The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 is often seen as the spark that ignited World War I – and it was pivotal in transforming the way that states use and protect against assassination. In his recently published book, Death to Order: A Modern History of Assassination, Simon Ball, Professor of International History and Politics at the University of Leeds, tells that story. In this episode, we discuss Simon’s work on assassination, as well as the implications for liberal democracy as state security expands to protect an ever-growing circle of elites.