Podcast Episodes

Uncovering Berlin’s Wartime Past

Episode 257

Berlin is a city steeped in history, with its streets, buildings, and scars bearing witness to the dramatic events of the 20th century. From the rise and fall of the Third Reich to the Cold War divis…

Published on 6 months ago

Bomber Command Minelaying Operations

Episode 256

Aerial mining by RAF Bomber Command played a crucial role in the Allied war effort, sinking far more Axis shipping than direct attacks by either Coastal Command or Bomber Command itself. Minelaying o…

Published on 6 months ago

Caen, Cobra and Confusion

Episode 255

General Montgomery was a complex figure, and his legacy remains the subject of debate among historians. In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Harrison, author of Caen, Cobra and Confusion, to examin…

Published on 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Macau

Episode 254

In this episode, we discuss the role of Macau, the Portuguese colony in South China, and the experiences of John Reeves, the British Consul stationed there.

Despite Portugal's official neutrality, Ma…

Published on 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Fortress Britain

Episode 253

Alone, unprepared, and weak—these are the words often used to describe Britain's position in 1940, a narrative that has persisted since the end of World War II. But is that the whole truth? The reali…

Published on 7 months ago

Canadian Airmen in the Battle of Britain

Episode 252

In 1940, for 113 harrowing days, Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe unleashed relentless attacks on Great Britain, aiming to secure an early victory in World War II.

The defence of southern England fell to the…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Fighting Vichy from Horseback

Episode 251

In 1939, incredibly, the British Army still fielded cavalry units that had yet to be mechanised, relying on horses as they prepared for war. When conflict broke out, these regiments—many of them Terr…

Published on 8 months ago

The Home Intelligence Unit

Episode 250

During the Second World War, the Home Intelligence Unit—a branch of the Ministry of Information—was tasked with monitoring public attitudes on the home front. They compiled confidential reports on th…

Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Private Snafu

Episode 249

Today, I’m joined by Peter Zablocki, a professor at Caldwell University, host of the History Shorts podcast, and author of The Death of General Sikorski.

I was introduced to Peter after I recorded t…

Published on 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Patton and the Battle of the Bulge

Episode 248

In this episode, I’m joined by acclaimed historian and bestselling author Alex Kershaw to explore one of the most pivotal moments of the Second World War: the Battle of the Bulge.

This December marks…

Published on 9 months ago