History Book Club

Today the bestselling author Damien Lewis joins to discuss Special Forces ops in the Second World War, including the SAS, the SBS and the little known Greek version, the Sacred Squadron. Added to that we chat the latest news on Paddy Mayne, one of the originators of the SAS and then, as you heard at the top, we discuss the ongoing lawfare, as the British government seeks to pursue army veterans in the courts, for ops carried out during the Troubles. Damien gives his view. Damien Lewis Links SAS Great Escapes 5 Sacred Squadron on YT Write to your MP Damien Lewis Events ⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On 22 November 1963 at 1230 in the afternoon, shots fired out a President Kennedy’s motorcade in downtown Dallas, Texas. Now, we all know it was definitely Lee Harvey Oswald from the Book Depository with a rifle and a magic bullet but, what about the witnesses? There were a collection of intriguing and disparate characters in Dealey Plaza that day, and I’m speaking with the man who has written about them. Martin Fitzgerald is a long time expert on the assassination, and he’s written a book about the interesting stories related to but not all about grassy knolls and second shooters. He joins me for a chat about one of the most talked about events of the 20th century. Martin Fitzgerald Links The Umbrella Man & Other Stories The Men Who Killed Kennedy (YT) History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you been hearing about the shortcomings of the British military? Were you following the painful and depressing journey of seemingly the only warship in the Royal Navy, HMS Dragon? Well today I have a conversation with a naval historian and military strategist, Andrew Lambert, who has written No More Napoleons, a book on the 19th century when Britain neutralised European threats. We discuss the figures such as Wellington and Palmerston who executed a well thought out and realistic national strategy, and we contrast that with recent failures of politicians and military leaders and the state of strategic thought today. Andrew Lambert Links No More Napoleons⁠ ⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cambridge Spy Ring has cast a shadow over the British establishment since the exposure of Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess in 1951. Along with Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross, they gave a vast amount of secrets to the Soviets, particularly during the Second World War when Stalin had allied with Hitler until 1941. Antonia Senior, author of a new book on the Cambridge 5, Stalin’s Apostles, joins to discuss their treachery, who they really harmed, and whether there is any romantic notion to their espionage driven by ideology. Antonia Senior Links Stalin's Apostles History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Titanic Links Five Titanic myths spread by films ⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Awards Best Performance Most Egregious Overracting Biggest Plot Flaw Historical Inaccuracy What if Tarantino Made It? Who won the film? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are now in an age of nuclear uncertainty, as wars have broken out around the globe and great powers realign. Britain is apparently a nuclear power but relies on the United States for its deterrant, and should the worst happened, would the Prime Minister really authorise a launch of the trident missiles? And what about the number of nukes? There are over 10,000 in the world today, but should there be? Joining today is David Holloway, author of Nuclear Weapons: An International History, as we discuss bombs in the 20th century, and more recently, and I ask the questions that perhaps you always wanted to, such as why are there so many of the damn things? David Holloway Links Nuclear Weapons: An International History Link to the Wargame discussed ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Themistocles was a leading Athenian politician and general in the early 5th Century. He fought at Marathon in 490BC, and played a leading role during the Greco-Persian Wars and was the lead admiral at the Battle of Salamis in 480BC when the Persians were defeated, thus ending their chance of conquering Greece. But it was his decision in the intervening years between Marathon and Salamis to direct the revenue gained from silver mines at Laurium that would set Athens on a course that would lead to its Empire, war with Sparta, and the Classical Age which saw Pericles’ building programme including the Parthenon. Michael Scott joins, Professor of Ancient history at my old university Warwick, author of a new book, Themistocles: The Rise and Fall of Athens’ Naval Mastermind. Michael Scott Links Themistocles: The Rise and Fall of Athens’ Naval Mastermind ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The great historian Antony Beevor joins today to discuss his new book, Rasputin, so we talk the mad monk, Russia then and now and Putin’s grip on history. Antony Beevor Links Rasputin And the Downfall of the Romanovs ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the first movie to appear on the History Book Club pod. It's the greatest naval film of all time, the Russell Crowe flick, Master & Commander. In this episode we discuss the lesser of two weevils, cowardly French, the better of two Maxes and much much more. Master & Commander Links ⁠Bixby Letter⁠⁠⁠James Holland on Saving Private Ryan ⁠⁠Our Awards Best Performance Most Egregious Overracting Biggest Plot Flaw Historical Inaccuracy What if Tarantino Made It? Who won the film? ⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A quick bonus for my club members. There has been talk among certain literati that podcasts are replacing books. This is a chat with Roger and Antonia where we address the question head on. Do get in touch I’d love to hear from you. Ukraine Links ⁠⁠⁠Convoy for Ukraine, run by my friend Ian Wilson-Young⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Troubles may be over, but the legacy lives on, as ongoing legal cases revive past incidents, but one area that has continued to capture the imagination of those interested in this period of British and Irish history is Bandit Country. That is South Armagh and the IRA’s relatively successful campaign against the British Army. Toby Harnden joins today as we talk about his