Podcast
Empire: World History
Hosted by Goalhanger · EN
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 live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members’ chatroom on Discord! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up.
For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.
209episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
358. Spice Wars: The Rise of the Dutch East India Company (Ep 1)
May 1000:51:03Summary readyWhat’s the real story behind the creation of the Dutch East India Company, and how was espionage involved? What made the VOC the first ‘mega-corporation’ in history? And what was the horrific human cost of establishing a colonial stronghold in the East Indies? Get the entire Dutch Empire miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com William is joined by Dutch historian Herald van der Linde to explore the staggering rise of the Dutch East India Company - a company so rich it eclipsed the modern valuations of Apple and NVIDIA combined. They discuss how high-stakes espionage, revolutionary cargo ships, and military ruthlessness allowed the Dutch to dominate the 17th-century global economy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/EMPIRE. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary357. Liberator of Latin America: Revolutionary Hero Or Dictator? (Part 4)
May 700:42:10Summary readyHow should we view Simón Bolívar today – as a racist tyrant or as a revolutionary founding father? Who was his lover Manuela Sáenz, and how did she save his life during a midnight attack? And did his slide into tyranny inspire the 20th century dictators of Latin America? Get the entire Simón Bolívar miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com In the final episode of this series, Anita and William discuss Simón Bolívar’s death, the heartbreaking fate of the brilliant Manuela Sáenz and how modern Venezuelan leaders like Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro have co-opted his complex legacy. Try Attio for free at attio.com/empire For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe and Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary
The Scandal That Shaped Partition: India’s First Prime Minister
May 500:09:24Summary ready*Unlock the full episode and the complete members’ miniseries by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com* How did the first Prime Minister of India start an affair with the wife of the last Viceroy? Who was Jawaharlal Nehru and how did he become part of the independence movement? Why was he furious about his first marriage? In Empire’s first members’ miniseries, Anita is joined by Alex Von Tunzelmann to tell the story of the love triangle that completely transformed the pathway to Partition. How did the intimate relationship between three powerful individuals change the shape of India forever? Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary356. Liberator of Latin America: Descent Into Tyranny (Part 3)
May 400:41:27Summary readyHow did a treacherous trek across the freezing Andes lead to the creation of Gran Colombia? Why did Irish, British and Bengali mercenaries travel across the world to join his fight against the Spanish? How did exile to Haiti change Simón Bolívar’s views on slavery? Get the entire Simón Bolívar miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com In Episode 3 of our series, William and Anita discuss Simón Bolívar’s legendary military victories, the forgotten combat roles of women in the revolution, and his gradual shift towards autocratic rule. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe and Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryShould The Koh-I-Noor Be Returned? Mamdani vs King Charles III EXPLAINED
May 100:29:19Summary readyWho does the Koh-I-Noor diamond truly belong to? Why is it considered cursed? And should it be returned? The Koh-I-Noor diamond has been in the headlines this week with Mayor Zohran Mamdani stating that he would tell King Charles III to return it to India. As William and Anita wrote the definitive book on the cursed jewel, they provide a round-up of its long history and how it made its way into the British crown still on display in the Tower of London. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer and Editor: Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary355. Liberator of Latin America: Napoleon & The Legions of Hell (Part 2)
Apr 2900:43:24Summary readyWho were the cowboys and Indigenous people who made up the “Legions of Hell” and why did Bolívar fear them so deeply? How did Napoleon’s invasion of Spain speed up the collapse of its empire? What was Simón Bolívar’s secret revolutionary mission in London? Get the entire Simón Bolívar miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com In Episode 2 of this series, Anita and William discuss the fragile nature of the Spanish Empire and the total war that broke out in South America in the fight for independence. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe and Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary354. Liberator of Latin America: Simón Bolívar vs The Spanish Empire (Part 1)
Apr 2700:35:54Summary readyWho was the man who liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish rule? How did a privileged upper-class teenage boy become South America’s leading revolutionary of the 19th century? How did tragedy in his youth set Simón Bolívar on the pathway to power? Get the entire Simón Bolívar miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com In Episode 1 of this series on the life of Simón Bolívar, Anita and William explore his childhood and what it meant to be from the Creole class in Venezuela in the 1800s. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe and Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary353. Hezbollah, Hostages, & Exploding Pagers (Part 8)
Apr 2200:58:00Summary readyWhat lessons have been learned from Occupation? How did Hezbollah emerge in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon? How did Hezbollah evolve from 1982 to 2023? In the final episode in the series on the Arab-Israeli Conflict of 1967-1982, William is joined by Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Rivalry That Unravelled the Middle East, to discuss the origins of Hezbollah and their role in the Middle Eastern conflict of the 21st century. Try Attio for free at attio.com/empire Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Editors: Charlie Rodwell and Harry Swan Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary352. Israel’s 1982 Invasion of Lebanon (Part 7)
Apr 2000:51:50Summary readyIs the current invasion of Lebanon a direct ancestor of the 1982 Israeli invasion? How did broken American promises lead to the tragedies of the Sabra and Shatila massacres? Who was Ariel Sharon and why did he spearhead attacks on Beirut? Anita and William are joined by Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Rivalry That Unravelled the Middle East, to discuss the pivotal events of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Editors: Bruno Di Castri and Josh Smith Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary351. Camp David: The Day Israel & Egypt Made Peace (Part 6)
Apr 1500:54:01Summary ready**Binge the entire series ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** In November 1977, Egyptian President Sadat shocked the entire Arab world by boarding a flight to Israel. After refusing to acknowledge its existence, Egypt was seeking to make peace with its neighbour, and was willing to be outcast by every other Arab nation in the process. When did the Israeli government transform from Labour to a conservative right-wing leadership? How did American President Carter enact “cabin diplomacy” between Egypt and Israel when all three leaders stayed at Camp David in Maryland? And why were Palestinians excluded from the negotiations? William and Anita are joined once again by Professor Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs: A History, to discuss the 1978 peace negotiations that shifted the power balance of the Arab world. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Editor: Bruno Di Castri Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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