Fearing Russian designs on the region, the eyes of the British turn towards Tibet. Francis Younghusband, the Victorian adventurer and elite player of the Great Game, and Lord Curzon decide that with the Russians distracted by their conflict in Manchuria, now is the time to seize the territory. This is their chance to one-up their imperial rival. In this clas ... Show More
Jul 29
382. Empire of AI: Karen Hao On Today’s Hidden Colonialism (Ep 2)
Are modern AI companies the new empires? What is the hidden human cost behind chatbots like ChatGPT? How does Silicon Valley’s rhetoric echo the East India Company? In this episode, Anita is joined by award-winning tech journalist Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI, to explore the ... Show More
56m 51s
Jun 2025
A Scandal in Bohemia - Part Five
THE GREAT GAME - we had everything set for the seizing of that drive, the chastening of Irene Adler and - most importantly - a victory for Sherlock Holmes against his latest opponent. The fire would reveal all, we would be able to see deep into her person, into her desires and sc ... Show More
28m 19s
May 2025
565. The Great Northern War: Revenge of the Cossacks (Part 2)
After establishing the city of St Petersburg, what was Peter the Great’s next step in his titanic struggle against Charles XII of Sweden, for mastery of northern and eastern Europe? What drastic, brutal action did he take against Poland, to slow the Swedish advance into his terri ... Show More
1h 7m
Jul 2024
473. The Road to The Great War: The Tsar Chooses War (Part 5)
“We have been forced to draw the sword”.
Following the expiry of Austria’s Ultimatum on Saturday 25th July 1914, the Kaiser and the Tsar - friends and cousins, long desirous of peace between their two nations - found themselves in a new and highly precarious situation. Even so, t ... Show More
55m 29s