William Dalrymple

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William here from Empire, briefly crossing the Goldhanger network borders.

In our journey to unpick the complexities of the past, it's clear that history is not a straight line.

It's a vast, intricate and complex tapestry.

To truly understand a political revolution or the fall of a dynasty, you have to build up the picture piece by piece.

You need diary entries and poetry that capture the scale of emotions, the secret correspondence of a diplomat and the sharp, discerning insights...

of the era's great thinkers.

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This episode is brought to you by my favourite London review of books.

William here from Empire, briefly crossing the Goldhanger network borders.

In our journey to unpick the complexities of the past, it's clear that history is not a straight line.

It's a vast, intricate and complex tapestry.

To truly understand a political revolution or the fall of a dynasty, you have to build up the picture piece by piece.