Empire: World History
Goalhanger
The rise and fall of empires and the events that shaped world history.
William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires.
From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today?
Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members’ chatroom on Discord! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up.
For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.
William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires.
From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today?
Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members’ chatroom on Discord! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up.
For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
40 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 49min
345. Chairman Mao: The Cultural Revolution (Ep 6)
Rana Mitter, historian of modern China and author of A Bitter Revolution, offers expert analysis on Mao and the Cultural Revolution. He outlines why Mao launched the movement. He describes the teenage Red Guards, the destruction of culture, public humiliation tactics, and the surreal personality cult. He traces factional purges, Lin Biao’s fall, Nixon’s rapprochement, Mao’s decline and the immediate aftermath.
45 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 49min
344. Chairman Mao: The Great Leap Forward (Ep 5)
Rana Mitter, historian of modern China and Harvard professor, guides the conversation. He explores Mao's global ambitions in the late 1950s and the stunt with Khrushchev at a swimming pool. He explains the origins and disasters of the Great Leap Forward, including the Four Pests sparrow campaign and how policy and accounting failures produced mass famine. He also covers the 1962 clash with India.
137 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 34min
Christiane Amanpour On Iran & Trump’s Miscalculations
Christiane Amanpour, renowned British-Iranian journalist with decades covering conflicts, reflects on growing up in Tehran and reporting since 1979. She connects the Iran–Iraq War to today’s tactics. She critiques US policy choices and Israel’s role. She highlights civilian impacts, rising nationalism, and possible endgames for Iran.
137 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 52min
343. Lebanon: Hezbollah, Israel, & Fifty Years As A Battleground
Kim Ghattas, Lebanese journalist and author of Black Wave, offers a historical tour of Lebanon’s century of conflict. She traces Lebanon’s colonial map, foreign patrons, and Iran’s role after 1982. The conversation covers Hezbollah’s rise, Israel’s military moves and backchannels with Iran, and why diplomacy is crucial to break the cycle of violence.
128 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 41min
342. Iran: The Three Ayatollahs – From Revolution to Dynasty
Ali Ansari, historian and author specializing in Iranian history and politics, gives a concise tour of Iran’s modern turmoil. He traces revolutionary instability and the roots of anti-Western paranoia. He maps the rise of Khamenei, the grooming of Mojtaba, and the IRGC’s role as a politicized, kleptocratic force. He surveys recent repression, economic collapse, and the main possible futures for Iran.
65 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 48min
341. Chairman Mao: The Clash With Stalin (Ep 4)
Rana Mitter, historian at Harvard Kennedy School and expert on modern China, explains Mao’s early years in power. He discusses China’s postwar dislocation and Soviet influence. He covers violent land reform, anti-business campaigns, Danwei life and welfare, women’s legal changes, political purges, the Hundred Flowers rebound, and the lead-up to the Great Leap Forward.
98 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 57min
340. Chairman Mao: World War II, Japanese Invasion, & Massacre in Nanjing (Ep 3)
Rana Mitter, historian of modern China and Harvard professor, outlines China’s struggle during the 1937–45 war with Japan. He recounts the fall and massacre at Nanjing. He explains the Long March’s aftermath, Mao’s consolidation in Yan’an, guerrilla tactics, wartime politics, and how international aid and Soviet moves shaped the conflict’s end.
69 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 52min
339. Chairman Mao: China's Communist Uprising (Ep 2)
Rana Mitter, historian of modern China and author of A Bitter Revolution, gives a scholarly tour of the Chinese Civil War and the Long March. He explains Soviet involvement and the Comintern’s strategy. He describes Chiang Kai-shek’s 1927 purge, Mao’s shift to rural struggle, the brutal Long March logistics, and the Zunyi meeting that boosted Mao’s authority.
120 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 48min
338.Chairman Mao: Birth of A Dictator (Ep 1)
Rana Mitter, historian of modern China and Sino-Asian relations, provides expert analysis on Mao Zedong's early life. He traces Mao’s rural upbringing, formative readings, and rejection of tradition. Short scenes cover family myths, violent influences, education, May Fourth politics, and Mao’s move into national intellectual circles. The conversation sketches the origin story behind his rise to power.
81 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 57min
337. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Philistines, Israelites, & Rebuilding The Ruins (Ep 6)
Eric Cline, archaeologist and author known for work on the Late Bronze Age collapse, offers a lively tour of the post-collapse Levant. He explores Philistine origins and DNA evidence, debates how Israelite identity emerged, and traces Phoenician maritime rise and creation of the alphabet. The conversation highlights recovery, cultural blending, and the new world that followed the collapse.
