Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Lin Yutang: My Country, My People

In 1935, the Chinese author Lin Yutang offered Westerners an insider’s guide to China's society. It endures today despite his own cultural contradictions.

Lin Yutang: My Country, My People
Audio, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah and Chris Stewart of The History of China Podcast ask the question, "Is this America's Cultural Revolution moment?"

Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?
Contemporary China, Audio
Jeremiah Jenne
Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

Our latest episode explores jazz in China—from its revival in 1980s Beijing to today's talented performers. David Moser discusses how musicians with limited recordings mastered the medium and laid the groundwork for generations of skilled jazz players from China.

Experiencing the World of Jazz in China
History, Travel
Jeremiah Jenne
Phoenicians and Fish Sauce on the Costa del Sol

Jeremiah heads to Malaga where he inexplicably becomes obsessed with the history of an ancient condiment

Phoenicians and Fish Sauce on the Costa del Sol
Book Reviews, History
Jeremiah Jenne
Reginald Johnston: Twilight in the Forbidden ...

A Scotsman’s memoir of tutoring Puyi, China’s “last emperor,” is more than just court gossip — it’s a tantalizing portrait of China’s imperial trappings.

Reginald Johnston: Twilight in the Forbidden City

Audio

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Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?

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Is this America's Cultural Revolution Moment?

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Jeremiah and Chris Stewart of The History of China Podcast ask the question, "Is this America's Cultural Revolution moment?"

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Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

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Experiencing the World of Jazz in China

Our latest episode explores jazz in China—from its revival in 1980s Beijing to today's talented performers. David Moser discusses how musicians with limited recordings mastered the medium and laid the groundwork for generations of skilled jazz players from China.

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The Challenges of Foreign Reporting in China: An In-Depth Discussion with Jane Perlez

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The Challenges of Foreign Reporting in China: An In-Depth Discussion with Jane Perlez

Jeremiah and David welcome Jane Perlez, former Beijing bureau chief for the New York Times. Jane reflects on shifts in media freedom and the challenges faced by reporters covering China. Her podcast series on U.S.-China relations, "Face Off," launches its second season this week.

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Shalama: An Epic Story of Family, Community, and Survival in Republican-era China

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Shalama: An Epic Story of Family, Community, and Survival in Republican-era China

On our latest episode, discover the incredible story of community, hope, and survival in Republican China as Jean Hoffman Lewanda discusses her new book, Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China. Listen now for one family's epic journey through tumultuous times.

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Where have all the American China Experts Gone?

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Where have all the American China Experts Gone?

Professor Rory Truex of Princeton discusses the decline of US-China academic exchange post-COVID, the challenges of research in China's current environment, the Trump administration's potential impact on educational programs and perceptions of exchange students as security risks.

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Laws of the Land: Feng Shui in Chinese History

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Laws of the Land: Feng Shui in Chinese History

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, Tristan Brown discusses his award-winning book on how feng shui in the Qing era had less to do with furniture placement and was more about power, belonging, and control of spaces in a rapidly evolving society.

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What can the end of the Ming Dynasty tell us about the election of Donald Trump and what comes next

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What can the end of the Ming Dynasty tell us about the election of Donald Trump and what comes next

Trump's re-election disappointed many in the U.S. and abroad. To help them process, Jeremiah and David talk with literary translator and Pennsylvania voter Brendan O’Kane about Zhang Dai, the Ming-Qing transition, and living through an age of upheaval.

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Historical Battles: Rewriting China's Past to Shape the Future

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Historical Battles: Rewriting China's Past to Shape the Future

Jeffrey Wasserstrom joins Barbarians at the Gate to discuss the legacy of the Hong Kong protests, Xi Jinping’s patriotic education law, and how Beijing’s control over historical narratives is reshaping academic engagement with China.

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Dan Snow's History Hit: The Creation of the People's Republic of China

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Dan Snow's History Hit: The Creation of the People's Republic of China

How China transitioned from imperial rule to Chinese Socialism and all about the key characters whose opposing visions for China's future created so much chaos along the way.

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Back to School 2: The View from the EU

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Back to School 2: The View from the EU

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David and I welcome Kārlis Rokpelnis to discuss the decline in student exchanges in China and contrast U.S. and European approaches to relations with China and the promotion of study abroad in the PRC.

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Back to School

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Back to School

David and Jeremiah discuss Chinese students studying in the US, the cautious return of Americans to China, and lament the lack of nuance in reactions to Tim Walz’s China ties. They also give their takes on UNESCO status for Beijing's Central Axis.

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Edge of Empire with author and journalist Edward Wong

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Edge of Empire with author and journalist Edward Wong

In this episode of Barbarians at the Gates, Edward Wong of the New York Times joins David and me to discuss Ed's new book, At the Edge of Empire. We discuss frontiers, what the Qing Dynasty means for China, and the different generational perspectives on China's recent past.

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What happens after a Barbarian walks away from the Gate?

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What happens after a Barbarian walks away from the Gate?

On the latest episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David Moser and I discuss new directions. We reflect on our COVID-era episodes, discuss the current situation on academic exchanges in China with cautious optimism, and outline future plans for the pod.

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The Mountains are High

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The Mountains are High

On the latest episode of Barbarians at the Gate, David and I welcome back author (and friend of the podcast) Alec Ash to talk about Dali, rural escapism in China today, and his latest book, The Mountains Are High.

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Exile from Expat-Ville

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Exile from Expat-Ville

David and Jeremiah speak with Mike Wester about running @thebeijinger, organizing the “Safe and Sane” communities during the pandemic, and the future of expats in Beijing. Also, Jeremiah surprises David and Mike with an announcement.

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History Wars: The PRC pushes back against unsanctioned views of the past

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History Wars: The PRC pushes back against unsanctioned views of the past

David and I discuss what's going on with the Qing history project, a controversy about Genghis Khan in France, and how PRC continues punching back against potentially problematic pasts.

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A Career of Change Making: A Conversation with Isabel Nepstad of Bellaterra Consulting

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A Career of Change Making: A Conversation with Isabel Nepstad of Bellaterra Consulting

Isabel Nepstad, CEO of BellaTerra Consluting, takes time out of her busy schedule to drop by the Barbarians at the Gate studio to share her career journey, give advice to those looking to pursue their professional lives in China and discuss the challenges and opportunities in the environmental and agricultural sectors in China and around the world.

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