Empire: World History

Latest Episodes:

334. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Did Homer Write History? (Ep 3) Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

The legendary ancient Greek poet, Homer, is a key source to our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse, but did a single genius named Homer even exist? How could sophisticated poems like The Iliad and The Odyssey survive a "Dark Age" where even writing was destroyed? And what can the depiction of Greek gods in these poems tell us about religion at the time?

William and Anita are joined by Simon Goldhill, Professor in Greek Literature and Culture at King's College, Cambridge, to discuss whether Homer wrote History…

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Editor: Bruno Di Castri

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333. Bronze Age Apocalypse: The Fall of Troy with Stephen Fry (Ep 2) Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Stephen Fry joins William and Anita to discuss how Greek Myths have shaped our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse.

Was the Trojan Horse real? What can we learn about the end of ancient civilisations through The Odyssey and The Iliad? How much truth lies within the story of the Trojan War, and where is the real archaeological site of Troy today?

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Editor: Bruno Di Castri

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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332. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Before The Collapse (Ep 1) Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

This is the beginning of the most dramatic imperial collapses in history. Why were Ancient civilisations so interconnected 3000 years ago? How did this interconnectedness lead to their downfall? Did people at the time know that disaster was on the horizon?

In Episode 1 of a brand new series, Anita and William are joined by Josephine Quinn, author of How The World Made The West, and Professor of Ancient History at Cambridge University, to discuss the interconnected Ancient Mediterranean city states on the brink of the Bronze Age Collapse of 1147 BCE.

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Editor: James Clayden

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331. The Iranian Revolution: Will The Shah Return To Iran? (Ep 2) Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

In 1979, the people of Iran took to the streets to topple the Shah. This year they are back in the streets shouting “Long Live The Shah”. How did this happen? How did a country which so volcanically threw out the Shah in 1979 want the same family back again in 2026? What are the parallels between the Iranian Revolution then and the protests today?

William and Anita are joined by Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings: The Fall of the Shah and the Revolution That Forged Modern Iran, and Ramita Navai, documentary-maker and author of City of Lies.

Disclaimer: We recorded these episodes on January 17th 2026. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has confirmed that 5,459 protestors in Iran have died, and the organisation is investigating 17,031 more. Two senior officials of Iran’s Ministry of Health have reported that as many as 30,000 people have been killed. In such a volatile situation, predictions are difficult to make and these figures are ever changing.

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330. The Iranian Revolution: 1979 vs. 2026 (Ep 1) Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

In recent weeks, protestors have swarmed the streets in Iran in defiance of the regime, and it feels as if the country is on the precipice of a transformative change. Yet these scenes feel familiar. In the 1970s, mass protests led to a religious revolution which replaced a monarchy led by the Shah with the Islamic Republic of Iran. What can this history tell us about today?

To discuss the parallels between 1979 and 2026, William and Anita are joined by two leading experts on Iran: Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings, and Ramita Navai, documentary-maker and author of City of Lies.

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Editor: Bruno Di Castri

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329. Indian Uprising 1857: The British Raj is Born (Part 8) Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

How did Lucknow become the final battleground of the 1857 Uprising? Who was Begum Hazrat Mahal, and how did she hold together a rebellion against overwhelming odds? How did the 1857 Uprising lead to the fall of the East India Company, and the rise of the harsher British Raj?

In the final episode of the series, Anita and William explain how northern India’s organised rebellion came to an end, ushering in a new era of British rule in India.

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Editors: Bruno Di Castri and Lorcan Moullier

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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328. Indian Uprising 1857: The Reign of Terror (Part 7) Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

How did the British finally break into Delhi during the 1857 Uprising? Why did a sudden solar eclipse change the fate of the siege overnight? Why is the British victory considered one of Delhi’s greatest tragedies?

In Episode 7 of the series, William and Anita discuss the bloody Siege of Delhi, the British assault which spelled the end of the Mughal Empire.

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Editor: Bruno Di Castri

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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327. Indian Uprising 1857: The British Strike Back (Part 6) Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

How did the tide turn towards the end of 1857 as British reinforcements gathered to strike the hearts of the rebellion: Delhi and Lucknow? Who was the British Commander, John Nicholson, and why was he feared by both friend and foe? Was the city of Delhi, under control of the last Mughal emperor, doomed from within?

In Episode 6 of the series, Anita and William cover how Indian resistance during the 1857 uprising became weakened by dwindling resources, tactical disunity, and the growing British force.

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Editor: Vasco Andrade

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326. Indian Uprising 1857: India’s Joan of Arc – Rani of Jhansi (Part 5) Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

The warrior queen who fought the British on the battlefield, Rani of Jhansi –or Rani Lakshmibai– is still a hero in India, with comic books and Bollywood movies about her. But what’s the true history behind her legend? How did she become a fierce leader of resistance who led her men to fight fearlessly against the East India Company?

In Episode 5 of the series, William and Anita are joined by Ira Mukhoty, author of Heroines: Powerful Indian Women of Myth & History, to discuss the life of one of the leaders of the Indian Rebellion, Rani of Jhansi.

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Editor: Charlie Rodwell

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325. Indian Uprising 1857: The Siege of Lucknow (Part 4) Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

An entire city turns on the British and revolts in unison. 3000 East India Company soldiers and civilians in Lucknow are under siege in one compound, hiding in tunnels and surrounded by snipers. But who will break first the besieger the besieged?

In Episode 4 of the series, William and Anita discuss how Lucknow became one of the centres of resistance standing up to East India Company power.

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Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Editor: Bruno Di Castri

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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