book, published in 1999 but republished recently and the seminal account of the South Armagh Brigade of the IRA throughout the Troubles. We kick off the chat over whether podcasts are replacing books. Toby Harnden Links Bandit Country: The IRA & South Armagh Ukraine Links ⁠⁠⁠Convoy for Ukraine, run by my friend Ian Wilson-Young⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Europe is in a bit of a fix, with a belligerent Russia to its East, and the traditional ally and protector disinterested to the West, governments are only starting to think about maybe increasing defence spending. In Britain, we are behind our continental allies and still trying to find excuses not to improve defence capability. So who better to get on than a former General, Barney White-Spunner, who has written a book about five armies that saved Europe (spoiler alert, one of them is American), and so we chat about what that means for the present. BWS Links Nations in Arms: Five Armies That Made Europe Ukraine Links ⁠⁠Convoy for Ukraine, run by my friend Ian Wilson-Young⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Herodotus is known as the father of history, and the next historian out the blocks, Thucydides, took the idea, and it was very much an idea in infancy, and produced a work that is still discussed by politicians and generals 2,500 years later. There is a new translation of the History of the Peloponnesian War by the great translator Robin Waterfield, and he enters the club with historian Polly Low to discuss Thucydides, his style as a historian, the Peloponnesian War and plenty more. Thucydides Links The History of the Peloponnesian War, Translated by Robin Waterfield Ukraine Links ⁠Convoy for Ukraine, run by my friend Ian Wilson-Young⁠ ⁠⁠History Book Club Shop⁠⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode is a subject that has been prominent in the last few years, the Atlantic slave trade, and today’s book, Survivors is a quite brilliant one that focusses on one voyage in particular, the Clotilda. Joining is Hannah Durkin who tells the harrowing tail of one boat’s enslaved people, from when they are capture in West Africa, through to their journey across the Atlantic, to Mobile Alabama, and then the story of the descendants. Hannah Durkin Links Survivors: A History of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade Ukraine Links Convoy for Ukraine, run by my friend Ian Wilson-Young ⁠History Book Club Shop⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the first movie to appear on the History Book Club pod. It's perhaps the most influential film to depict combat in the last thirty years. Steven Spielberg's epic captures the pathos of warfare. In this episode we discuss Saving Private Ryan Links Bixby Letter ⁠James Holland on Saving Private Ryan⁠ Our Awards Best Performance Most Egregious Overracting Biggest Plot Flaw Historical Inaccuracy What if Tarantino Made It? Who won the film? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are going back to late 17th and early 18th century Britain, a time when politics as we recognise today was formed: the development of the party system – Whigs and Tories, The Act of Union with Scotland, and foreign wars often unpopular at home. Joining me, is George Owers, and as you heard he describes a fantastic romp through the period, which is the subject of his book The Rage of Party. George Owers Links Rage of Party: How Whig Versus Tory Made Modern Britain Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The History Book Club is staying with the 20th century as we discuss the V-Force, the aircraft best exemplified by the Vulcan which was the plane that played a huge role in the James Bond film, Thunderball. It was a remarkably beautiful engineering feat, that remains an iconic vision of where British design and science was at in the 1950s. It was capable of flying vast distances where it was intended to deliver its payload, a nuclear bomb. Perhaps its most well-known mission was a bombing run during the Falklands War in 1982. Jonathan Glancey joins the club – he’s an aircraft enthusiast, writer on architecture as well as being a thoroughly interesting chap with a lovely voice so we talk about British produced bombers and fighters produced post-war. Jonathan Glancey Links V-Force: Britain's Nuclear Bombers and the Cold War⁠ Vulcan barrel roll, Farnborough 1955 Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠Substack⁠ ⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠ ⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After last week’s episode on the Iranian Revolution, I wanted to stay with the 1970s, and so Jason Burke joins me to discuss terrorism during the period, and specifically the Red Army Faction and Palestinian paramilitaries who would cooperate throughout the decade. This is an era when air travel was luxurious, booze sodden and fun – not like now sadly. Another element of flying back then was the very real risk that a couple of hairy Baader Meinhof gang members would hijack your plane, having waltzed through lax security. Jason is the author of The Revolutionists and he joins to discuss the ideologies as well as characters such as Carlos the Jackal, Leila Khaled and Ulrike Meinhof. Jason Burke The Revolutionists Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠Substack⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As you may be aware, there is an uprising across Iran, and the government has lost the bazaars due to economic collapse. The Bazaars are the middle class shops, and their owners an important demographic in a country like Iran. The last time this happened, the Shah fled and regime we see today took power. Joining me is Scott Anderson, the author of King of Kings, as we discuss the revolution, its participants, the US administration’s involvement, the Shah and where we see the future, though with the strong caveat that this discussion took place before the current demonstrations. Scott AndersonKing of Kings: The Fall of the Shah, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Unmaking of the Modern Middle East Latest news from Iran: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3kl56z2l4o Oliver Webb-Carter Links Substack Who Cares Who Wins? Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor X Instagram Email me: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices