Jun 10

367. Ancient Egypt: “Tut-mania” And Tutankhamun’s Tomb (Ep 6)

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at ⁠empirepoduk.com⁠** Why did the world go crazy for all things Ancient Egypt after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922? How were his treasures used in Cold War Diplomacy? And why did t ... Show More

44 m

Jun 7

366. Ancient Egypt: Tutankhamun The Boy King (Ep 5)

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** His death mask is one of the most famous faces in Ancient Egyptian history, but who was the real Tutunkhamun? What do the items found in his tomb tell us about his life? And ... Show More

53m 35s

Jun 3

365. Ancient Egypt: Who Was Nefertiti? (Ep 4)

**Unlock the entire Ancient Egypt series early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** Her image has been reproduced by countless artists in recent years, but who was the real Nefertiti? How did she become a pharaoh in her own right? And why is there still con ... Show More

50m 34s

Jul 2021

75. The East India Company

Tom and Dominic are joined by historian William Dalrymple to tell the fascinating and shocking story of the East India Company in the 18th century. How could a gang of “spectacularly corrupt” merchants conquer vast parts of Asia from a small office in London with just 35 employee ... Show More

1h 2m

Jul 2023

Chandragupta Maurya: Hero of India

Evolving from an obscure ancient ruler to a contemporary national icon, Chandragupta Maurya's story is finally being told. However, despite tales of leading empires and defeating the successors of Alexander the Great, there is no official record of his events- only moments tak ... Show More

37m 44s

Sep 2023

Peter Good, "The East India Company in Persia: Trade and Cultural Exchange in the Eighteenth Century" (Bloomsbury, 2022)

In 1747, the city of Kerman in Persia burned amidst chaos, destruction and death perpetrated by the city's own overlord, Nader Shah. After the violent overthrow of the Safavid dynasty in 1722 and subsequent foreign invasions from all sides, Persia had been in constant turmoil. On ... Show More

55m 40s

Aug 2023

The Magna Carta in America

What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? The Magna Carta has supposedly influenced foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In this episode, Don is joined by Eleanor Janega, the new co ... Show More

29m 39s

Sep 2022

Rise of the Persians

The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires in History - led by Cyrus the Great it covered 2.1 million square miles. But where did it come from? And what do we know about their society? It was in their DNA to travel and ex ... Show More

44m 46s

Aug 2017

Betty S. Anderson, “A History of the Middle East: Rulers, Rebels, and Rogues (Stanford UP, 2016)

As the Middle East continues to become more topical to American and European audiences, a need for textbooks to teach the history of the region has become urgent. Some such textbooks take a topical approach, others use a chronological narrative. Betty Anderson‘s A History of the ... Show More

27m 11s

1. The East India Company