WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

As a part of our ongoing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and home front. In this episode we hear your tales of dentists, ducks, and Salvation Army socks. With thanks to Nigel Jackson, Chris Webster, Ken Sharpe, John Orchard, James Bagnall, and A...

Did President Roosevelt want to end American Imperialism? What was the NAACP? What impact did the Treaty of Versailles have? Join Al Murray, James Holland, and John McManus as they discuss the fallout of WWI, the origins of the Cold War, and how to end the Pacific War against Imperial Japan. Subscribe now for ad-free listening and other membership perks - patreon.com/wehaveways A Goalhanger Produc...

What does Keir Starmer think is his most important duty as Prime Minister? Why should we remember VE Day? What is Britain’s role in WW2, and NATO, for international peace? Join Al Murray and James Holland as they interview the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in a wide-ranging chat overlooking the Rose Garden, for the 80th Anniversary of VE Day at 10 Downing Street. And find out the most importan...

Why is VE Day celebrated on May 8th? What did the end of the war look like for Field Marshal Montgomery and his men? What happened at the surrenders, when Supreme Commander Eisenhower refused to sign? Al and Jim discuss what the Nazis were doing to get a favourable surrender for Germany after 6 years of barbaric conflict, and how the Allies disagreed on how and when the end should come. Join James...

What was life like for Germans as the Third Reich collapsed all around them? What did Soviet troops discover in the hunt for Hitler? What did the remaining Nazi leadership do to keep the war going, in the face of inevitable defeat? Al and Jim discuss the often very human stories of individuals on both sides of the conflict trying to survive the last days of their war, in the rubble of bombed-out B...

Did Hitler really commit suicide in his underground bunker in 1945? Which top Nazis hid under Berlin as it perished? Why are conspiracy theorists not convinced by the official set of events? From shotgun weddings to murdered pets, the true horror of the Führer's condition are revealed by Al Murray and James Holland as they detail Adolf Hitler's final days in his secret bunker. Join James Holland &...

How did the Battle of Berlin begin? Was Germany doomed from the start? Did Stalin make the situation worse? Al Murray and James Holland explore the opening moments of the Battle of Berlin - from Stalin's psychotic leadership style, the pincer movement that captured the heart of Nazi Germany and the race to capture the Reichstag. Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often...

What did the Allies discover in the concentration camps in the heartlands of Nazi Germany? How did they struggle to help the survivors they found? Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often overlooked final moments of WW2 in Europe - from the grand international politics of the new Cold War superpowers, down to often intense individual tragedies of the survivors. EPISODES...

How did Allied forces cross the last defences of Nazi Germany? How does Operation VARSITY compare to the chaos of the landings in Arnhem just a year before? Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often overlooked final moments of WW2 in Europe - from the grand international politics of the new Cold War superpowers, down to often intense individual tragedies of the survivors...

What challenges did the Allies face crossing the river Rhine? How did Montgomery and Patton invade the Nazi homeland? What lessons had been learned and put in place after six years of fighting in order to invade Germany? Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often overlooked final moments of WW2 in Europe - from the grand international politics of the new Cold War superpow...

To defeat the Nazis once and for all, the Allies must cross the Rhine into Germany. The first challenge - the bridge at Remagen Why did the Second World War end in 1945? How did Hitler die? Were the Americans the big winners of WW2? Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often overlooked final moments of WW2 in Europe - from the grand international politics of the new Cold...

Why did Truman become president in 1945 when FDR died? Was Roosevelt a Machiavellian populist? Why don't modern politicians study more history? Al Murray and James Holland are joined by star of The Rest Is Politics US and former Trump press secretary - Anthony Scaramucci - to discuss the most pivotal men of the 20th Century and their impact on the world today. EPISODES ARE AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS AD...

What connects the Final Solution with a Chilean crabmeat factory? How were Pinochet and Mossad using Nazis? Did the war really end in 1945? Join James Holland, Al Murray, and guest Philippe Sands as they deep dive into the ratlines of high-ranking SS war criminals who became influential advisors for South American dicatorships - and how they still cast a long shadow on the world today. EPISODES AR...

