Books, Films, TV, Radio (& WW2 Podcasts!)

Edit - The link to the Second World War podcast mentioned below no longer works.
(I think that the podcast ran for about a year or so and then the producers of it decided to take it down and focus more on their American civil war one.)

Hi all,

For those interested in such "modern" things I noticed last night that there is another "world war two podcast" starting up:

http://secondworldwarpodcast.org/

This one seems to be from the same American wife and husband team that are also producing the excellent series on the US civil war (3 years of episodes on the American Civil war and counting!)

http://civilwarpodcast.org/

So I'd probably recommend it just on the basis of that - it's early days there for WW2 as yet though.

All the best,

Rm.

 

For those interested

Rexfactor: Edward VIII
http://rexfactor.podbean.com/2013/04/

Is well worth a listen around the abdication crisis and whether Edward VIII would have made a good WW2 King (I'm guessing unfortunately not)

(With a slight warning their momentary intro music is a bit loud - well it made me jump - but it calms down quickly after that!)

Has a very factual presenter complimented with a questioning one and is done seriously (with some jokes) - with good focus and depth.
It's a very nice series of podcasts overall. The sections on George Vi and Elizabeth are also very good and also touch on WW2.

All the best,

Rm.

 

3rd April 2015 - Latest from Ray Harris over in the US on the History of WW2 podcast:
................................................................................................................................
The Germans take Crete
http://wwiipodcast.libsyn.com/episode-124-the-end-of-crete
.................................................................................................................................

(After a brief advert for an online learning platform this episode kicks in about 3 mins in)

Lots of great history and dozens of superb quotes in there.

 

This will be of interest to me as I have just read 'Middle East Commando' by Charles Messenger. Some of these men were rearguard during the evacuation of the island and went straight into the bag. After the disaster at Crete some of the ME Commando headed east and were spread across Special Forces units being drawn up in India.

 

History of World War II - by Ray Harris jr.

For those interested in the story of the fall of Crete there's a whole series of these for you to catch up on, and if you start to go back you might find the North African campaign and much before that of interest too...

http://wwiipodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/2015/02

http://wwiipodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/2015/03

http://wwiipodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/2015/04

Or alternatively at:
http://podbay.fm/show/493253759
Where it's a bit easier to see all of the episodes in one go.
(Nb if takes you to the homepage because of your computer setup - just type "Ray Harris" in the search box and it will take you there.

Happy listening

All the best,

Rm.

 

History of Japan Podcast

For anyone who has a interest in learning a bit more (in English) about the history of Japan and the Japanese there's a great series of podcasts (almost 100 episodes now as of April 2015) I'd highly recommend, and that I've really enjoyed at: http://historyofjapan.libsyn.com/

Or alternatively at: http://www.podbay.fm/show/635736811
Where it's a bit easier to see all of the episodes in one go.
(Nb if takes you to the homepage because of your computer setup - just type "History of Japan" in the search box and it will take you there.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and reviews of this series.

All the best,

Rm.

 

China in the World - CARNEGIE-TSINGHUA CENTER

For anyone who has an interest in a delving a bit deeper into learning a bit more about modern China (The Geo-political state of the Far East and quite a bit more about how China was affected by WW2 and events thereabout) - I've found the following series of podcasts/lectures (given by a mix of English speaking Chinese and American guest speakers) to be an excellent resource: http://carnegietsinghua.podomatic.com/

Or alternatively at: http://podbay.fm/show/738323123
Where it's a bit easier to "see" all of the episodes in one go.
(Nb if takes you to the homepage because of your computer setup - just type "China in the world" or just "China" in the search box and it will take you in a few scrolls to there.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and reviews of this series.

All the best,

Rm.

 

Russian History podcast - Russian Rulers & Russian History Retold

For anyone who has an interest in a delving a bit deeper into learning a bit more about Russian History - I've found the following series of podcasts (given by Marck Schauss - an American of partly Russian descent) to be an excellent resource:
http://russianrulers.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=2742
Particularly for things like Russia during WW2, Stalin et. al, and even Putin and Ukraine (with a current as well as an historical take on these)
(It starts with chronological episodes in a run though of Rulers rulers and then moves on into more general topics in Russian history, life and literature - and is currently (April 2015) talking about the life of Leo Tolstoy)

Or alternatively at: http://podbay.fm/show/370995272
Where it's a bit easier to see all of the episodes in one go.
(Nb if takes you to the homepage because of your computer setup - just type "Russian Rulers" in the search box and it will take you there.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and reviews of this series.

All the best,

Rm.

 

For a take on all things Czech: http://www.bohemican...an-podcast.html

The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and the Aftermath

Operation Anthropoid was organized to rid the Czech people of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich in May of 1942. The assassination attempt was successful but proved costly. Hitler's retribution was swift and complete as his forces executed those that collaborated with the operation.

