Best Barbarians At The Gate Podcasts (2025)

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The Destruction of the Old Summer Palace (Remix) 42:58

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19h ago42:58

42:58

David and Jeremiah are traveling this week, which means, like the days of summer TV (pre-Internet and pre-InfiniteStreamingNetflixVerse), we are replaying one of our favorite earlier episodes. We hope you enjoy this "one from the vault" and we'll be back with fresh episodes in November. Yuanmingyuan, the "Garden of Perfect Brightness," commonly ref…

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309 - Strange Tales X.1: Fateful Encounters 34:12

8d ago34:12

34:12

00:02:09 - "The Scholar & the Headless Ghost" True music fans come in all types. 00:05:37 - "Magical Arts" Let the buyer beware... but sometimes the non-buyer, too! 00:12:37 - "Ruby Jade" Nobody knows you when you're down & out... 00:27:00 - "Examination for the Post of Guardian Angel" The job offer of a lifetime! Learn more about your ad choices. …

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The Voyages of Zheng He 33:14

13d ago33:14

33:14

It’s just two guys talking China's naval history. In this episode, David and Jeremiah dig into the story of Zheng He, the 15th-century admiral who took China's treasure fleets halfway around the world as Western Europe was just starting to figure out ocean navigation. Here's a Muslim eunuch who went from prisoner to running the emperor's treasure f…

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#308 - Zheng Yi Sao, Pt. 2: Into the Tiger's Mouth 46:06

16d ago46:06

46:06

The Pirate Queen’s Red Flag Fleet reigns supreme, but a three-way battle at Tiger’s Mouth tests even her grip on the seas. Time Period Covered: 1807-1844 CE Major Historical Figures: Red Flag Fleet: Zheng Yi Sao (AKA Ching Shih, née Shi Yang), Co-Commander of the Red Flag Confederation [1775-1844] Zhang Baozai, Co-Commander of the Red Flag Fleet, l…

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Special - Mid-Autumn: Fly Me to the Moon 13:37

20d ago13:37

13:37

By Chris Stewart

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Bonus: R. Glasspoole & the Pirates 51:42

25d ago51:42

51:42

Richard Glasspoole thought he was going to have enough of an adventure sailing to the South Pacific. He didn't expect quite so much excitement as spending 3 months of 1809 as the compulsory "guest" of the Red Flag Fleet until the Company coughed up his ransom... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Barbarians at the Gate x China Books Review: The Records of the Grand Historian 23:54

1M ago23:54

23:54

Picture this: You’re 45 years old, halfway through writing the definitive history of your civilization. Writing this history is the family business, and you’ve made a promise to your dying father to finish his work no matter what, when your boss, who happens to be the Emperor of China, gives you a choice. You can be executed or, if that doesn’t wor…

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#307 - Zheng Yi Sao, Pt. 1: Murders & Acquisitions, Mostly 52:33

1M ago52:33

52:33

天高皇帝远 "Heaven Is Vast & the Emperor is Far Away" On the far side of the realm from th celestial halls of shining Beijing, an outcast girl born on the fringes of society will scrabble to survive amidt the coastal chaos of the end of the 18th Century. With little more than her looks and wits, she'll have to outwit & outplay freebooter, bandit, and of…

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Barbarians Remix: Seeking News, Making China 37:33

1M ago37:33

37:33

In this encore episode of Barbarians at the Gate from March 2024, John Alekna talks about his fascinating new book Seeking News, Making China: Information Technology and the Emergence of Mass Society. In 20th-century China, the gradual importation and development of information technology had an enormous impact on the way news was disseminated and …

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#306 - Qing 41: Dead Men Tell No Tales 1:01:54

1M ago1:01:54

1:01:54

Piracy in Great Qing surges to a "golden age" during the Qianlong & Jiaqing eras. Corsair Confederations like Zheng Yi Sao’s vast-beyond-reckoning Red Flag Fleet, backed by the likes of Vietnam’s Tay Son rebels, dominating the South China Sea through organized plunder and shadow economies. Jiaqing’s shift to accomodation, while necessary, may expos…

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Andrew and Jerry Warn: The Barbarians Are At The Gates! 48:16

2M ago48:16

48:16

In Episode 98, Andrew Langer and Jerry Rogers are joined by Dr. Peter Pitts—former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest—for a sobering discussion on how America's hospital system has been hijacked by greed, mismanagement, and a lack of accountability. Dr. Pitts explains how hospital consolidatio…

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#305- Qing 40: Heshen Must Die! 34:55

2M ago34:55

34:55

For nearly a quarter century, Heshen served the Qing Empire - and in the process managed to amass a fortune that nearly rivaled the throne itself. Yet with the death of his patron Qianlong, the once-favored Grand Councilor would find his remaining state tenure as short as the length of silk ultimately left in his cell. Time Period Covered: 1799-180…