As a part of our ongoing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and home front. In this episode we hear your tales of narrowly avoiding death, convoy duty, and a pilot on the run in Nazi-occupied France. With thanks to Stevan Bennett, John Wiltshire, A...

What is the future of WW2 Museums? What did Dominic Sandbrook say about tanks, and David Olusoga say about machine guns? What happened to civil aviation during WW2, and was Lend-Lease powered by Spam? Join James Holland and Al Murray for a packed episode of war waffle, including Jim's recent scouring of Europe, a chance encounter in a hospital, and what Ukraine can expect based on Soviet negotiati...

The Bulge series has concluded, but there is still so much to explore. The perfect compliment to the recent series, this episode covers areas not covered in the main series, as well as answering questions from listeners. Join James Holland, Al Murray, and John McManus as they discuss the Ardennes Offensive, winter and medical support for troops, and the American nurse that halted the offensive......

Despite a tremendous armada and preliminary bombardment, American forces quickly learn they are going to pay for every inch of Iwo Jima. Imperial Japanese forces, low on supplies, fight to the last. Join James Holland, Al Murray, and John McManus as they uncover the truth behind that iconic 'Raising The Flag' picture, as well as how Iwo Jima foreshadowed the use of atomic bombs... A Goalhanger Pro...

A tiny sulferous island in the Pacific, Iwo Jima became notorious for the deathtoll on both sides. Was the American invasion worth it? Join James Holland, Al Murray, and John McManus as they recount the bloody struggle, with firsthand accounts from the soldiers on both sides. EPISODE 2 IS AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS EARLY & AD FREE - SIGN UP AT patreon.com/wehaveways A Goalhanger Production Produced by...

As a part of our ongoing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and home front. In this episode we hear your tales of life-saving prisoners, meeting Gandhi, and family members with dark secrets. With thanks to Karl Walls, William Boyton, Steve Callahan...

As a free bonus livestream episode, James Holland and Al Murray discuss the life and times of the last surviving RAF veteran of The Battle Of Britain, John 'Paddy' Hemingway, who sadly passed away this week at 105. It is also a good time to revisit the myths of The Battle Of Britain, and show concisely the superiority of RAF forces during the summer of 1940, versus their Luftwaffe counterparts. EP...

As the weather clears in the Ardennes, Allied air forces sweep enemy planes from the skies and attack panzer columns with ease. What is next for both sides? Join James Holland and Al Murray as they debunk the myths and expose the real failures behind Nazi Germany’s final Western offensive—a reckless plan that wasted countless lives. A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Exec Producer: To...

The battle everyone remembers. This siege has become the symbol of the whole campaign - but how well do we know what actually happened here? Find out what Band of Brothers got right, and why McAuliffe said 'Nuts!' to the German offer of surrender. Join James Holland and Al Murray as they debunk the myths and expose the real failures behind Nazi Germany’s final Western offensive—a reckless plan tha...

In the wake of the surprise offensive through the Ardennes, Generals Bradley and Hodges seem to have lost it, while Patton is jockeying to charge ahead. Firm control is required, so it is up to commanders Eisenhower and Montgomery to grip the situation and stop the Germans getting to the River Meuse - the red line that the allies cannot allow the panzers to cross. Join James Holland and Al Murray...

Joachim Peiper was regarded as a princeling of the Nazi regime, and a celebrated tank commander. But he was also a cruel monster who encouraged his units to commit war crimes. Discover more about Peiper's part in The Battle of The Bulge, stocked with Pervitin and Panther tanks, and how his desperation to meet Hitler's impossible objectives led to massacres like at Malmedy. Join James Holland and A...

Everyone remembers Bastogne. But here, we uncover the ferocious fighting around the Two Villages area, a hotly-contested part of the Ardennes Offensive that deserves to be better known to history. Here, isolated bands of American soldiers, low on ammo, held off thousands of Nazi forces against the odds, buying valuable time for allied forces with their blood. Join James Holland and Al Murray as th...