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PODCAST

Empire: World History

The rise and fall of empires and the events that shaped world history. William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires. From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today? Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to

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All Episodes

41:14

311. Cricket In India: Beating The Brits At Their Own...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/27

How did Britain’s imperial game become so popular in India? Why were India’s princes the ‘nepo babies’ of cricket? How does the legacy of Partition continue to affect matches in India and Pakistan today? Anita and William are joined once again by Tim Wigmore, author of Test Cricket: A History, as they unpack how a colonial sport grew to define a nation, mapping onto India’s historic and political tensions. Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with

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49:22

310. The Origin of The Ashes & The Killer Cricket...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/25

How is the history of cricket completely intertwined with the history of the British Empire? What was the Bodyline Controversy of the 1930s and how did it nearly kill a player? Who was Don Bradman and why is he believed to be the greatest sportsperson of all time? Anita and William are joined by Tim Wigmore, author of Test Cricket: A History, to discuss the history of the cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire

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45:37

309. Tintin, Nazis, & Soviets

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/20

How did the young journalist with the quiff haircut and his companion Snowy The Dog feature in Nazi propaganda in the 1940s? What was the origin story of Hergé, the Belgian illustrator who created The Adventures of Tintin? How did an unlikely friendship transform Hergé’s life and lead him to draw Tintin crying in a comic strip for the first and only time?Anita and William navigate the turbulent hot waters of Tintin’s history from anti-Soviet propaganda, to featuring authentic Chinese calligraphy,

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47:27

308. Asterix and Obelix, Babar The Elephant, &...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/18

How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we feel about racist depictions of people of colour in beloved children’s cartoons today?Listen as William and Anita explore the controversial debates about two of the most beloved cartoons from twentieth-century France: Asterix the Gaul, and Babar The Elephant. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full

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41:51

307. Austen vs Brontë: Unmasking Slavery Heiresses

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/13

What is the true history behind the “madwoman in the attic” in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre? How was Jane Austen’s aunt deeply connected to slavery in Barbados? Who were the British heiresses who married Caribbean plantation owners and inherited vast wealth made through chattel slavery?William and Anita are joined by Miranda Kauffman, author of Heiresses: Marriage, Inheritance, and Caribbean Slavery, to discuss how Austen and Brontë were connected to, and wrote about, these often-ignored slavery

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60:29

306. Joseph Conrad: From Russian Exile To The Heart...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/11

How did a Polish sailor become one of the greatest writers in the English language? Why were Conrad’s parents exiled to the harsh conditions of northern Russia? Should we continue to read The Heart of Darkness in spite of its outdated views?Anita and William are joined by Maya Jasanoff, author of The Dawn Watch, to discuss the adventurous life of Joseph Conrad and how his work shaped readers' understanding of imperialism. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus

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60:29

305. Orwell: Dark Secrets, The CIA, & His Forgotten...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/06

Why was Orwell’s wife, Eileen, written out of his story when she co-wrote Animal Farm? How did the CIA twist the novel into anti-communist propaganda? As a writer who was so ahead of his time on imperialism and totalitarianism, why did Orwell fail when it came to the patriarchy?Anita and William are joined by Anna Funder, author of Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life, to discuss the women who are missing from Orwell’s biography despite being crucial to his development as a writer. Join the

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48:02

304. Orwell: Animal Farm, 1984 & Totalitarian...

Empire: World History ·

2025/11/04

What was the inspiration behind George Orwell’s most famous works? Why did he move to the remote Scottish island of Jura to finish writing 1984? What was Orwell’s “Snitch List” which he handed over to the government after World War 2? In Part 3 of this miniseries, Anita and William discuss Orwell’s life during WW2 and deep-dive his two most famous works…Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show

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40:55

303. Orwell: Fighting Fascism In The Spanish Civil...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/30

Why did George Orwell go to Spain to fight on the Republican side against General Franco? Who saved his life when he was shot in the throat? How did internal feuds on the leftist side of the war influence his writing and his paranoia? In Part 2 of this miniseries, William and Anita discuss Orwell’s fight against fascism and his experiences in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to

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43:17

302. Orwell: The Anti-Imperialist In India & Burma...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/28

How was George Orwell’s childhood rooted in the British Empire and the opium trade in India? Why did George Orwell become a colonial police officer in Burma? When did Orwell develop his anti-imperialist stance?In the first part of this miniseries, Anita and William explore the early life of Eric Blair - later George Orwell - and his time in India and Burma. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show

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48:26

301. Gaza: The First Arab-Israeli War & The Creation...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/22

How did neighbouring Arab nations respond to the displacement of Palestinians in 1948? Why was the future Egyptian prime minister, General Nasser, stationed in Gaza in 1948? How did the population of Gaza double almost overnight with the influx of refugees, and what conditions did they face?William and Anita are joined once again by Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at The University of Oxford, to discuss the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the