The small Czech village of Lidice was razed to the ground on June 10, 1942 and soon after several other Czech townships met a similar fate. The assassination of Heydrich is our focus on this episode of the Bohemican Podcast.
http://bohemican.pod...x.php?pid=39097

Or alternatively at:: http://podbay.fm/show/602064257
Where it's a bit easier to see all of the episodes in one go.
(Nb if takes you to the homepage because of your computer setup - just type "Bohemican" in the search box and it will take you there.

All the best,

Rm.

 

It's funny what you find in the old archives: The Man Who Fooled the Nazis. The 90-minute Spanish documentary re-titled and narrated in English, shown as part of the Storyville series, first shown on BBC Four, 22 February 2011

I remembered watching this a good few years ago and was amazed to find that I actually still had it. (In addition to such things typically being available somewhere on youtube if you go and look )

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/263301.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Pujol_Garcia

James Bond is never quite like this (except perhaps in some of the earliest of Flemming's books )

I love the fact that even weeks into the Normandy landings the German's were still sitting in Calais thinking - why don't they come! when will they come?

Apparently he was even able to convince them that Normandy was so successful that the Allies actually decided that they didn't need Calais after all -

 

Go to the BBC Radio 4 schedule to look at the following information about a programme in a series which is usually informative and does not usually screech at or patronise the listener:

To be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 26th April at 1116 am and subsequently on the iPlayer Radio


Far East Prisoners of War
The Reunion



Sue MacGregor's guests remember their time as Far East POWs during the Second World War.
Early in the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese made major military advances throughout the Far East. The fall of Singapore in February 1942 resulted in the single largest surrender of British-led military personnel. Winton Churchill called it "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". In total, the Japanese took 140,000 Allied prisoners, including 67,000 British.
The prisoners were sent to forced labour camps throughout South-East Asia. The Thailand-Burma Railway is perhaps the best known project, but many more POWs were shipped via "hell ships" to islands like Java and Ambon. The Japanese captors treated the prisoners horrifically, subjecting them to brutal beatings, intense work, starvation, disease and searing heat. Over a quarter of POWs died in the camps.
Sue MacGregor's guests include: Bob Morrell, who remembers his "coffin duty" on the island of Ambon; centenarian Bill Frankland, who was a medical officer treating prisoners near Singapore.; William Mumby who was shipped throughout the region, and Tony Lucas, who was sent to the Thailand-Burma Railway and helped carve "Hellfire Pass". Sue is also joined by historian Sibylla Jane Flower who made a special study of Allied prisoners held by the Japanese.
After the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and V-J Day, the POWs undertook the arduous journey back to Britain. Many were reunited with their families who were unaware of their survival. In the following decades, many former prisoners of war kept quiet about their experiences.
Producer: Colin McNulty
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

 

QI Elves

Some interesting "facts" about Kaiser Willhelm - including how "not to win" an arms contract from the Bulgarians...

In the latest QI podcast: http://podbay.fm/show/840986946/e/1429901029?autostart=1

More great reasons now to imagine why WW1 started...

Hillarious (nice though that they helpfully explain who Kaiser Willhelm was (for those that don't already know )

I seem to remember a while back on the BBC QI TV program on why some commanders of particular British regiments didn't "choose" to turn up to fight for the allies in WW1)

All the best,

Rm.

 

A reminder (for those that just missed it!) and can get stuff on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05rl3j8

It will soon be available on the BBC iplayer as well as being repeated on Friday 1st May Radio 4 BBC at 9am

Any comments from those that have heard it ???

These are those I think I particularly picked out:

1. The disbelief of some of the defenders of Singapore that the British could surrender there when so many still wanted to fight on.

2. The order made by the Japanese (prior to the atom bombs and Japan's defeat) that all "prisoners" of the Japanese were to be shot if the Japanese home islands were ever invaded.

3. The willingness now to move on, with good cheer, but never forget.

All the best,

Rm.

 

For those that can get BBC radio or the BBC iplayer:

For an excellent (satirical) taste of life in Britain just prior to WW2 and now perhaps thanks to it, a long lost world (except that is for "The Bollinger Club / Bullingdon Club" (!!!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullingdon_Club

Decline and Fall - Part 1 - TODAY - 26th April 2015 at 3pm (and available on the iplayer probably for about a month thereafter???) :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05rl3w4

A real gem in the canon of British comic fiction. Evelyn Waugh's fast paced roller-coaster, dramatised by Jeremy Front, is peopled by larger than life characters and a few grotesques. Paul Pennyfeather, a quiet, earnest, scholarly young student at Oxford knows nothing of 1920's high-life until one night he encounters The Bollinger Club.

