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Tinseltown rolled out its first ever red carpet for the world premiere of 'Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood' at Sid Grauman's brand-new Egyptian Theatre on 18th October, 1922. Searchlights, a medieval pageant and a speech from Charlie Chaplin added to what the LA Times termed "the night of nights!" Yet the Oscars didn't get a red carpet until 1961 - and viewers at home only saw that it was actually red once the ceremony was broadcast in colour, from 1966. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover the luxury train that rolled out the red carpet two decades before Hollywood; consider whether a doomed Greek king walked the very first one; and learn which US president may, or may not, have stepped off a riverboat onto one… Further Reading: • ‘The Hollywood Red Carpet Movie Premiere Turns 100’ (The Hollywood Reporter, 2022): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robin-hood-1922-movie-premiere-1235242865/ • ‘Where does the red carpet come from?’ (BBC Culture, 2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20160222-where-does-the-red-carpet-come-from • ‘25 Best Oscar Dresses Of All Time’ (Elle UK, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxQE3QgYw3M Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.  Edit producer: Amanda Whittington. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #Celebrity #20s #Film #Hollywood

Hollywood and fashion collide on the Oscars’ red carpet, but ‘who’ would Arion, Rebecca and Olly wear to the Academy Awards? They reveal all, in this bonus bit for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Thanks for supporting the show!

Wu Zetian became China's first and only female Emperor on 16th October, 655 - cementing an extraordinary rise from Concubine to Secretary to Consort to Queen. On the day of her coronation in 690, a massive earthquake rocked China, a supposed sign of divine disapproval. But Wu flipped the narrative, declaring that the upheaval was a blessing, a symbol of Buddhist paradise manifesting on earth.  Her path to power was unconventional, defying deeply entrenched Confucian ideals that regarded female rulers as unnatural, even catastrophic. It was a rise marked by brutal rivalries, during which she allegedly orchestrated the downfall of enemies, including her rival Empress Wang, and even faced accusations of murdering her own daughter to frame a competitor to the throne. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly weigh up the sexist commentary of the time with the genuine ruthlessness Wu seemed to display; explain how her all-male hareem helped bring about her downfall; and consider how, even as recently as 2014, she remains a controversial, sexualised and divisive figure in China… Further Reading: • ‘The First and Only Woman Emperor of China’ (Google Arts & Culture): https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-first-and-only-woman-emperor-of-china/PQWR-NRltC6QFA?hl=en • ’Empress Wu Zetian: The Only Woman To Rule China’ (HistoryExtra, 2023): https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/empress-wu-zetian-china-rule-life-reputation/ • ‘Wu Zetian: China's First & Only Female Emperor | Empress Who Ruled The World’ (Timeline, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeZ7esmQcm4 We'll be back on Monday - unless you join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!Plus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2024. #China #Sexism #Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Secret of Monkey Island, one of the best loved video games of the point-and-click era, was released on the 15th October, 1990, without, it must be said, a great deal of fanfare. Inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland and the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, the game was a swashbuckling piratical adventure which – unusually for gaming of the time – put laughs above thrills. Despite its initially mixed reaction, it went on to become a sleeper hit that a generation of gamers took to their hearts. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly investigate why George Lucas wasn't putting his new video games division to work publishing loads of Star Wars games; explain why it was important to Monkey Island's creators that their main character couldn't die; and find out whether the jokes Olly found hilarious as a ten-year-old are still as side-splittingly funny today… Further Reading: • ‘The Complete History Of Monkey Island’ (Time Extension, 2022): https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-complete-history-of-monkey-island • ‘What Is The Secret Of Monkey Island?’ (The Gamer, 2022): https://www.thegamer.com/monkey-island-secret-origins-mystery-answer/ • ‘The Secret of Monkey Island Longplay’ (AL82 Retrogaming Longplays, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgRIXntFhww&t=633s Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #Gaming #90s #Funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry Blair, the only inventor ever denoted as a ‘colored man’ in the records of US Patent Office, received a patent for his invention of a mechanical corn planter on 14th October, 1834. For decades, it was believed this was the first example of an African-American inventor receiving a US patent. The truth turns out to be more complex, and is touched by the legacy of slavery, legal reform, and black activism… but Thomas Jennings, the inventor of ‘dry scouring’ (an early instance of dry cleaning) registered his patent thirteen years earlier and is, probably, the true holder of the title. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look back over some of the most useful inventions contributed by American people of colour; explain why the rules over enslaved people’s intellectual property were so vague and unreliable; and reveal what it looked like when Thomas Jefferson fobs you off… Content Warning: racism, negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures Further Reading: • ‘Inventor Henry Blair and His Patents’ (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/inventor-henry-blair-1991284 • ‘Whose Patent is It?: American Patent Law Denies Slave Creativity’ (HistoryNet, 2017): https://www.historynet.com/whose-patent-is-it-american-patent-law-denies-slave-creativity/ • ‘Awesome Inventions by African Americans’ (SciShow, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56AwEjXzh-U Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2022. #1800s #Inventions #Africa #US Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On October 13th, 1881, the linguist and grammarian Eliezer Ben-Yehuda held what is thought to have been the first modern conversation in Hebrew with two friends at a Paris café. The conversation would have had some serious stumbling blocks, given that the language was still missing numerous modern words including bicycle, towel, and – crucially for being in a cafe – a word for coffee. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss the connection between Hebrew's revival and growing Jewish nationalism; look at the personal lengths Ben-Yehuda was willing to go to make the language take off, including speaking to his son exclusively in Hebrew; and explain why, in the early days, conversing in an ancient language must have been like speaking exclusively in David Bowie song lyrics… Further Reading: • ‘Revival of the Hebrew language’ (The Jerusalem Post, 2010): https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/jewish-news/this-week-in-history-revival-of-the-hebrew-language  • ‘How to revive an ancient language, according to 19th-century Hebrew and Persian revivalists’ (University of Washington, 2018): https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/israel-hebrew/reviving-hebrew-persian-ancient-languages-eliezer-ben-yehuda-manekji-limji-hataria/  • ‘Hebrew wasn’t spoken for 2,000 years. Here’s how it was revived’ (National Geographic, 2023): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/hebrew-wasnt-spoken-for-2000-years-heres-how-it-was-revived  • ‘The History & Revival of the Hebrew Language’ (Unpacked, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBiiad9fO-g  Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2023. #Religion #Jewish #France Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A grand, five-day bash to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, Munich’s first ‘Oktoberfest’ kicked off on October 12th, 1810, with an emphasis on horse races, folk costumes, and royal pageantry (rather than steins and sausages). Ludwig later admitted he’d chosen Therese for practical reasons, not passion - and proceeded to have plenty of affairs, including one with the infamous dancer Lola Montez, which helped bring an end to his reign. But the people adored Queen Therese, and continued to celebrate Oktoberfest annually, until it evolved into the world’s biggest beer festival. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover that lederhosen and dirndls aren’t as old as you might think they are; explain how the breweries came to dominate the festivities; and reveal just how many pounds of Swiss cheese those original revellers consumed… Further Reading: • ‘What is Oktoberfest—and why is it actually in September?’ (National Geographic, 2023): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/oktoberfest-munich-tradition-history • ‘Oktoberfest History: The First and the Worst’ (TIME, 2015): https://time.com/4065335/oktoberfest-history/ • ‘Bottoms Up - Oktoberfest 1957’ (British Pathé, 1957): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVQQDtUbBSs Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #Germany #1800s #Royals #Food Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do so many passengers crave one particular drink at 30,000 feet? There’s science in the choice, as Rebecca, Olly and Arion reveal, in this bonus bit exclusively for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Thanks for supporting the show! Further Reading: • ‘How airplane food goes from the kitchen to your flight’ (The Washington Post, 2019): https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/10/30/how-airplane-food-goes-kitchen-your-flight/

The world's first in-flight meal, a pre-packed lunch box sold for three shillings, made its debut on a London to Paris flight on 11th October, 1919.  The cabins were unpressurised, cold and noisy, and turbulence made eating a challenge, but in-flight meals soon grew grander. By 1927, passengers on Air Union's Paris to London service could enjoy lobster salad with champagne, and Pan Am later had Parisian restaurant Maxim's cater its first-class cabins.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover the 1958 "Sandwich War"; consider the high-flying diners who beat aeroplane passengers to lunch by over a century; and learn just how flimsy the furniture was in the pre-British Airways world… Further Reading: ‘How the Great Sandwich War of 1958 Changed the Way We Eat’ (TIME, 2015): https://time.com/4096427/great-sandwich-war-of-1958/ ‘Whatever happened to airline food? Why the golden age of airplane food disappeared’ (CNN, 2024): https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/11/business/airplane-food-travel ‘Richard Quest Explores the History of British Airways Menu Items’ (CNN, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daP3V3qFgzI Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.  Edit producer: Amanda Whittington. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #1910s #Food #UK

King Alexander of Yugoslavia embarked on a state visit to France on 9th October, 1934 – and was shockingly shot dead by an assassin in the crowd, the aftermath of which was captured by newsreels. Yugoslavia was a fractured country; an uneasy alliance between multiple peoples governed from Belgrade, and despised by extremist groups who wanted Macedonian independence. The assassin, Bulgarian revolutionary Chernozemski, was facilitated by Italy and Hungary, dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles and seeking influence in the Balkans – but this dark alliance was covered-up by France in an attempt to keep Mussolini on-side in upcoming battles against Hitler.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how King Alexander’s death symbolised the deep fractures about to engulf Europe; review the film footage that was sexed-up by American news agencies; and reveal why Alexander was so wary of Tuesdays… Further Reading: • ‘Balkan Terrorists’ (LIFE, 1934): https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SVEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54&dq=king+alexander+assassination+1934&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjW-bjO9rqIAxVEVkEAHeJoLGYQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=king%20alexander%20assassination%201934&f=false • ‘Alexander I of Yugoslavia assassinated’ (History Today, 2010): https://www.historytoday.com/archive/alexander-i-yugoslavia-assassinated#:~:text=He%20was%20a%2036-year-old%20Bulgarian%20who%20belonged%20to%20a%20Macedonian • ‘Assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia & Louis Barthou’ (British Pathé, 1934): https://youtu.be/6R3dVZdFxxo?si=pn4WAH0raAXLz9Lm We'll be back on Monday - unless you join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!Plus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world's oldest oldest continuously surviving constitution, was adopted in the tiny country of San Marino on 8th October, 1600. This was a good 187 years before the United States adopted its own constitution and, during his presidency, Abraham Lincoln frequently held San Marino up as the model of a government founded on republican principles. Such ongoing praise eventually earnt the US president honorary San Marino citizenship! In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what an "Extraordinarium" is;  discuss why most of the rest of the world had to wait almost two hundred years before they had their own constitutional moment; and reveal that the world's first parliament was created by vikings… Further Reading: • ‘The Constitution of San Marino-Oldest and Active written Constitution of the World’ (FYI, 2021): https://vocal.media/fyi/the-constitution-of-san-marino-oldest-and-active-written-constitution-of-the-world  • ‘San Marino is founded by Saint Marinus’ (The Centre of the Rule of Law, 2021): https://www.thecenterforruleoflaw.org/rule-of-law-blog/september-3-301-san-marino-one-of-the-smallest-nations-in-the-world-and-the-worlds-oldest-republic-still-in-existence-is-founded-by-saint-marinus-or-maybe-its-one-of-the-newest-nations-at-just-48-years-old-wait-what  • ‘Why is San Marino a country? - History of San Marino in 12 Minutes’ (Knowledgia, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxIV1IRMR4 Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Léon Gambetta took to the skies above Paris in a hot air balloon on October 7th, 1870, soaring over the enemy German soldiers that surrounded the city on his way to raise new armies to swing the Franco-Prussian war back in France’s favour. Perhaps ill-advisedly, the charismatic statesman shouted “Vive la République!” as he went, thus attracting enemy fire which punctured his balloon, but the escape was successful, ultimately landing in an oak tree in Tours. