Empire: World History

The Iliad

Homer

This epic poem tells the story of the siege of Troy and was noted for its exquisite detail, including beautiful scenes showing tender humanity amidst the slaughter of war. It was highlighted as moving between the grand epic scale and deeply human moments.

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The Iliad is fantastic in its detail. And the rise in violence and the cutting between Troy and the Greek encampment and the depictions of Hector and his wife and child are just so exquisite.

The Odyssey

Homer

The second epic was noted for showing a sense of melancholy and failure, as the hero Odysseus eventually returns home, but having lost all his men and still being forced to undertake further fruitless journeys. The speaker was devoted to Odysseus, seeing him as the figure to reverence because he won with his mind rather than brawn.

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And in the Odyssey, he gets home, but he's lost all his men. He is naked and alone on his island, and he has to slaughter more to get to his wife, who is sort of doubtful of him.

The Children's Crusade by J. E. Christian (2011-12-04)

M.J. Trow

This work was mentioned as an example of how Greek mythology had to be presented delicately by intellectuals towards the end of the medieval period, showing that the truth of the myths was not widely believed at that time.

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And obviously, you know, Chaucer had written about Troilus and Crusade and so on. And, you know, you had to have a very sort of delicate view of how you presented Greek mythology.

The Last Mughal

William Dalrymple

This book was mentioned as one William de Rumpel enjoyed writing more than any other book he had ever written. The final conversation revolved around Zafar's poetry and fate as described in this text, which details the end of the Mughal dynasty.

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And The Last Moogle, which was a book I enjoyed writing more than I think any other book I've ever written.

The Jungle Book (Illustrated)

Rudyard Kipling

This book was written by Kipling in Vermont, and it is one of his two greatest volumes of British fiction about India. It is famously associated with the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves, and its success continued to grow over time, largely due to Disney.

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And bizarrely, it's in America that he writes his two greatest Indian books or two, certainly the two books for which he's most famous. And in 1893, the year after Josephine is born and dedicated to her, he writes The Jungle Book, a story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves.

Kim (100th Anniversary Edition)

Rudyard Kipling

Many regard Kim as Kipling's masterpiece, and while he began it in America, he completed it later; it features evocative descriptions of India and sympathetic writing about its people, despite Kipling's reactionary political views. The story follows Kimball O'Hara and a Tibetan lama on a pilgrimage.

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After the Jungle Book comes Kim, which many people regard as his masterpiece. He doesn't finish it in America, but he does begin it.

The Man Who Would Be King - Classic Illustrated Edition

Rudyard Kipling

This short story, which was later adapted into a famous movie starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine, was written around the time Kipling produced his first proper book and was considered to stand up fantastically well upon rereading.

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So this is the point at which he writes The Man Who Would Be King. This is more famous, I think now, as a movie with Sean Connery than it is as a short story. But it works very well. I just reread it this week and it stands up fantastically well.

Departmental Ditties and Ballads and Barrack Room Ballads (Authorized Edition, Volume 6)

Rudyard Kipling

This was Kipling's first proper book, published in 1886, and it was a huge hit in India, selling out its initial print run immediately and becoming standard railway reading for the Anglo-Indian community.

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Now after this, he produces his first proper book in 1886 called Departmental Ditties. Not a title, perhaps, that would sell today, but it actually is a huge hit, isn't it?

Scotland

Murray Pittock

It was described as a must-buy for all Empire listeners, covering the influence of the Declaration of Arbroath on the US Declaration of Independence and other topics. The book was mentioned to be available in paperback for 11.99.

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Your great book, which we haven't done enough to pump up there.

The Origins of Sex

Faramerz Dabhoiwala

It was described as jaw-dropping, especially the chapters on Scottish sex clubs in the mid-18th century. The book details the activities of these clubs, including the use of dildos.

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There's a fantastic book about it by a guy called Faramir Dabirwala called The Origins of Sex.

The Golden Road

William Dalrymple

This book was mentioned as available for purchase as a signed edition via a provided link.

The Anarchy

William Dalrymple

It was mentioned that Robert Clive is portrayed as a "Lord Voldemort figure" in this book, due to his consistent victories on and off the battlefield and his successful navigation of political corruption.

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Robert Clive is an extraordinary character whatever you think of him and he's the kind of Lord Voldemort figure in my book The Anarchy.