When Montgomery was at college, he decided to study the Chinese language. "My friends laughed at my decision. Just like most Americans, they didn't know much about China then. Who knew what China would become in the 21st century?" he says.
To find a China-related job after graduating from university, he became a businessman related to US-China trade. Traveling and meeting people in different parts of China, he found that the more he learned about China, the more he was attracted by its history and culture.
When he found that there was no English podcast (播客) about Chinese history in 2010, he decided to launch one himself. He worked from home using very simple recording and editing facilities. Each of the half-hour episodes (集) took him 18 to 20 hours to research, write, record and edit.
"China has a great history. I try to get more Americans to appreciate it," says Montgomery. "There are many topics to talk about. I use my common sense to feel what will be interesting to most people."
His China History Podcast is now downloaded 1.5 million times a year, with audience from the United States, China and other countries.
"I downloaded a few episodes and discovered that they were perfect for those days when I drove a long distance. It turned the boring hours into enjoyable learning experiences," says Seligman, 62, an author who spent eight years in China. "Montgomery brings Chinese history and culture to life in a completely new way. As you listen, you often get the impression that he was a witness (见证者) to the events he described," says Seligman.
Many overseas Chinese are grateful to Montgomery for reconnecting them with their ancestral roots. And to his surprise, local Chinese are also welcoming the show as a great resource for learning English.
"After more than 25 years doing sales and marketing of ‘made in China' products, I've now become a sort of a salesman of Chinese history," says Montgomery.
