I’ve spent much of my life reading about the battles and wars of ancient, medieval and modern eras and I have always been struck by how much of human existence has been a story of violence. Yet since WW2, Europe in particular has been uniquely peaceful. So it is extraordinary and yet predictable that humans have again begun to engage in appalling violence for no more reason than acquiring power and land. Watching the scenes from Ukraine is as close to watching evil at play as it is possible to imagine. I have never had a high regard for the human race and once more you are bludgeoned by a sense of utter impotence. With Trump, Xi, Bolsonaro, Jong-Un, Orban, Erdogan, Modi, Bin Salman, Lukashenko and Putin on the march – where on earth is the human race heading?