Today, we're looking at how the Allied side – that includes the US, UK and Australia – broke the enemy's secret codes during World War II. We see how Alan Turing and General MacArthur were central to wartime code-breaking, on different sides of the world. We are joined by a special guest, author David Dufty, who wrote 'The Code Breakers of Central Bureau' and 'Radio Girl'. And we have Dad's best Dad jokes about spies!

Here are some questions to see how well you understood today's episode:

1. What's Morse code?
2. Name of the man who invented the computer that code breakers used at Bletchley Park, in England.
3. What was the biggest achievement of the British code breakers during World War II?
4. What was the name of the American general who set-up the Central Bureau code breakers in Australia?
5. What subject do you need to study hard at school if you're going to be a code breaker?
6. What did the Central Bureau code breakers achieve in World War II?

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

All instrumental music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2021 © BBC

Re-released for July 4!

The production company behind Hamilton the musical gave us the full rights to use and publish their music in our pod – so you'll hear some big numbers in this episode. You'll also learn a lot about history from a hip-hop musical that treats its audience as the intelligent beings that our listeners are!

There are some big plot spoilers in here – but no worse than if you simply listen to the musical's soundtrack. On Disney+, Hamilton the musical is rated PG-13, but we spare you the worst of the language here. You will hear 'd**n' and 'h*ll' amid the lyrics of the songs we include from the Hamilton musical. (Lin-Manual Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, also composed the music for Moana; the two sound rather different.)

Here are some questions to see how much you understood from today's show:

1. What was James' favourite line from the musical?

2. In the song "Guns and Ships" which country was the superpower and who were they fighting against?

3. What do you think George Washington meant when his character sang "History has its eyes on me"?

4. Do you think different people can believe different versions of the same period of history?

5. Where did they make the new US capital and what is it called?

6. The Hamilton Project found that the musical has what percentage of historical accuracy?

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. Look on our webpage for images that accompany each episode.

And join us on: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

Have fun!

Dad & Me

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2016. Copyright © Warner Music.

Part I of two episodes about America's fight for independence from Britain. We investigate how the hit musical Hamilton is teaching us history – but is it accurate?

And we have James's best American history jokes.

Next month, Part II will be a bumper episode - we have secured the rights to use full songs from Hamilton :) So, we will take a close look at what we can learn from them about history.

How are some questions to see how well you understand today's episode:

1. What does "democracy" mean?
2. Who could not vote in the USA when it was first founded?
3. What does "capitalism" mean?
4. Who was king of Britain at this time?
5. Why did the Americans want to be free from British rule?
6. Who was allowed to vote and who wasn't in the new USA?

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2016. Copyright © Warner Music.

All instrumental music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2021 © BBC

In investigating why and how the English (later, the British) got involved in India, we discover how a bit of charm and a trading company can spread an empire – all backed with brute force. We enjoy a side-track into a headless Mary and how England most definitely does not equal Britain. And you'll find answers to the best homemade jokes like "Which country's empire tastes best at Christmas?"

Elizabeth I is back, and she's full of charm for the Islamic world. (Ever since we recorded this episode, whenever James wants to charm his way to more gaming time he quotes Elizabeth I's letters to the Turkish Sultan, calling me the "Most Imperial and Most Invincible Emperor".)

So, do you know the answer to the Christmas joke now?!?

Here are six questions to test your listening skills:

1. In which continent outside Europe did Britain's empire begin?
2. What was the slave trade?
3. Why did Elizabeth say that Catholics are so last century*? (*Not her exact words)
4. What is the difference between "England" and "Britain"?
5. What was the name of the only business that Elizabeth allowed to trade with India?
6. How did Britain go from only having a trading company in India to invading India?

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

All music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2021 © BBC

We've re-released our first ever Dad & Me interview as part of our day of our birthday celebrations - our first episode was released three years ago today!

We are celebrating our third birthday today! Here, we are re-releasing our first ever published recording - a Season 1 Teaser! Later, we will re-release our first ever radio interview :)

We investigate why Princess Elizabeth's sister sent her to prison with the aim of executing the future Elizabeth I. Find out how portraits can say "I'm a mighty goddess!" and discover the coolest way to reply to a marriage proposal that you don't want. This episode is all about the smart, charming and cunning girl-power of a princess who they said could never become Queen.

