Even in the fallout of the Opium War, dreams endure—but what happens to a dream deferred?
In Canton, one young man’s starry-eyed visions of success run headlong into the brutal wall of the Imperial Examination system.
And when that dream finally shatters, it neither dries up, nor festers.... it explodes into prophetic visions so awesome and so terrible tha ... Show More
Apr 15
#325 - Taiping 2: The God Worshippers
Amidst the ashes of the Opium War, a new flame is beginning to kindle – not in the halls of power, but in the distant, forgotten hills and mountains. While the would-be prophet Hong Xiuquan returns home, his closest friend vanishes into the wilds of Guangxi – a world of ethnic te ... Show More
43m 1s
Apr 21
#326 - Taiping 3: The Image-Breakers
The God-Worshippers of Thistle Mountain, under the dual leadership of Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan, had gone from being a quirky, backwater oddity... to, by 1847, a real local headache. When they get bold enough to deface a local temple, the law finally takes action to end their ... Show More
35m 45s
Apr 28
#327 - Taiping 4: The Heavenly Kingdom
The God-Worshippers of Thistle Mountain managed to survive their first test — but now the world itself seems dead-set on finishing the job. When unprecedented rains lead to flooding, famine, and pestilence across southern China, the last institutions holding things together colla ... Show More
40m 21s
Oct 2024
Introducing: Warfronts by Simon Whistler
Warfronts takes a deep dive into the world’s most significant conflicts, past and present. Now available as a podcast, we explore modern wars, the politics behind them, and how they shape the world today. Whether it’s a forgotten battle or the ongoing struggles in global hotspots ... Show More
1m 47s
May 2023
The Art of War by Sun Tzu ~ Full Audiobook [history]
The Art of War by Sun Tzu audiobook. Genre: history Composed as a compact manual of strategy and leadership, The Art of War presents Sun Tzu's principles for prevailing in conflict through preparation, intelligence, and disciplined execution. Rather than celebrating brute force, ... Show More
1h 11m