American power today echoes the kingdoms of Europe, the Mongol khans, and even the emperors of Rome.
In this episode, we tell the story of the US. Hear the sounds of the first humans to settle in the vast wilderness of North America. Discover the rise and fall of native civilisations, hear how the Vikings crossed the Atlantic, and learn why the first American powers fell to European expansion. Delve into America’s long history of democracy, of devastating wars, of nuclear weapons, of the long and unstoppable rise of its immense power. And look down the murky paths of the future: the path of a republic, and the path of a terrifying empire.
Why exactly is the US so powerful? What can the empires of the past tell us about how, one day, the US might fall?