But as war clouds gather over Europe, this private intrigue becomes a national security risk, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In Precipice, Robert Harris paints a vivid portrait of a society on the brink, capturing not just the politics but the people whose choices echo through history. Today, we’ll discuss the extraordinary research behind this novel, the real-life affair that could have toppled a government, and the timeless lessons it offers for our world today.

My thanks to Robert Harris, author of the new book, Precipice, available at Apple Books. Remember, Robert Harris also authored ‘CONCLAVE’film is releasing in theaters in early November. The adaptation of Harris’ book, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. Check it out. My thanks to our wonderful executive producer Sam Heninger. My thanks to you our wonderful audience here on radio and podcast, Be well, be safe and Let’s Talk About Better™. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks everybody and we’ll see you next week.

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