WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

“We love fighting. Fighting is a grand sport.” For so much of the war, the vicious fighter planes that we obsess over to this day were being mis-used. In a new epic seven-part series inspired by the release of ‘Masters Of The Air’ on AppleTV, Al Murray and James Holland tell the true story of the Mighty 8th - one of the most courageous units in the USAAF. In today’s episode, Al Murray and James Holland trace the birth of Fighter Command and the birth of the iconic P-51 Mustang. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Day bombing is the bold, the aggressive, the offensive thing to do. “It is the method and the practice which will put the greatest pressure on Germany, work the greatest havoc to his wartime industry and the greatest reduction to this air force.” General Ira Eaker was determined for his USAAF to bomb Germany during the day and specifically industrial targets. Why did he disagree with Bomber Harris - and would the benefit of bombing factories outweigh the growing butcher’s bill of American pilots? In a new epic seven-part series inspired by the release of ‘Masters Of The Air’ on AppleTV, Al Murray and James Holland tell the true story of the Mighty 8th - one of the most courageous units in the USAAF. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Your friends and comrades that have been lost and that will be lost today are depending on you. Their sacrifice must not be in vain. “Good luck. Good shooting and good bombing.” These were the final words of General Fred Anderson of the Eighth Air Force before sending his men to Schweinfurt on the 14th October 1943. The mission became known as Black Thursday. In a new epic seven-part series inspired by the release of ‘Masters Of The Air’ on AppleTV, Al Murray and James Holland tell the true story of the Mighty 8th - one of the most courageous units in the USAAF. Today, Al Murray and James Holland detail the horror of Black Thursday, and the birth of the Bomber Mafia and The Eight Airforce. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JOIN ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/we-have-ways/id6475583516 JOIN ON PATREON: patreon.com/wehaveways On Tuesday, we're launching our first major podcast series of the year. It’s all about the build up and result of Big Week, the largest air assault in human history- featuring thousands of crews battling over the skies of Nazi Germany. We’re following a single group of men the whole way through - The Mighty Eighth. Join our member's clubs today to receive all SEVEN episodes of The Mighty Eighth tomorrow morning in you feed. APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/we-have-ways/id6475583516 PATREON: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special preview of the landmark new Apple TV series 'Masters Of The Air', Al Murray and James Holland speak to the show's co-executive producer and writer, - John Orloff. Based off the book of the same name by Donald L. Miller, 'Masters Of The Air' is the story of the 100th Bomb Group and their incredible bravery throughout the latter stages of the Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final episode of Al Murray and James Holland's naval odyssey, they document the final hours of the mighty Scharnhorst. Was it British Naval excellence, or German incompetence that sunk the infamous vessel? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was more significant for America in the 20th century - the crushing of Nazism in Europe, or their multiple campaigns for democracy across Asia? Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus answer this, plus explore the delicate balance of supply and demand achieved during the Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christmas Eve 1943, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser and the men of Convoy JW55B are in a tense holding pattern up against the Nazi U-boats. Al Murray and James Holland document the final days before The Battle Of The North Cape, and the sinking of the infamous Scharnhorst. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most dramatic naval battles of the Second World War - high in the Arctic Circle on Boxing Day, 1943. Al Murray and James Holland set sail for another Naval adventure as they track the sinking of the mighty Scharnhorst. Setting the scene for the Boxing Day 1943 battle - the boys lay out the need for the Arctic Convoy, the characters involved, and ask a question that has vexed many ever since: was the Scharnhorst a battleship or a battlecruiser? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Holland and John McManus review the war in the Pacific 1944 - the year in which the US truly becomes the most powerful nation in the world. John discusses the duplicitous nature of America's relationship with China and how the differing aims of MacArthur and Stilwell creates so much tension in the Pacific. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: [email protected] Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the Allies' experience of fighting in the mountains of Italy in the brutal winter of 1943’ - especially the horrendous conditions in San Pietro and Monte Sammucro. John details the evolution of fighting under the cover of darkness, and the dangers it entails. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland discuss the beauty of naval acronyms, the fine details of the Eureka signal and the myth of Kesselring's fine war record. They also look into General Mark Clark's blistering letters, in which he calls for total destruction of the German war machine. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland are joined by academic and author Jonathan Fennell at St Edmund Hall bar to talk about their writing processes. From operating archives in China and Russia, finding the truth in primary sources and the best tips and tricks on Microsoft Word - we get into the detail of how to write a bestseller. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the White Rose group become the defining figures of Nazi resistance after the Second World War? Al Murray and James Holland speak to Oxford's Dr Alexandra Lloyd about her research on the White Rose, and the problematic legacy of remembrance for Germany. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland are joined by friend of the show, historian Rowland White, to talk about the most legendary aircraft of the Second World War - the de Havilland Mosquito - but also about the extraordinary men who flew, the largely forgotten but incredible story of Danish resistance, and one of the most extraordinary raids of the entire war: Operation CARTHAGE. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The final chapter of our Convoys series sees Al Murray and James Holland recount the final days of Convoy HX231 and the harrowing stories of those that did not survive the crossing. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From using cod psychology to predict battle fatigue to the enormous blood drives in 1945 - Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the ways in which the US forces mastered medicine during the Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The horror of the Atlantic convoy comes into razor sharp focus when Convoy HX231 comes into contact with the Nazi Wolfpack. In the ultimate game of cat and mouse, can the ships make it to Liverpool in one piece? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does a Sherman tank get from the US to a battlefield in Western Europe, and who decides how many get sent? James Holland and John McManus get deep into the logistics of the Second World War and how it gave the Allies the edge in the 1944. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the 31st of March 1943 and Convoy HX231 sets off from New York. Sir Charles Ramsey is the commodore of the convoy but he is low on ships for protection - will they get across the Atlantic without being pounced upon by the Nazi Wolfpack? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The existence of African-American soldiers has all but been erased from the popular narrative of the Second World War. James Holland and John McManus speak to the esteemed writer and academic Matthew Delmont to help explain how the experience of nearly a million black men on the front line impact the outcome of the war, but also laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement in the latter half of the 20th century. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first of a three part series, Al Murray and James Holland discuss the journey of Convoy HX231. Today, they chat about the build up to its launch from New York in March 1943 - including how Atlantic convoys were set up during the Second World War and the ever present threat of the Nazi Wolfpack. We Have Ways Fest is back! Tickets for 2024 available at wehavewaysfest.co.uk A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the deadly battle on Tarawa. A close quarters and bloody fight for a small atoll in the central Pacific Why was it so brutal, and how did their leaders convince the counterparts to fight to the last man? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland catch up on their latest research and after some revelatory peering down rabbit holes look back to this week in 1943 to explore the war in Italy, the role of Charles De Gaulle in Lebanon, the birth of the United Nations and the complexity of the Cairo Conference. Tickets for We Have Ways Fest 2024 are on sale now! Find out more now... wehavewaysfest.co.uk A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland speak to actress, comedian and political campaigner Suzy Eddie Izzard about their lifelong love for the Second World War. In another jam-packed episode of war waffle, Suzy discusses the difference between performing stand up in Germany and France, playing a Nazi alongside Tom Cruise in the film Valkyrie, and her incredible 1940s themed model railway. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tribal Class Destroyers, what was life like serving on them - and what is a Destroyer? Al Murray and James Holland go into detail into the staffing, roles and weapons that could be found on an Allied Navy Destroyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland speak to decorated Marine Corps officer and former United States senator Jim Webb. They discuss the evolution of the US Marine Corps between the two world wars, including the lessons learned from the disaster of Galipoli. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland read Second World War manuals produced by the British and American Army. They detail the unbelievable difficulty that XXX Corps faced in Arnhem, and the problems posed in urban warfare. Plus- how many horses did the Waffen SS have? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded at We Have Ways Fest 2023, Al Murray sits down with music journalist David Hepworth for a chat about 1940s pop music, the spirit of the nation, and the BBC. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray chats to Dr Waitman Wade Beorn about one of the most fascinating ruminations on fighting during the Second World War - Warriors by J. Glenn Gray. J. Glenn Gray entered the army as a private in May 1941, having been drafted on the same day he was informed of his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University, years after the end of war - the philosopher reread his war diaries and began to write eloquently on warfare does to soldiers, especially our understanding of cruelty in war. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Italy proved a nightmare place to fight, no matter what side you were on: the endless mountains, the innumerable rivers, the narrowness of roads, the blazing heat, and then torrential rain and freezing cold. Jonathan Fennell, John McManus and James Holland ask, just how big was the crisis in morale for both sides and how did commanders deal with the weight of expectation, mounting casualties and truly appalling conditions? Recorded at We Have Ways Fest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In another wide ranging discussion, Al Murray tells James Holland about his evening at the Royal Engineers Museum alongside Jools Holland and Sir Tom Jones, the tactical importance of landing craft, and how often they think about invading Wiltshire.A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland speak to the writer and director of 'The Great Escaper', a new film starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson about the heartwarming true story of Bernard Jordan, the 89-year-old veteran who snuck off to attend the 70th anniversary of D-day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the life of Joseph Stilwell - the United States Army general best known for his service in the China-Burma-India Theatre during the Second World War. What was his relationship like with Chiang Kai-shek, and what about his personality led to him being remembered as "Vinegar Joe"? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In December 1942, Herbert 'Blondie' Hasler's men were aiming for the occupied port of Bordeaux - with just canoes, mines and grenades. Operation FRANKTON was certainly daring and it did achieve its aims but only two out of ten ever made it back. James Holland and Al Murray discuss one of the most famous - but possibly hare-brained - missions of the entire Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John 'Lucky' Luckadoo was born in 1922, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is the last surviving pilot of the US Eighth Air Force 100th Bomb Group - nicknamed 'The Bloody 100th'. In this brilliant interview with James Holland, he describes his experience flying for the USAAF and the devastating experience of Black Thursday. