Empire The Empire Club
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- History
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How do empires rise? Why do they fall? And how have they shaped the world around us today?
William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the stories, personalities and events of empire over the course of history.
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151. The Founding Fathers: George Washington
Everybody knows Washington as the strapping, powerful general and then president who helped to overthrow the British and forge America, but how did he get there? He was born into a respectable Virginian planter family, had an ordinary education and, with the exception of his tortured relationship with his mother, had a childhood of no note. However, as a young man he sought out the world and learnt all he could from it. He fought as a soldier alongside the British where he displayed his capacity for immense bravery and his ability to motivate men, setting him on his path to his great achievement. But he was not a saint, his great passion was farming and to work his farm he had vast numbers of slaves. He consistently sought to expand his land too, normally at the expense of the Native Americans. Join William and Anita as they discuss the complexity of George Washington and his life before the American Revolution.
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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150. Worlds Colliding: Seizing Settlers in New England
Deerfield, February 1704. The small, puritan town of roughly 300 inhabitants in western Massachusetts has been riven with tension ever since the French and Native American forces had begun raiding them at the end of the previous year. The snows of winter have settled over New England and, on the last night of February 1704, the village is attacked. What follows is an extraordinary tale that not only tells us about life in New England, but also illuminates the fragility of early colonial America. Listen as William and Anita discuss captivity in New England and how the religious and political dynamic of this period is far more porous than some would believe.
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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Bonus: Anita’s most influential books
Which authors have inspired Anita’s writing? From an explosion in Delft, to Gitta Sereny’s humanisation of monsters. From battles over Sigmund Freud’s legacy, to the Golden Age of journalism in the USA. Listen as Anita dives into her most influential books, and William reveals his favourite reading spots…
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn -
149. Pocahontas: Kidnapped in Virginia
One of the most famous names in American history, Pocahontas had an extraordinary life. She was the daughter of Powhatan, a great Native American chief, and was born in Werowocomoco, in what we’d now call Virginia. From a young age, she mixed with the initial English settlers and spent time in the first European settlement in America, Jamestown. But, her life was turned upside down when she was lured aboard a ship and taken prisoner by Samuel Argall, an English naval officer. Before long, presumably under a degree of duress, she had converted to christianity, married an Englishman, and was making her way across the Atlantic. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Camilla Townsend to discuss the life and legacy of Pocahontas.
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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148. America: The Empire of Liberty
The Empire that dare not speak its name. America was born through an explicit rejection of empire as it forced the British from the continent and indeed many of its citizens would baulk at the suggestion their nation is an empire. Yet, over its lifetime the empire of liberty, as Thomas Jefferson himself once called it, has continually flexed its imperial muscles. In our newest series, William and Anita will take you from the great plains of North America to the shores of the Philippines and explore the history of the American Empire. In today’s episode, William and Anita look at the first colonial interactions on the North American continent as the British land in Virginia and establish contact with the Powhatan Native Americans.
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
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147. Queen Victoria: Empress of India (Ep 4)
In 1877 Queen Victoria took on the title Empress of India, a nation which she undoubtedly had close to her heart. Yet, under her reign and that of her successors, India was exploited. At the same time, she takes Abdul Karim, known as the Munshi, into her court. Many of her courtiers despised this Indian man and his influence, but Victoria stuck by him. Undoubtedly, Empire was central to Victoria and she saw it as a force for good, but how do we see that and the rest of her reign now? Listen as William and Anita discuss Victoria’s final years and her legacy.
Twitter: @Empirepoduk
Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com
Goalhangerpodcasts.com
Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis
Producer: Callum Hill
Exec Producer: Neil Fearn
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Such an Awesome Podcast
I love this podcast. I listen to it on my daily morning 5 mile walks. Anita and William’s chemistry. They have incredible and educational insights into so many historical topics. I love Anita’s voice. So elegant. I also like how William says his name when they sign off. Ha! Keep up the wonderful work.
Enjoyed some episodes
I tried my best with this podcast and probably listened to a dozen episodes, ultimately though I find Anita Anand intolerable. If they just did the history without the poor humor and the belief that they’re brilliantly funny, I’d probably love it, but no, I can’t listen any more.
Stimulating and fascinating
I’m only about halfway through the pod; our hosts’ chemistry and curiosity drive my engagement with the subject matter. A weekly must-listen!