Definition: You'll hear about 'Traitor's Gate', and if the word 'traitor' is new to you, it means someone who has switched sides and gone against their country and their queen (or king).

Many thanks to the Tower of London and Hatfield House, where much of today's show was recorded back in 2017 (you'll hear James' cute, squeaky voice!).

Here are 6 questions to test your listening skills:

1. Henry ended up as Church of England but what type of religion did he follow first?
2. Which gate was Elizabeth brought in through when she was taken to the Tower of London?
3. Why do you think Mary did not want Elizabeth to ever be queen?
4. Give two examples of sources of evidence that we found at Hatfield House.
5. Why did people think a woman could not rule on her own?
6. How did Elizabeth show that she was a clever and strong leader?

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

All music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2021 © BBC

We investigate which animals did the most to win a war. We don't just mean animals that helped a bit – we mean animals who win a war. We don't give up until we find some amazing animal winners!

And James brings us his best animal Dad Jokes! (Are they still "Dad Jokes" if they're all James's jokes?!)

Here are 6 questions to see how well you were listening:

1. What was the main task pigeons did during wars?
2. Name different tasks that dogs did during wars
3. Why were cats useful on naval ships?
4. Which type of animal has been in the most wars?
5. Name two animals that defeated the Romans:
6. Can you explain what "Phyrric victory" means?

Three very useful websites for this episode were Legion Magazine, Live Science and the UK's Imperial War Museum

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

All music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2021 © BBC

We investigate a queen who wore a large ship in her hair, meet a king who made tables and we learn history from musicals!

Wanna be Marie Antoinette? Get your chocolate chef to make you a hot chocolate, shove a two-foot-long ship in your hair and tell everyone who can't afford bread to eat cake!

(And, without even trying, you'll learn all about 'cause' and 'consequence'.)

You'll also hear a trailer for Mark Selleck's podcast series, Casting Through Ancient Greece, which is aimed at the biggest kids – adults!

Here are 6 questions to see how well you were listening:

1. When did the French Revolution begin?
2. What was the first building the revolutionaries attacked?
3. Why did people hate Marie Antoinette?
4. What caused the French Revolution? Why did it happen?
5. What were some consequences of the French Revolution?
6. During those revolutionary years of 1789-1799, France also went to war against Austria: true or false?

Read industry reviews of Dad's World War II novels, A Chance Kill and The Slightest Chance, at paulletters.com. Available on Kindle, as well as in paperback. Dad's first wartime novel, A Chance Kill, is a love-story/thriller based on real events in Poland, Paris, London and Prague. The Slightest Chance follows the remarkable true story of the only escape from Japanese imprisonment by a Western woman during World War II.

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

We'll be back on the first Monday of next month!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

All music is from https://filmmusic.io and composed by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2020 © BBC

In a re-release for November 11 Remembrance Day, this special extended episode was recorded over several years and then released in April 2019. It's a lot more serious than our usual fun-filled shows, but there's lots to learn for kids and adults! And if you know a teacher who could use this episode, please share it with them – and with any other friends.

We go to an ANZAC service in Australia, where World War One is particularly remembered. Then we go to Remembrance Day in Hong Kong, which just over 75 years ago was invaded by the Japanese during World War Two.

We are grateful to Lindisfarne Anglican College for allowing us to visit their ANZAC assembly, and thanks go to their special guest, Major Matina Jewell (retired) for the interview. Recurring at points throughout this episode is the sound of Lindisfarne's School Marching Band, led by Mr Dale Norton. And thank you, retired Sergeant Kelvin Fawcett.

Questions for after you've listened:

1. What does A-N-Z-A-C – ANZAC -- stand for?
2. Why is Nov 11 an important date for remembering people from wars?
3. What happened at Gallipoli in WWI?
4. What is the Last Post?
5. Which country is the Menin Gate in?
6. What colour are poppies?
7. Who wrote the poem 'In Flanders Fields'?
8. Why is it important to remember people who died in wars?

Look on our webpage for images that accompany each episode.

And join us on: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

Please rate and review us wherever you get podcasts. And share our podcast on social media and recommend it to friends – that's how we'll keep going.

See you in two weeks!

Podcast cover art by Molly Austin

Instrumental music by Kevin MacLeod

Sound effects used under RemArc Licence. Copyright 2020 © BBC