Ep25 – Major General Nugent, the Ulster Division and their army commanders in 1916 – Nicholas Perry
Nicholas Perry talks on ‘After the battle: Nugent, the Ulster Division and their Army commanders in 1916’. This was a lecture given at the 2016 […]
Book Review – O. Bartov, Hitler’s Army (Cambridge, Ma., 1996)
Omer Bartov’s book on the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front during the Second World War remains a classic on the role of ideology in combat […]
Ep24 – The First Battle of the Scarpe (Arras) April 1917 – Jim Smithson
Jim Smithson discusses his latest book A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe April 9-14 1917 (Solihull: Helion 2017 (Wolverhampton Military Studies)) […]
Book Review: S. Miles, The Western Front, Landscape, Tourism and Heritage (Barnsley, 2016)
Stephen Miles’ book examines how tourism to the Western Front has developed over the last century.
Ep23 – The Auxiliaries in Ireland’s War of Independence – Paul O’Brien
Military historian Paul O’Brien discusses his new book Havoc on the role and impact of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary during the […]
Book Review: N. Lloyd, Passchendaele: A New History (London, 2017)
Nick Lloyd’s new book covers the controversial Third Ypres campaign giving a valuable and unique insight into the both the allied and Germans experiences.
Ep22 – Donegall Pass Heroes of the Great War Project – Ron McMurray
Ron McMurray from the Donegall Pass Heroes of the Great War Project explains the community based initiative that has been used to discover the stories […]
Ep21 – Jutland and the Meaning of Victory – Prof Andrew Lambert
This recording is of a talk given by Professor Andrew Lambert, King’s College London, to the Antrim and Down WFA branch Somme Conference last October […]
Book Review: J. Hockey, Squaddies: Portrait of a Subculture (Exeter, 1986)
John Hockey’s book is a ground breaking insight into the life, culture and experience of the British Army infantry private in the late 20th Century.
Ep20 – Sniping in the Great War – Martin Pegler
Martin Pegler, former Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries, discusses sniping and field-craft in the First World War (his book, Sniping in the […]
Book review: J. Fennell, Combat and Morale in the North African Campaign (Cambridge, 2013)
In his admirable 2011 book, Jonathan Fennell argues that the morale of the British Eighth Army during the summer of 1942 reached a ‘crisis’ but […]
Ep19 – Animals in the Great War – Lucinda Moore
Lucinda Moore, a picture researcher at the Mary Evans Picture Library, discusses her new book Animals in the Great War (published by Pen & Sword).
Book Review: J.A. Frank & G.A. Reaves, “Seeing the Elephant”: Raw Recruits at the Battle of Shiloh (Westport, Conn., 1989)
This excellent book examines the morale, attitudes and experience of Confederate and Union soldiers who fought at the Battle of Shiloh. It follows their journey […]
Ep18 – Passchendaele – Dr Nick Lloyd
Dr Nick Lloyd, from King’s College London, discusses the Battle of Third Ypres and his new book Passchendaele, A New History (published by Viking Penguin).
Book review – J. McPherson, For Cause and Comrades, Why Men Fought in the Civil War (Baton Rouge, Lo., 1994)
Professor James McPherson makes a convincing case on the importance of ideology and political belief in the explaining why 3 million Americans enlisted, fought and […]
Ep17 – Psychological survival in the trenches – Dr Peter Hodgkinson
Clinical psychologist Dr Peter Hodgkinson discusses his latest book Glum Heroes (published by Helion & Co.) on how soldiers coped with the psychological stress and strain of trench warfare during […]
Ep16 – The Myths of the Irish at Messines – Dr Tim Bowman
Dr Tim Bowman, University of Kent, gives a guest lecture at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast to mark the centenary of […]
Book Review – V. Wilcox, Morale and the Italian Army during the First World War (Cambridge, 2016)
Vanda Wilcox’s book is an important contribution to the understanding of the Italian army in the Great War and also to explaining how morale functions in […]
Ep15 – The Island of Ireland and the Great War in Flanders – Piet Chielens from In Flanders Fields Museum
Piet Chielens, the Coordinator of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, gives a guest lecture at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in […]
Book Review – S. Rabalais, General Fox Conner, Pershing’s Chief of Operations and Eisenhower’s Mentor (Havertown, Pa., 2016)
Steven Rabalais’ fascinating biography is the first to cover the life of US army officer Fox Conner (1874-1951). Connor served as ‘Black’ Jack Pershing’s Chief […]
Ep14 – General Fox Conner and the American Expeditionary Force in WW1 – Steven Rabalais
Steven Rabalais talks about his biography of General Fox Conner (published by Casemate) who was the American Expeditionary Force during the Great War and was […]
Ep13 – The Great War tea stall at Peterborough East Station
Beverly Jones, from Peterborough Archives Service, talks about the research into two visitors’ books from a tea stall run by the Women’s United Total Abstinence […]
Ep12 – The Diary of a Belgian Priest – 1917 with the British in Ypres – Dominiek Dendooven
Dominiek Dendooven, from the In Flanders Fields museum, discusses the recently published 1917 diary of Belgian priest Achiel Van Walleghem, who was based near Ypres […]
Ep11 – Winning with Laughter – Cartoonists in the Great War – Luci Gosling
Luci Gosling, from the Mary Evans Picture Library, discusses a talk she gave to the WFA’s AGM in Newcastle on cartoons, cartoonists and the Great […]
Ep10 – Battlefield tourism on the Western Front – Dr Stephen Miles
Dr Stephen Miles discusses battlefield tourism on the Western Front based on his new book The Western Front : Landscape, Tourism and Heritage, published by […]
Ep9 – Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps – Dr Samantha Philo-Gill
Dr Samantha Philo-Gill discusses her new book on the formation, role and legacy of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (published by Pen & Sword).