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how 150 years ago hot air balloons came to be thought of as a convenient emergency evacuation technology; mull why Paris at night is so very beautiful, even during a siege; and explain why in a crisis it is always good to have plenty of seamstresses around… Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world’s most famous cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, opened its doors in Paris on 6th October, 1889. Founded by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the club was originally called the Jardin de Paris and featured everything from art galleries to operettas, live tableau and an opium den. In the era of the Belle Epoque, however, the venue became most associated with the scandalous can-can dance, which actually originated in London but found its home in Montmartre. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how a giant stucco elephant became part of the opening attractions; recall what happened when the Prince of Wales, future Edward VII, went to check out the entertainment on offer; and unpick the notorious novelty act ‘Le Pétomane’ (Joseph Pujol), and his, um, unique control over airflow… Further Reading: • ’The original Moulin Rouge the year before it burned down and other historical images, 1890-1930’ (Rare Historical Photos): https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/original-moulin-rouge-1914/ • ‘Fart history? Joseph Pujol trumps them all’ (The Guardian, 2021): https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/aug/20/fart-history-joseph-pujol-trumps-them-all • ‘Moulin Rouge Paris’ (Explore France, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK7qVv-tNos Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monty Python’s Flying Circus made its TV debut, in a Sunday night graveyard slot on BBC 1, on 5th October, 1969. Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones - plucked from ITV kids show Do Not Adjust Your Set - were matched by BBC producers with the acerbic John Cleese and Graham Chapman from At Last The 1948 Show, and, surprisingly, American animator Terry Gilliam. The result was an unprecedentedly anarchic and volatile smorgasbord of innovative TV sketches. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover the turbulent relationship between the comedians and BBC bosses; reveal the location of the first official Python plaque; and consider how the troupe conquered America alongside that other distinctly British export, Benny Hill… Further Reading: • ‘Pythons anniversary: BBC bosses were not amused, memos reveal’ (The Times, 2019): https://www.thetimes.com/article/448ad6f6-e6f0-11e9-bc3e-661ff0438ed9 • ‘Monty Python’s greatest sketches’ (The Times, 2014): https://www.thetimes.com/article/0712ae77-7176-4b4d-9187-b2bad4018721 • ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Whither Canada’ (BBC, 1969): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COVycMEj1Pc Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #Funny #TV #UK #60s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Battle of Lake Poyang, one of the largest naval battles in history, reached its bloody conclusion on China's biggest freshwater lake on 4th October, 1363.  As the Mongol-founded Yuan dynasty crumbled, two rebel warlords fought to decide who would rule China next. One was Chen Youliang, a fisherman's son who had murdered his way to becoming Emperor of Han. The other was Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk, whose forces were heavily outnumbered. Chen's towering, multi-decked warships looked like city walls afloat. Zhu's nimble little boats harried them with gunpowder arrows, hand cannons and firebombs. When the wind turned, Zhu sent burning fire ships into Chen's tightly packed fleet, and several hundred vessels were lost.  After a month-long standoff, Chen's starving forces attempted a breakout. He was killed by an arrow, reportedly while peering out from his ship, and five years later Zhu founded the Ming dynasty. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover a medieval explosive with a wonderfully defeatist name; consider what a much-maligned 1990s action sequel can teach us about naval warfare; and reveal what rises from the depths of Lake Poyang when the waters run low... Further Reading: ‘From River Pirate to Ming Emperor’ (Naval History Magazine, 2010): https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2010/june/river-pirate-ming-emperor ‘Battle of Lake Poyang (1363)’ (Bruce A. Elleman, The Making of the Modern Chinese Navy, Anthem Press, 2019): https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/making-of-the-modern-chinese-navy/battle-of-lake-poyang-1363/D867DB972D2B8C9E3F4DA2E24F8EB9CA ‘400-year-old bridge shows face after water level drops’ (CGTN, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjuI_-0UxA Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.  Edit producer: Amanda Whittington. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. #Medieval #War #China