Reviews
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“I've heard William Dalrymple 1st time at Jaipur literature festival. Before that I read his book 'The last Mughal - Bahadursha Jafar. I love books writing by William, because they are well researched, with original reference documents from various archives and excellent writing style.
I...”Read full review »
OP Choudhary via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
11/09/24
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“There was this delicious occasion where Anita was desperate to prove the nationalist argument that the Brits created Muslim/Hindu rivalry. Willy was a bit embarrassed; ‘are you sure?’, he murmured. ‘there’s no sign of it in my period’. But Anita had proof! ‘A census’ she crowed! asking for...”Read full review »
'Casters enthusiast via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/08/24
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“Loved this podcast but I’m giving up because of the near constant interruptions by the hosts. Surprised the guests don’t give up as well.”
Emmett Ray via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
11/03/24
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“Guys you have such a great rapport and it shows”
Skarsgard50 via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
10/30/24
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“Fascinating subject area but find the shrill jocularity increasingly wearing”
RoryMacphee via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/25/24
“The Male host’s voice is pretty inconsistent because he’s probably leaning away from the mic at some points so it’s very hard to hear him. They also mumble and randomly throw out names without context as if the non-british world knows who they are. Like why would anyone know about some British...”Read full review »
Aria523 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/22/24
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“Good hosts, great banter, solid history. Became unfocused after the ottomans. They still have some great episodes from time to time, but not sure it’s particularly empire focused.”
sam howards via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/20/24
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“Biased and therefore not history.”
LotusBlueTwo via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/20/24
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“Interesting subjects and quite a lot of good information, but you have to siphon out all the left-wing interpretation and anti British sentiment (and I am hardly a right winger). It’s a shame, but I find myself returning less frequently”
Arthur Shufflehouse via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/17/24
“So glad I stumbled across this podcast. Started with the excellent coverage of the Vietnam war and then went back and started from the beginning. As a Brit, it’s fascinating and horrifying in equal measure, beautifully balanced by William and Anita, and some star quality guests. Must listen.”
Glassman77 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/15/24
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“I am so happy I chanced upon this show a couple of years ago, and then my brother who also was listening to this podcast reminded me of this. So many book recommendations from this show, all absolute gems (happily, some I had already read). If I had one quibble—and this is about production...”Read full review »
Somesillyname1984 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/12/24
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“The most insightful, inspirational, fact based, riveting learning I have ever had in my entire existence! So much I didn’t know - about India (and I am Indian!), about Korea, Vietnam and Cuba and the Ottomans…everything we see happening today is rooted in history which this podcast explains in...”Read full review »
7211?£& via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/11/24
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“Great episodes on bengal famine. The contributor said it would never have been allowed happen if ‘on the British isles’. Do they not know about the Irish famine where the British empire oversaw the death of 1 million Irish, and forced another 1 million to emigrate, Please do an episode on the...”Read full review »
JohnSIRL via Apple Podcasts ·
Ireland ·
10/09/24
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“Im Polish and I live since two years in Jaipur. I love the slow afternoons in the pink city with the 5 o’clock masala Chai on my balcony listening to The Empire Podcast.
The guests and their books are so inspirational !
This is how I first heard of Kim Ghattas and her amazing „ The Black Wave“ !”
alynth via Apple Podcasts ·
Germany ·
10/08/24
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“I have to say I am disappointed, but alas not surprised, by the ignorance of some of my fellow countrymen’s attitude on these reviews. They somehow think that no-one, especially those with an RP accent and a public education, can discuss the sacred history of Scotland unless they fit the...”Read full review »
swbswbswbswb via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
10/07/24
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“I am enjoying this episode so far, but I just wanted to offer a correction. William said he was 2% Micmac. Micmac is actually plural! Micmaw is the singular (and the actual spellings are Mi’kmaq and Mi’kmaw).
Jeff Wiseman
A Canadian Fan of the show”
OfToronto via Apple Podcasts ·
Canada ·
10/07/24
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“I began really enjoying the stories. Both hosts are exceptionally charismatic, witty, funny, the self deprecating humor of the gentlemen, About his aristocratic family roots is endearing. However, it’s a decidedly leftist bypass. As I listened more and more it became clear that every story is...”Read full review »
Nostalgicepoch via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/05/24
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“The breadth and depth of empires throughout the ages. A good firm stare into the past. Learning new truths about the colonisation of our planet, people and culture. The fantastic fate of every empire explained with enthusiasm and shrill delight.”
Lord Nagels via Apple Podcasts ·
New Zealand ·
10/02/24
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“Did you know that the wife of a former British PM is a very rich lady from the Carnatic in India?
Perhaps she and her husband should mete out the same treatments to the Brits and the Scots the way they did to the Nizam and Tipu Sultan of the Carnatic.
Should we call it the Brit mutiny -...”Read full review »
baja_surf via Apple Podcasts ·
India ·
10/02/24
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“I really enjoy the show and all information shared.
All the guests are amazing and so is William.
I just don’t like how Anita tries to relate everything to India and Indian culture. This happens quite often and its annoying.”
yassiazad via Apple Podcasts ·
United Arab Emirates ·
09/29/24
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“Some podcasts become addictive, this is one. Any lover of history needs to give it a listen to hear for yourself. As someone who has enjoyed Dalrymple’s written works and lectures, this podcast with co-host Anita Anand is a pure educational entertainment. Huge Kudos!”
Omnium via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/27/24
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“It worries me people like this so much. It's so, sooo biased, that I am embarrassed for the authors, and makes my teeth ache a little bit. It's long on story which is interesting, I must admit- though can I trust it given it's so partial? But it's often very light on the...”Read full review »
'Casters enthusiast via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/27/24
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“I really admire William and Anita - their work on the East India Company was excellent - but on the subject of Scotland and things Scottish they can hardly keep in their disdain. But William is a Scot will be the cry no doubt, but a public school education I. England will do more to shape one’s...”Read full review »
Jim East Lothian via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/24/24
“Most recent episode was a Scottish National Party biased history version. Dalrymple is fundamentally anti-British and anti-English and views the Union of Crowns and birth of Great Britain as a tragedy from which nothing positive ever came. The political bias is barely disguised in each episode...”Read full review »
BatshitBritainBailer via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/19/24
“This is an incredible show- so great to hear such learned people talking in detail on this history. It is incredibly annoying and distracting that they interrupt each other and finish each others sentences as if they want to upstage each other. Major production flaw.”
5762097632 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/16/24
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“Beautifully researched and well written episodes in easily digestible chunks.”
Usernamechexout via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/15/24
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“This podcast is a must-listen for any history lover!
William Darymple and Anita Anand are two of my favourite people. They bring the past to life with compelling storytelling, expert views, and deep dives into lesser-known events that shaped our world. The research is top-notch, and I love how...”Read full review »
Kuldeep Moholkar via Apple Podcasts ·
India ·
09/14/24
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“Their wide circle of interesting friends and acquaintances, and their own obvious friendship, are the heart of the show. They demonstrate a fair-mindedness in their attempts at understanding these often difficult historical topics, and this gives them real credibility with the audience.”
RandomUniqueNickname1234 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/11/24
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“Interesting breadth of topics and some great guest experts but sometimes the commentary drags down the fascinating history is an apparent attempt to force it to align with the presenters’ personal view of the world. Unfortunately this appears in inverse proportion to their detailed knowledge of...”Read full review »
Khlongtoei via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/09/24
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“Absolutely loving this podcast. It’s been fantastic to hear more episodes of history from the East. William clearly has a deep love for India and the passion shines through. I’m officially addicted!”