Produced by Marion Nancarrow and Directed by Tracey Neale

Set in the early jazz age, the tone of Decline and Fall is Wodehousian with added sex, drugs and alcohol. The central character is Paul Pennyfeather, played by Oxford graduate and young emerging comedian, Kieran Hodgson. Paul is an innocent but nevertheless the engine of the piece. The fuse is lit in Oxford after which the plot moves us quickly to London then out to a tenth rate school in rural Wales where we meet the Headmaster, Dr Fagan and two fellow teachers, Grimes and Prendergast played by comedy stars - Geoffrey Whitehead, John Sessions and James Fleet.
From here we are taken to a glass and steel fantasy of excessive modern architecture in the middle of the English countryside, the home of the beautiful Margot, stylish played by Emilia Fox, designed by the eccentric Otto, a cameo played with relish by Tom Hollander in Episode Two. Paul's travels then take him to hot, sweaty Marseille and into trouble which results in him ending up in a British prison. Paul's adventures end in a rather Alice in Wonderland fashion when he is given a new identity and returns to Oxford, exactly where he started, but with the addition of a beard.
Decline and Fall is dramatised by Jeremy Front. Jeremy won the Best Dramatisation in the 2014 Drama Audio Awards for Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour. His wonderfully comic touch has been evident in his most recent work for Radio 4 - Charles Paris and Incredible Women.

& From "In Our Time" with Melvyn Bragg
David Bradshaw, John Bowen and Ann Pasternak Slater join Melvyn Bragg to discuss Evelyn Waugh's comic novel Decline and Fall. Set partly in a substandard boys' public school, the novel is a vivid, often riotous portrait of 1920s Britain. Its themes, including modernity, religion and fashionable society, came to dominate Waugh's later fiction, but its savage wit and economy of style were entirely new. Published when Waugh was 24, the book was immediately celebrated for its vicious satire and biting humour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qmbsc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_and_Fall

So sad to think that so many of those that grew up in the wide-eyed excitements of the 1920's would once again so soon be off to war...

All the best,

Rm.

 

The latest podcast (25th January 20150 from "The History of Japan")
http://historyofjapan.libsyn.com/

History of Japan ISAAC MEYER - HIGHER EDUCATION
Episode 98: This week, we're going to discuss one of the most reprehensible aspects of a war littered with horrible acts; the system of mass sexual slavery of women euphemistically dubbed "comfort women". We'll talk about the origins and nature of the system, and the reason why it has come back to haunt Japanese politics today.

Rm.

 

Hi all,

Something I thought I'd recommend long term as a very popular US podcast that has a WW2 section: http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/tag/world-war-ii/

And podcasts such as: (with more probably in the works)

"Codes, axis cryptography in WW2": http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/codes-axis-cryptography-in-world-war-ii/

"Alan Turing : Codebreaker" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/alan-turing-codebreaker/

"Codes, allied cryptography in WW2" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/codes-allied-cryptography-in-world-war-ii/

"Who would have been the Nazi king": http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/who-would-have-been-the-nazi-king/

"Could treasure hunters have discovered Nazi gold" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/could-treasure-hunters-have-discovered-nazi-gold/

"The Ghost Army" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/the-ghost-army/

"Did Germans resist Hitler" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/did-any-germans-resist-hitler/

"The Nazi games and Jesse Owens" : http://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/the-nazi-games-and-jesse-owens/

For example to hear there. Superficially it can sometimes seem like a "lighter" more breezy look at history but there's also a lot of really detailed factual information spelt out in there.

There's also a big selection of interesting missed history in other areas i.e. (just outside of the specific scope of WW2) so here: http://www.missedinhistory.com/?s=nazi including some blogs with some specific WW2 stories picked out i.e. :

Papal escape plan from the Nazis revealed : http://www.missedinhistory.com/blog/papal-escape-plan-from-the-nazis-revealed/

Rm.

 

RM

Still catching up after my enforced 7 weeks absence and have just spotted this excellent thread.

Well done and keep your links coming !

Ron

 

Thanks Ron,

Good to hear you're back, BTW if anyone has any comments / opinions or thinks anything in these are worthy of discussion/debate please feel free to post comment or add to/or start new relevant thread(s) here or elsewhere.

There's actually a heck of a lot out there and always seem to be more to "crop-up".

Some are better/worse than others and perhaps worthy of more listeners / or of fewer .

I'm afraid I can't fact-check or verify them as they cover a huge amount of ground, but from what I've seen (or heard ) there's usually something of interest and/or to enjoy (or at least get you thinking and/or looking for more info on many given topics at least .)

Usually the ratings and/or comments though (for example at itunes) can sometimes help to point the way. But they are not necessarily experts on WW2 there I guess )

All the best,

Rm.

 

Quick update to say that Ray Harris is currently on the very interesting topic of the WW2 Siege of Leningrad

http://worldwariipodcast.net/all-podcasts/

http://podbay.fm/show/493253759

And the "History of Russia" is doing a great recap on the history of Ukraine:

http://russianrulers.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=2742

http://podbay.fm/show/370995272

All the best,

Rm.

 

Breakout and Pursuit (a short US film published in 1961)
(This is an episode of the US 1/2 hour TV show "The Big Picture." A 1950-1970s series on the History of the US army)
https://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.30135

STORY OF OPERATION COBRA IN WORLD WAR II, IN WHICH AMERICAN FORCES BROKE THROUGH NORMANDY AND BEGAN THEIR PUSH ACROSS EUROPE.

(There are also other examples of similar films on similar topics at the same site to browse through).