The History Behind The Headlines - Introduction: Politically, culturally and even psychologically, the past, often tragically, helps shape our world's present and its future. So, by more fully understanding history in its broadest terms, we improve our chances of tackling our world's problems. Planet Earth is a pretty horrifying place. Last year statistics show that 120,000 people lost their lives in more than 30 wars in virtually every region of our world. Finding just and lasting solutions to those crises requires huge skill and perseverance. But it also requires the public globally and their politicians to more fully understand the nature and histories of those conflicts. For without a better global public and political understanding of how and why those conflicts and crises evolved in the first place, it's much more difficult to solve them. For the past 15 years my tiny contribution to seeking solutions has been to study and publish detailed analyses of the historical origins of many of the political and military conflicts, crises and potential crises which currently challenge our world. Some of the crises I've analysed are disturbingly violent. Others are more peaceful, yet have the potential to cause substantial economic and social harm. So far I've investigated and analysed the historical trajectories behind more than 70 recent and current wars and crises. My research has involved in-depth interviews with literally hundreds of historians, political scientists, sociologists, and aid workers. My aim has been to be as objective and comprehensive as humanly possible – and to provide a unique record of how conflicts start and how tragically only too often they expand with such lethal consequences. I hope you find this rolling series of podcasts of interest. Here are the first four. If you like them, I'll do more. Thank you, David