Empire • World History
Two British authors, a historian and a journalist, interview academic experts to dissect the rise, fall, and modern legacy of global empires.
A long-form interview show where two highly-credentialed hosts use their own expertise to engage top-tier academic guests. Rather than a simple narrative retelling, each series unpacks a specific empire or historical moment by questioning popular myths, analyzing primary sources, and connecting the past to contemporary politics and culture. The show's focus shifts seasonally, from the British in India to the Ottomans or the Pharaohs of Egypt.
“The key distinction is the combined authority of the hosts and their guests. Unlike many history podcasts, the conversation is a peer-level discussion between established historians, authors, and curators, which allows for a high degree of nuance and scholarly debate.”
Who hosts this show
Historian William Dalrymple and journalist Anita Anand host this deep-dive history podcast. Focusing on subjects from the British Raj to Ancient Egypt, they interview specialist academics and authors to explore how empires are built, lost, and how their legacies continue to influence the world today. The hosts previously co-authored the book "Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond".
Credentials & credits
- William Dalrymple: Historian, author of multiple award-winning history books including 'The Anarchy' and 'Return of a King'.
- Anita Anand: Journalist, author, and broadcaster, currently presenting 'Any Answers' on BBC Radio 4.
- William Dalrymple: Co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
- Anita Anand: Author of 'The Patient Assassin' (winner of the 2020 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize) and 'Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary'.
- William Dalrymple: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Royal Asiatic Society.
- Anita Anand: Former European Head of News and Current Affairs for Zee TV.
Other ventures
- Goalhanger Podcasts (Production Company)
- The Rest Is History (sister podcast on the network)
- Jaipur Literature Festival (co-founded by William Dalrymple)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01How We Got MonotheismJun 15, 2026 · 41 min
- 02Why People Went Crazy For TutankhamunJun 11, 2026 · 39 min
- 03The Story of The Real TutankhamunJun 8, 2026 · 49 min
- 04Who Was Nefertiti? (Ep 4)Jun 4, 2026 · 38 min
- 05The Fall of Ancient Egypt's Revolutionary Pharaoh (Ep 3)Jun 1, 2026 · 37 min
- 06The Pharaoh Who Transformed Ancient Egypt | EP 2May 28, 2026 · 53 min
Notable episodes
- 01How We Got Monotheism
Features a deep dive into the polytheistic origins of Yahweh and a personal connection from host William Dalrymple, whose great-great-uncle published Sigmund Freud's work on the topic.
- 02Why People Went Crazy For Tutankhamun
Explores the cultural phenomenon of 'Tutmania,' connecting the 1922 discovery to mass media, Art Deco, Egyptian politics, and even Cold War diplomacy.
- 03The Story of The Real Tutankhamun
An episode dedicated to debunking popular myths about Tutankhamun's health, death, and reign, with an expert curator providing evidence-based interpretations of the tomb's artifacts.
What you'll be asked on this show
The format is a structured interview led by both hosts, who often bring in personal anecdotes and read excerpts from historical texts like the Restoration Stella. The tone is enthusiastic and collegial, with the hosts adept at making complex academic topics accessible without oversimplifying them. Episodes often conclude by promoting the guest's published books.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “Why do you think that this [historical event] suddenly takes hold in popular culture?”
- “Can we talk about the politics of this?”
- “What are the dates for the very first mentions of [a specific person or concept]?”
- “Who were the parents of [this historical figure]?”
- “How did [this person] die?”
- “What was the influence of [one culture or empire] on another?”
- “How did [a specific theory or idea] come about, and is it taken seriously by scholars?”
- “What do the items found in [an archaeological site] tell us about their life?”
- “Can you paint a picture for us of what [an ancient name or term] tells us?”
Signature segments
- · Reading excerpts from historical texts
- · Promoting the guest's books
- · Mentioning the 'Empire Club' subscription
- · Hosts sharing personal anecdotes related to the topic
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are exclusively academic experts, curators, and authors with deep, specific knowledge of the episode's topic. They are typically university professors or curators at major museums who have recently published significant work in their field.
- Francesca Stavrakopoulouon How We Got Monotheism
- Dr. Campbell Priceon Why People Went Crazy For Tutankhamun
- Aidan Dodsonon Who Was Nefertiti? (Ep 4)
- Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Joneson The Pharaoh Who Transformed Ancient Egypt | EP 2
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast uses a dual-revenue model, featuring advertisements from sponsors like BetterHelp within episodes, while also promoting a direct-to-consumer subscription. The 'Empire Club' membership offers ad-free listening, bonus content, and early access to new series and live show tickets.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Empire?
- The hosts are William Dalrymple, a Scottish historian and award-winning author, and Anita Anand, a British journalist, author, and BBC presenter.
- What is the format of the podcast?
- It is an interview-based show where the hosts talk with a single expert guest—typically a professor, curator, or author—about a specific historical topic related to empires.
- Is the podcast still being produced?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes on a weekly basis, as indicated by the recent episode dates.
- Where can I listen to Empire?
- You can listen and watch full episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.
- How can I listen to episodes without ads?
- You can join the 'Empire Club' via the podcast's official website. This subscription provides ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and early access to new series.
- What topics does the podcast cover?
- The show explores the history of various empires, such as the British, Ottoman, and Ancient Egyptian empires, focusing on their rise, fall, and lasting impact on the world.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Empire Official Websiteempirepoduk.com
- [02]Goalhanger Podcasts Official Websitegoalhanger.com
- [03]William Dalrymple Official Biographywilliamdalrymple.com
- [04]Anita Anand - Publisher Pagesimonandschuster.com
- [05]Empire (podcast) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]William Dalrymple - The Guardian Author Pagetheguardian.com
- [07]Anita Anand - King's College London Alumni Profilekcl.ac.uk
- [08]Empire • World History - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
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