Ep8 – The Great War’s influence on popular music – Dr Peter Grant
Dr Peter Grant discusses how the Great War has shaped and provided inspiration for modern pop bands, heavy metal and contemporary classical music.
Book Review: R. Engen, Strangers in Arms (Montreal, 2016)
Historian Robert Engen’s book convincingly explains what motivated Canadian soldiers to fight and endure during the Second World War campaigns of Sicily, Italy, Normandy and […]
One Parish at War – Lydbury North in the Great War
In Lydbury North’s parish church, there is an amazing publication titled ‘War Record’, produced by the parish after the Great War that sets out the […]
Book Review: D. Bird, The Spirit of the Troops is Excellent, The 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders in the Great War 1914 – 1919 (Moray, 2008)
Derek Bird’s chronological account of the 1/6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, in the Great War is a solid unit history.
Ep7 – Irish Soldiers in 1917 – Philip Pratley
Philip Pratley talks about ‘Irish Soldiers One Year On: The Changes of 1917 ’, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History […]
Ep6 – British Staff in 1917 – Dr Paul Harris
Dr Paul Harris talks about ‘The British Army Staff System in 1917′, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for Military History conference […]
Ep5 – French tanks in 1917 – Dr Tim Gale
Dr Tim Gale talks about ‘The development of French armoured warfare doctrine in 1917 ’, a lecture from the joint WFA and British Commission for […]
Ep4 – The Honourable Artillery Company in 1917 – Michael Orr
Michael Orr talks about ‘Bunny & his artillery company: Command and Morale in 2nd Battalion Honourable Artillery Company in 1917’, a lecture from the joint […]
Ep3 – Stately Homes and Cartoons in WW1
This episode looks at the new research on the Great War from the University of Kent. PhD students Jack Davies tells about his research into […]
Book Review: G. Book Review: G. Sheffield, Forgotten Victory: The First World War: Myths and Realities (London, 2001)
Gary Sheffield’s Forgotten Victory still remains mandatory reading for those seeking to understand the First World War and Britain’s role in that conflict.
Book Review: S. Sandford, Neither Unionist or Nationalist, the 10th Irish Division in the Great War (Irish Academic Press, 2015)
Stephen Sandford’s excellent book on the 10th (Irish) Division is an in-depth study of the unit’s formation, its social composition, leadership and its service in […]
Ep1 – Mentioned in Dispatches Ep.1
This episode comes from HMS Caroline, the last remaining warship that fought at the 1916 Battle of Jutland. We also interview historian Gavin Hughes on […]
Ep2 – Mentioned in Dispatches Ep2
We hear from historians Steven Barker and Jack Sheldon on how combatants learnt lessons from the Battle of the Somme. We also discuss with psychologist Peter Hodgkinson his latest book Glum Heroes on psychological […]
The Battle of the Somme: laboratory for final victory or ‘nothing achieved’?
This paper examines the effect combat experience, gained on the Somme, had on the military effectiveness of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) for the remainder […]
The Memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road, South Kensington
Holy Trinity church in Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, London, has a striking war memorial to its 43 parishioners who fought and fell during the […]
Remembering the Unknown Warrior, 10 November 2016
On 10th November I attended the commemoration of the Unknown Warrior at Victoria Station. The service opened with a short narration and was followed by […]
Reflecting on the Cenotaph, 11 November 2016
This year’s remembrance commemoration saw the usual round of well-worn media debates on whether people should wear a poppy, what colour it should be : […]