31. Conquering the Night: The History of Coff...

How did World War II break out in Asia in 1937? Why did Mao Zedong and his fellow communists live in caves after the Long March? How did the notorious Nanjing Massacre occur? ** Binge all six episodes of the series on Chairman Mao by joining the Empire Club today at ⁠empirepoduk. ...  Show more

Why did the communists and nationalists join forces with the USSR during the Chinese Civil War? When did the nationalists purge communists in what is known as the “White Terror”? Why did 80,000 communists walk across the country in the “Long March”, and how is this retreat refram ...  Show more

From Sufi mystics in 16th-century Yemen to hipster baristas in cities across the world today, the history of this caffeinated beverage is a long and fascinating one. For our latest everything you wanted to know episode, Rob Attar is joined by Professor Jonathan Morris to explain ...  Show more

Guys, I think it's time we catch up. So, let's get a bit personal. In the first half of this episode of Thick & Thin, I share stories about my current dating roster and express the varying lifestyle choices of being in your mid-to-late-twenties. While during the latter, I reveal ...  Show more

America is coffee-obsessed. From Central Perk’s red couch being the centre of major plot twists in Friends to the fact the average American drank more than two cups a day. And the conventional explanation is pretty straightforward: an English colonist introduces coffee to Jamesto ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history and social impact of coffee. From its origins in Ethiopia, coffea arabica spread through the Ottoman Empire before reaching Western Europe where, in the 17th century, coffee houses were becoming established. There, caffeinated customers ...  Show more