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52:09

300. Gaza: The 1948 War (Part 10)

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/20

Why did the British decide to end their Mandate in Palestine less than three decades after it began? What was the UN Partition Plan for Palestine and why did the Zionist leadership accept it whilst the Arab Higher Committee rejected it? How did the displacement of thousands of Palestinians during the War of 1948 affect Gaza? Anita and William are joined once again by Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Oxford, to discuss the War of 1948 which led to the

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49:04

299. Gaza: The Palestinian Revolt, The Black and...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/15

When Palestinian Arabs rose up against the British in 1936, what repressive tactics were used to quell the revolt? Who was the WW2 hero “Bomber” Harris, and why did he bomb Palestinians in the 1930s? How did Christians, Muslims and Jews who had once co-existed in the region turn against each other in a divisive civil war? William and Anita are joined once again by Caroline Elkins, author of Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, to discuss how unexpected characters from the web of

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50:24

298. Gaza: The British Occupation of Palestine (Part 8)

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/13

What was the British Mandate of Palestine that emerged after World War I? Why were the Black and Tans sent to Palestine and what methods did they use to enforce order? How did tensions between Zionist settlers and Arab Palestinians begin to rise in Mandate Palestine in the 1920s and 1930s? Anita and William are joined by Caroline Elkins, author of Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, to discuss how violence was used in an effort to maintain order in the British Mandate of

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43:43

297. Gaza in WW1: A Rematch For Gallipoli (Part 7)

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/08

How did British Army General Murray fail to take Gaza in 1917? Who was General Allenby and how did his tactics in the cavalry charge on Gaza City lead to transformation in the region? What are the connections between the Gallipoli campaign and the siege of Gaza?Anita Anand and William Dalrymple are joined once again by Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of The Ottomans, and Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at The University of Oxford, to discuss Gaza during World War I. Join the Empire

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57:01

296. Ottoman Gaza: Gunpowder Conquests & Rising...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/05

In 1516, the Ottomans defeated the mighty Mamluk Empire in the Middle East, taking control of Gaza. How did Ottoman forces roll out scorched-earth tactics on Gaza City to punish those who had rebelled against them? How did the citrus and cotton industries develop in Ottoman Palestine? What did the rise of nationalism at the turn of the twentieth century mean for Gaza and the surrounding region?Anita Anand and William Dalrymple are joined by Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of The Ottomans, and

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49:07

295. Crusader Gaza: Saladin & Richard The Lionheart...

Empire: World History ·

2025/10/01

Why did Crusaders travel from Western Europe to Gaza and The Levant in the 11th century? Who was Saladin and how did he conquer the Franks? How did the Mamluks defeat the Mongols in the 1200s and usher in an era of prosperity for Gaza?Anita and William are joined by Jonathan Phillips, Professor of Crusading History at Royal Holloway, to discuss the epic era of the Crusades in Gaza, and the lesser-known but incredibly impactful Mamluk dynasty that followed. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full

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41:27

294. Gaza & The Islamic Conquest (Part 4)

Empire: World History ·

2025/09/29

How did the expansion of Islam out of the Arab peninsular affect Gaza in the seventh century? Who was ‘Amr ibn al-As and how did he ambush the Byzantines in Gaza? Why is the Islamic Conquest described as the “invisible conquest” by some historians? William and Anita are joined once again by Peter Sarris, Professor of Late Antique, Medieval and Byzantine Studies at the University of Cambridge, to discuss the Arab Conquest of Gaza in the seventh century. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full

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42:22

293. Ancient Gaza: The Rise of Christianity (Part 3)

Empire: World History ·

2025/09/24

How did Gaza become a centre of learning and festivals during the Byzantine era? Who was St. Porphyrius of Gaza, and why did he destroy pagan temples in the city? Why is the Early Christian period considered a Golden Age for Gaza?Anita and William are joined by Peter Sarris, Professor of Late Antique, Medieval and Byzantine Studies at the University of Cambridge, to discuss Byzantine Gaza and the rise of Christianity in the region. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with

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42:30

292. Ancient Gaza: From The Assyrians to The Romans...

Empire: World History ·

2025/09/22

Why did the Assyrians spare Philistine port cities like Gaza when they conquered The Levant? How did the Persians overthrow the Babylonians in the region? What did Alexander The Great send back to his tutor after he sieged Gaza City? William and Anita are joined once again by Josephine Quinn, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Cambridge and author of How The World Made The West, to discuss the five ancient empires that conquered Gaza. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire

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