314. Rudyard Kipling: Villain or Visionary? (Part 3)

Empire

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Should we still read Kipling today? What family tragedy did Kipling face in the later half of his life? How did he fan the flames of jingoism during and after the First World War? William is reunited with Anita to discuss Rudyard Kipling’s later life and legacy and to debate whether we should revere or despise him... Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Just go to https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at empirepoduk.com or on apple podcasts. Email: [email protected] Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you want access to bonus episodes reading lists for every series of Empire, a chat community.
0:06.7	Discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcast, add free listening and a weekly newsletter,
0:12.5	sign up to Empire Club at www.mpowerpod.uk.com.
0:19.1	Think about cheese.
0:22.2	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:25.3	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet,
0:27.3	Chipotle sauce and Ameguze Meal.
0:30.4	And it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:32.7	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:33.3	Cheese.
0:37.2	Availments of the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11am.
0:38.2	Price and participation may vary.
0:38.9	Subjects availability.
0:41.6	Head home for the holidays with Abercrombie and Fitch.
0:46.9	Between family dinners and making time to catch up with friends, my calendar gets booked up.
0:52.2	When I need to look put together, Abercrombie makes it easy to find outfits for all of my fans.
0:55.1	With their classic jumpers, essential hoodies and Abercrombie denim, I've got my holiday fits covered for the whole season. Shop Abercrombie
1:00.7	in the app, online and in stores. Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs. Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand, marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time. From startups to scale ups,
1:28.3	online, in person and on the go. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
1:33.3	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup. Hello and welcome to Empire with me Anita Arnden
1:52.5	and me William Drupal who's very pleased not to be on my own anymore
1:56.5	and able to talk to Anita about Kipling which we've missed in the last two episodes. I'm sorry about that. I had a little break, an NHS spa retreat. No, I was in hospital for a little while, but I'm all better now. Well done for carrying on without me. You're looking very perky. Oh, well, I'm glad. It was horrible. It was horrible not having you there, particularly for this episode, which is actually an episode that we have talked about since the very days we were planning this podcast three years ago having to do it
	...

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