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#304 - Qing 39: Twilight of the Dragon 41:15

2M ago41:15

41:15

As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this time his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, assumes power in fact, the winds of historic change have already begun…

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AI-Laoshi Will See You Now: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Chinese Language Learning 26:54

2M ago26:54

26:54

In our careers as teachers, we have cycled between embracing change while loudly proclaiming that [Insert New Technology Here] will ruin the classroom experience, doom a generation to intellectual oblivion, and possibly lead to the collapse of civilization. What can I say? Teachers can be an excitable lot, prone to excessive consumption of caffeine…

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#303 - Qing 38: The Macartney Expedition 45:10

2M ago45:10

45:10

From London’s harbors to Canton’s bustling hongs and the Qianlong Emperor’s Dragon Throne, Lord George Macartney’s 1792-94 mission to Great Qing unveils profound cultural divides, shaping centuries of Sino-Western relations. This series explores a pivotal diplomatic clash that redefined global history. Time Period Covered: 1792-1794 CE Major Histor…

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#302 - Qing 37: Palace of Mirrors 41:43

3M ago41:43

41:43

Qianlong's empire shines as a beacon of both martial might and cultural splendor, yet its mirrored glory hides truths too fragile for celestial ambitions. Time Period Covered: ~1770-1799CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796, d. 1799] Grand Councillor Heshen [1750-1799] Great Britain: Lord …

1
Calling all China Nerds 32:33

3M ago32:33

32:33

Where are our nerds at? David Moser is on summer holiday, and stepping into David's seat for this episode is literary translator Brendan O'Kane (BlueSky: @bokane.com) It takes about two minutes for Jeremiah and Brendan to go off the rails, over the edge, and back to the Amilal Courtyard in Beijing ca. 2010 (if you know, you know). In this wide-rang…

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Special 2: To George, From Qianlong... 19:30

3M ago19:30

19:30

"O King of Wherever, New Throne Who Dis?" 0:00:00 - Edict of Emperor Qianlong to King George III, 1793 0:06:34 - The Second Edict to George III (in reply to Macartney's note) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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Special 1: To Qianlong, From George... 13:54

3M ago13:54

13:54

"Dear Emperor of China, will you be my friend? Check Yes or No..." 0:00:00 - Letter of Credence from King George III to Emperor Qianlong, 1793 CE 0:10:20 - Author's note 0:11:44 - Lord Macartney's Sixfold Proposals for the Improvement of Trade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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#301 - Qing 36: And I Think It's Gonna Be a Qianlong Time 33:43

3M ago33:43

33:43

In the wake of military victory, Qianlong turns inward—launching literary purges, rewriting history, and curating an image of himself as the enlightened ruler of a Confucian empire. Through censorship, spectacle, and the manipulation of memory, the Qing court fights a new kind of war: one for cultural supremacy and imperial legitimacy. Time Period …

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Barbarians Remix: The Year of the Boxers with historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom 22:30

3M ago22:30

22:30

This episode was originally released on May 18, 2020. Jeremiah and David are joined by Jeffrey Wasserstrom, historian of modern China and a longtime interpreter of the country’s shifting place in the world. Originally recorded in 2020, this conversation revisits the Boxer War of 1900—not through the usual lens of siege and rescue, but by examining …

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#300 - Qing 35: Empire of Images 38:49

3M ago38:49

38:49

What does it take to hold an empire together when conquest alone isn’t enough? In this sweeping episode, we explore how the Qianlong Emperor fused culture, coercion, and Confucian performance to stabilize a multiethnic empire—crafting an imperial image as powerful as his armies. Time Period Covered: ~ 1735–1760 CE Major Historical Figures: The Qian…

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#299 - Qing 34: Remember to Remember to Forget You Forgot Me 41:30

3M ago41:30

41:30

This was no peace borne of reconciliation; this was silence, enforced by amnesia. Time Period Covered: ~ 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796] Minister Fuheng General Bandi [d. 1755] General Yongchang Khalka Mongols: Prince Erinchindorj [d. 1756] Prince Chingünjav [d. 1757] Dzun…

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Is America Beginning to Look More Like China? 41:36

4M ago41:36

41:36

In this episode we chat with Shanghai-based author and editor Jacob Dreyer, a China watcher who writes with great insight and nuance about the shifting landscape of China-US relations. We touch on questions such as: Is the China model of governance outperforming Western liberal democracy? Is China winning the AI and technology wars? (Spoiler alert:…

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#298 - Qing 33: Echoes of the Erased 43:08