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What did the US Army and West Point learn from the Civil War, and how did this impact leadership throughout the Second World War? James Holland and John McManus discuss the similarities of leadership by two iconic American generals: Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland turn back the clocks to investigate two seismic events of the Second World War that happened 80 years ago this week. They first discuss the Fifth Army’s crossing of the River Volturno in Italy, drawing on eye-witness accounts, and then the disastrous second bombing of Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 by the US Eighth Air Force that became known as Black Thursday. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former US Paratrooper and now historian, James Fenelon joins Jim and John McManus to discuss the extraordinary and little-known exploits of the 11th Airborne Division - a unit led by the brilliant Joe Swing and who excelled during the Battle for the Philippines. The term ‘forgotten heroes’ might have been invented for this bunch! A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did German doctors unfairly euthanise their own troops if they got shot in the stomach? Were any lessons learnt by the Nazis after Salerno? And is it pronounced "Waco" or "Waco"? All these questions, and more answered by Al Murray and James Holland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a bonus USA episode, James Holland recounts an incredible trip to James recounts an incredible trip to D-Day Ohio - one of the world's biggest re-enactor festivals. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al Murray and James Holland are joined by the lawyer and writer Philippe Sands to discuss revelatory documents that strongly suggest Pope Pius XII had knowledge of the mass murder of Poles and Jews at Belzec in 1942. They also speak about the battle for truth within the walls of the Vatican, and how Adolf Hitler used the courts to increase his popularity before 1933 - just as Donald Trump is doing today. A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Hodgson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Holland and John McManus discuss the history of the only American fighting division that can be traced back to the war of 1812 - The 7th Infantry Regiment. What was the involvement of this legendary group of men during the Second World War, especially their impact on the Italian campaign? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a bonus USA episode, James recounts an incredible trip to D-Day Ohio - one of the world's biggest re-enactor festivals. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the bestselling author of Brothers in Arms comes the story of the most pivotal Allies campaign of World War II. With the invasion of France the following year taking shape, and hot on the heels of victory in Sicily, the Allies crossed into Southern Italy in September 1943. They expected to drive the Axis forces north and be in Rome by Christmas. And although Italy surrendered, the German forces resisted fiercely and the swift hoped-for victory descended into one of the most brutal battles of the war. Even though shipping and materiel were already being safeguarded for the D-Day landings, there were still huge expectations on the progress of the invading armies, but those shortages were to slow the advance with tragic consequences. As the weather closed in, the critical months leading up to Monte Cassino would inflict a heavy price for every bloody, hard fought mile the Allied troops covered. Chronicling those dark, dramatic months in unflinching and insightful detail, The Savage Storm is unlike any campaign history yet written. James Holland has always recounted the Second World War at ground level, but this version telling brings the story vividly to life like never before. Weaving together a wealth of letters, diaries, and other incredible documents, Holland traces the battles as they were fought - across plains, over mountains, through shattered villages and cities, in intense heat and, towards the end, frigid cold and relentless rain - putting readers at the heart of the action to create an entirely fresh and revealing telling of this most pivotal phase of the war. Buy The Savage Storm Now: https://linktr.ee/thesavagestormhb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who killed Jean Moulin, and did they get him to talk? Al Murray and James Holland discuss the final days of the resistance hero's life, and how his death has contributed to national myths about occupied France during the Second World War. The boys also discuss the mind boggling figures that surround Operation Market Garden, including some stomach churning facts about injuries in Arnhem A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are we obsessed with the Second World War? Dermot O’Leary and James May join Al and James on stage at We Have Ways Fest to look into why we’re so gripped by the subject and it’s importance. They also reminisce about the films and objects that first got them hooked and discuss how their obsession has carried on into adult life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the next installment of our Heritage Heroes series James joins former naval corpsman Rabbi Rob Thomas in Ohio to discuss his remarkably diverse collection of tanks and heavy armour - one of the most extensive in the US! They delve into the impact of the Second World War upon Rob's own family history, the importance of educating the public about military weaponry, and debunk myths about the war. Rob’s connection to the war is a personal one; his wife’s grandfather, as a native Yiddish speaker, acted as translator at some of the first liberated concentration camps in Germany, which is why Rob believes in the continuing value of education about the conflict. Hear how his collection started with a couple of machine guns and a jeep on which to mount them, before escalating to Shermans and a warehouse. See his collection for yourself at ww2armor.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In another classic USA episode, the boys are joined by American historian Kevin Hymel. Kevin has spent his career writing the quintessential biography of General Patton, in this wide ranging discussion they chat about his legacy, his achievements and his unreadable handrwriting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just a few days to go until the biggest event of the podcast's calendar, Al Murray and James Holland speak about their excitement for We Have Ways Fest Drei. They also chat about airborne operations, their undying love for Second World War history and James unearths a 1940s training manual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices