Reflections on Volume 4 and looking forward to Volume 5, including the big announcement about the name of the volume and our usual review of listener messages.

1200 - 1449 - Step into the fourteenth century, a world caught between collapse and rebirth. As the Mongol Empire fractures, new powers rise across Europe, Asia and Africa. From the birth of the Ming dynasty to the brilliance of Mali and the devastation of the Black Death, this episode explores a century that reshaped societies, ignited new dynasties and transformed the course of history.

1000 - 1299 - From shattered empires to rising ideas, this episode traces a world in motion. Across continents, scholars, warriors and kings reshape faith, power and knowledge, while distant societies unknowingly edge toward collision. This is an age of transformation — where printing presses, crusades and conquests quietly lay the foundations of the modern world.

800 - 1099 - From Viking raids to Tang collapse, the ninth to eleventh centuries reshaped the medieval world. Charlemagne’s empire fractured, Slavic states rose, caliphates splintered, and new powers emerged across Asia and the Americas. Join us as we explore upheaval, migration, and transformation — the age that set the stage for centuries to come. History in motion, revealed!

600 - 799 - Step into the year 600, a world where empires fracture, new powers rise, and entire cultures reshape human history. Byzantium stands firm as Europe transforms, Asia surges with innovation, Africa thrives through trade, and the Americas reach remarkable heights. Across continents, belief systems shift and new forces emerge. This is a world in motion — and everything is about to change.

Alongside listener messages, in this debrief we will be discussing which topics were the most popular in Volume 4, the ongoing question of how AI influences the podcast, and the possibility of the podcast becoming a physical book.

700 - 1610 - In this episode, we journey to the Sahel — the narrow frontier between desert and savanna where the fortunes of empires were made and lost. From its shifting landscapes emerged the Mali Empire, a realm of immense wealth and faith. Discover how geography, trade, and power shaped one of Africa’s greatest civilisations.

1000 BCE - 1897 CE - Two kingdoms, two legacies—Ifẹ and Benin shaped West Africa’s artistic soul and political power. From sacred bronze heads to sprawling palace complexes, this episode dives into the myths, monarchs, and masterworks that defined a civilisation. Discover how divine ancestry and dynastic ambition forged two of Africa’s greatest city-states. The past isn’t buried—it’s cast in bronze.