To listen to the full bonus episode, join the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com.
Wild Swans author, Jung Chang, joins William to discuss her family’s harrowing experiences during Mao’s Cultural Revolution and how Xi Jinping continues his memory in China today.
She tells the story of how her father defied Mao and paid the price in a detention facility. She ex ... Show More
Mar 26
345. Chairman Mao: The Cultural Revolution (Ep 6)
What were Mao’s motivations for launching The Cultural Revolution? Who were the Red Guards, and why did Mao indoctrinate teenagers? How did Mao die, and who came next? Anita and William are joined once again by Rana Mitter, author of A Bitter Revolution: China’s Struggle with the ... Show More
49m 1s
Oct 2025
608. Nelson: Slaughter in Naples (Part 1)
What happened when the heroic Horatio Nelson, victor of the Battle of the Nile, sailed into the seething city of Naples? Why would his meeting with the glamorous celebrity, Lady Emma Hamilton, shape the rest of his life? And, why would his decision to lend his support to the fool ... Show More
1h 22m
Nov 2025
97. Selling The World's Secrets: Why The Brits Won The Falklands War (Ep 2)
THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE on Friday 7th November at 12pm GMT. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the CIA and its German counterpart, the BND, were listening to the encrypted messages of at least 62 countries around the world. This intellige ... Show More
51m 27s
Sep 2025
601. Scandal in the White House
Who was Grover Cleveland, and why is he one of the most controversial American Presidents of all time? Why was the run up to his first term, in 1884 at the height of the Gilded Age, so pivotal to American politics? How did he rocket to the heights of political power? What dark se ... Show More
1h 11m