At the height of Imperial Japan, during a golden age of court intrigue, obsessive hierarchy, and fabulous sophistication, who was the legendary lothario and emperor’s son, Genji? What can the Tale of Genji - a great masterpiece of Japanese literature - tell us about this remarkable and alien world, and the imperial family at the heart of it? Who was the woma ... Show More
Apr 29
665. Britain in the 70s: The Bailout from Hell (Part 4)
How did the new British Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan, intend to keep Britain from bankruptcy in 1976? What extreme new step might have seen riots in the streets? And, would labour survive the greatest financial scandal in British history? Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the e ... Show More
1h 15m
Apr 26
664. Britain in the 70s: Scandal in Downing Street (Part 3)
With Britain heading towards financial meltdown and paranoia in the air, could its exhausted Prime Minister, Harold Wilson survive? Why were bombs going off in London every few days in the winter of 1975? And, with inflation reaching unprecedented heights, would the government fi ... Show More
1h 14m
Apr 22
663. Britain in the 70s: The Brexit That Never Was (Part 2)
In the Spring of 1975, why was the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, so embattled? Why was the left so divided during this period? And, was Britain’s relationship with Europe already fracturing…? Join Tom and Dominic, as they discuss the trials of Harold Wilson, as the melee of 1970 ... Show More
1h 17m
May 2022
Susan Westhafer Furukawa, "The Afterlife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Historical Fiction and Popular Culture in Japan" (Harvard UP, 2022)
Popular representations of the past are everywhere in Japan, from cell phone charms to manga, from television dramas to video games to young people dressed as their favorite historical figures hanging out in the hip Harajuku district. But how does this mass consumption of the pas ... Show More
40 m
Jun 2025
The First Emperor of China
In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were m ... Show More
58m 24s
Feb 2025
Episode 385 - Killer Geisha: Abe Sada
The sex-mad geisha who sliced off her lover’s genitals, strangled him with a kimono belt, and carved her name into his arm, is perhaps Japan’s most famous criminal of the 20th century.Today, Abe’s story is practically a part of Japanese folklore. So how did this brutal killer bec ... Show More
1h 16m