4M ago43:08

43:08

The story of the last great nomadic empire’s fall - and the Qing’s ruthless imperial vision for a New Frontier. Time Period Covered: 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: The Great Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796] General Bandi [d. 1755] Hojs, Hakim Beg of Ush Dzungar Khanate: Galdan Tseren [r. 1727–1745] Tsewa…

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Supplemental: Qianlong's 1758 Dzungar Victory Stele 9:41

4M ago9:41

9:41

The "Old Man of 10 Victories" crows to the Heavens in words of stone of his crushing of the once-mighty Khanate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires 31:37

4M ago31:37

31:37

This week on the podcast, we explore the role of the horse in Chinese culture with author David Chaffetz, whose new book Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires traces the sweeping impact of horse domestication across world civilizations. Chaffetz explains how equestrian cultures not only transformed warfare and mobility in …

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#297 - Qing 32: Tea, Trade, & Thunder 40:00

4M ago40:00

40:00

The Qing conquest of Dzungaria did not begin with any kind ofcannon-fire or musketry. Instead, it began like many wars end: with afuneral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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#296 - Qing 31: The Architect of Capacity 43:41

4M ago43:41

43:41

As his era of rule over Great Qing drows to a close, the Yongzheng Emperor spares neither expense nor detail to reform the empire he inherited and modernize it for the one who will inherit it from him. But this is no idle fancy - he has a definite purpose. Though no great warrior himself, he is nevertheless fully in-line with the century-long grand…

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Andrew and Jerry Say Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter! 44:23

4M ago44:23

44:23

In Episode 97 of Andrew and Jerry Save The World, Andrew Langer and Jerry Rogers take on the spiraling irrationality of our political and media culture with their trademark clarity and wit. The episode kicks off with a light-hearted take on Trump's now-iconic sign-off, “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” before diving deep into serious i…

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Barbarians Remix: Mandarin Mayhem I 28:45

4M ago28:45

28:45

In this classic episode of Barbarians at the Gate from 2020, David Moser and I examine Putonghua (普通话), the spoken language most people refer to as Mandarin, and ask the question: What is the point of Putonghua? We look at the question of what constitutes a dialect, and what defines a language, especially in a country as diverse as China? We look a…

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Bonus Episode 12: Andrew at FreedomFest and Jerry Joins The Steve Gruber Show 19:38

4M ago19:38

19:38

In this special bonus edition of Andrew and Jerry Save the World, the hosts share two thought-provoking segments from their recent solo appearances on major platforms. First, Andrew Langer brings you his full presentation from FreedomFest 2025, where he explores the dangers of regulatory overreach in health care, the need for innovation-driven poli…

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#295 - Qing 30: Building Better Worlds 36:58

5M ago36:58

36:58

The Yongzheng Emperor seeks to capitalize on his father's greatness abroad - but cautiously. He wants to exterminate the barbarians... but delicately. He wants to build better worlds... no matter how many he has to destroy in the process. He's riding for a fall. Time Period Covered: ~1725-1731 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: Kangxi Empero…

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Rebroadcast 2025: Special - Tiananmen Square: The Declassified History - 06/01/1999 w/ postscript 2024 23:13

5M ago23:13

23:13

Doc 1: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, A Student Demonstration of Sorts in Tiananmen Square (11/21/85) Doc 2: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, Government Arrests Student Demonstrators (11/25/85) Doc 3: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, More S…

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Emergency Pod: The Trump Administration restricts Harvard International Enrollment as State Department Reviews Chinese Student Visas 24:49

5M ago24:49

24:49

In this special episode, we examine the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on higher education in America and their implications for the future of US-China academic exchanges. On May 29, the Department of Homeland Security banned Harvard from enrolling international students—a decision that is now being challenged in the courts even as the educ…

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#294 - Qing 29: The Conquest of Qinghai 43:00

5M ago43:00

43:00

While the Yongzheng Emperor attempts to get his domestic policy ducks in a row from the Forbidden City, out on the Western Frontiers, change is the only constant. Between squabbling Tibetan lamas, restless Kokonor Khans, and the ever-dangerous Dzungar Empire still on the loose out there, the new successor of the late, great Kangxi Emperor has some …

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#293 - Qing 28: Three Treks Across Eurasia 37:47

5M ago37:47

37:47

Leaving behind the imperial court of Beijing, we return to the far frontiers of the northwest, where China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Russia all converge and vie for power. Glory and riches to the victors, subjugation or death for those destined to lose. Into this mix, we follow the travels of three emissaries as they cross deserts, mountains, words, an…

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The Six: Recovering the Lost Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors 44:38

5M ago44:38

44:38

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, hosts Jeremiah Jenne and David Moser interview Steven Schwankert about his groundbreaking research into the forgotten story of the Chinese survivors of the Titanic disaster. Schwankert, author of The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors, details how he uncovered the remarkable tale of s…