Maccystar via Apple Podcasts ·
New Zealand ·
09/08/24
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“- but please work on your "podcast voices" and then use them to speak a little more slowly. Not all your fans and listeners are English, not all speak English as a first language.”Read full review »
Anita - R via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/05/24
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“Could listen to William all day long. Informative, interesting and knowledgeable. Anita….really lightweight.”
Dawnchorous via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/04/24
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“Absolutely love it and the presenters have a wonderful rapport! I have never studied history but found the series on slavery and the brutality of the British Empire profoundly shocking. It has transformed the way I think about empire. Surely history that forces us to confront the darkest aspects...”Read full review »
Intrigued Centrist Dad via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/02/24
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“I have to strongly disagree with the few negative reviewers on here. I find this much more engaging than The Rest is History and think the two presenters complement each other perfectly.
I’ve learnt so much so far, yet it’s never felt like learning. Great work – thank you.”
Bix Beiderbecke via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/01/24
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“learned so much in the podcasts and enjoyed the way both the Anita and William make what can be difficult subjects understandable. Really glad I gave it a chance and would reccommend it highly. Also enjoying the range of topics and guests”
Presidency_geek via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
09/01/24
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“Provides great learning re story and context. Please avoid overly schematics like Settlers and Indigeneity.”
thedavidstarr via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/31/24
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“Thank you for your podcast, I find it very interesting and informative. My reading of history is that we have the "factual" information available from the past which is often influenced by the persons that originally documented the history. You and your guest presenters can equally be...”Read full review »
Yeabit via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
08/30/24
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“A great episode (as were other episodes)! I have always wondered if the champa (who practiced a form of Hinduism) in Vietnam was result of the travellers Nd missionaries mentioned in this episode. If your forthcoming book The Golden Road is based on the theme of this book, I can’t wait to get...”Read full review »
Gurudutt Chikarmane via Apple Podcasts ·
Canada ·
08/30/24
“Fast speaking hosts who alternate between clipping pronunciation of words and talking too fast make it difficult to understand”
A quick thought via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/30/24
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“Me thinks Anita and Bill’s commentaries are appropriate ( by way of intros) to the monumental stuff ups of some of our forefathers; ancient or more recent.
With the wisdom of hindsight and some kind of moral reference point, how can we not be a bit Pythonesque in our attempts at an appraisal.”
Pokohontis via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
08/29/24
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“This show has captured my heart. It is dense with facts but manages to be filled with joy! Not a review writer as a rule…. But if one loves history then this is a must!!! World is filled with mean trolls. Kind smart and charming! This show gives one knowledge and an escape to joy!!!”
funny girl 80212 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/29/24
“Complimenting each other. Thank you for bringing fun and history.”
Malvinder.s via Apple Podcasts ·
India ·
08/29/24
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“Rather depressing to read some of the negative reviews. Anita and William add wonderful personal perspectives that bring the topics to life. Too often, history can be very dry. Not here. Their banter is amusing but it’s more than that. It often raises questions that I, at least, hadn’t thought...”Read full review »
Weary traveller in Pacific via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
08/27/24
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“Just started listening from Sydney
This is both informative and entertaining
Highly recommended”
downunder1q via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
08/25/24
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“Given the great books that Dalrymple has written, it comes as a surprise (and an annoyance) as to how one eyed he is when he talks about the British in India and, by extrapolation, the British empire in general - some of what he says on the podcast is actually just silly. The other problem I have...”Read full review »
Bartle Frere via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
08/23/24
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“Every episode is fascinating!”
Roscoe_pablo via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
08/23/24
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“Absolute love the podcast. Great chemistry and knowledgeable.”
Punnu2223 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/21/24
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“Gees get a grip and ease off with the overly emphasised posh accents.
Anita voice/accent/posh insistence is overbearing.
Great that we have to constantly hear about Harvard and all the fancy colleges you have all attended.
Your attempt to appeal to the masses with all this American and Vietnam...”Read full review »
no middle names via Apple Podcasts ·
Australia ·
08/20/24
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