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Essential Listening

Évalué le: 2021-01-15

There are many reviewers claiming the podcast is “biased” and “unbalanced”. There are two problems with these takes:

1. Everyone and everything is biased in some way. It is impossible for humans to be unbiased. We can only aim to be as fair as possible depending on the context. Given that mainstream British society has traditionally romanticised empire, it is only fair that Hirsch offers a different perspective.


2. What these reviewers fail to understand is Hirsch is explicit in saying that this podcast will be examining empire from the perspectives of those who were colonised. She never claims to be offering a “balanced” perspective. It’s like complaining about buying a jar of marmite and being upset that it’s not Nutella.


Personally, I loved the series. Hirsch’s interviewees give their personal perspectives, which are juxtaposed with historians providing context. The voices of the colonised are front and center (aside from Diana Riggs episode which Hirsch handles diplomatically). She consistently comes back to the podcasts central questions: how do these individuals grapple with differing narratives of empire and how should these narratives be handled today?

You will only deepen your perspective by listening to this richly informative series.