The First Emperor of China

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were monumental, but his reign was marked by ruthlessness, so how did this teenage king rise to power? What drove him to undertake colossal projects like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army? And how might his obsession with immortality have led to his mysterious death? This is a Short History Of The First Emperor of China. A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to John Man, author of The Terracotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's the cinematic event of the year. Critics say sensational, superb, stunning savings.
0:06.0	Are you talking about Karate Kid Legends?
0:08.0	No sir, get a two-for-one cinema tickets from Compers the Market, a spectacular offer.
0:13.0	So?
0:14.0	That you can use to see Karate Kid Legends only in cinemas.
0:18.0	Oh, I'll get my headburn.
0:19.0	Get two-for-one cinema tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday with compare the market.
0:23.6	Simple.
0:24.6	When you take out a qualifying product to compare the market, one membership per year,
0:27.6	participating cinemas, two standard tickets only cheap as free.
0:29.6	Tis and Cs apply.
0:34.6	It's March 1974, near Lin Tong in China's Shanksi province.
0:40.3	Spring has been tough. The rains have held off, plunging the whole region into a deep drought.
0:48.3	To the south, the steep flanks of Mount Lee would ordinarily trap water in gullies,
0:56.0	funneling it into the lowland wells which feed the orchards of persimmon and pomegranate.
1:01.0	But not this year.
1:04.0	On the edge of the village, six brothers gather among their parched fruit trees.
1:09.0	They squat in the dust, cigarettes smouldering between their fingers,
1:13.6	quietly scraping the dry earth.
1:18.6	They're all in their 40s and 50s,
1:21.6	born and raised on this same patch of land,
1:24.6	where they tend these orchards,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Noiser, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Noiser and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.