History Book Club

On the 11th September 1683, at the great city of Vienna, the armies of the Ottoman Empire were preparing to storm the city, but their scouts to the west noticed a vast cavalry force approaching. The next day Christian horsemen (Poles, Lithuanians, Germans of the Holy Roman Empire and Cossacks)  swept down upon the troops of the Caliph and swept them away in one of the most stunning military victories of all time. But what lay at the heart of this clash between Christendom and the Caliphate, West vs. East, Christianity vs. Islam?

Joining to discuss is historian of the Middle East Simon Mayall. We talk about the past’s influence on today’s fanatics, the conquests of Spain and the Levant by the Moors and the Crusaders and much much more.

Episode Links

The House of War: The Struggle between Christendom and the Caliphate

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Publius Ovidius Naso was a Roman poet much of whose life coincided with the reign of Augustus. He was the most famous poet during this time, a genuine superstar, and his works dealing with sex, violence and mythology have meant he continues to attract study, translations and books today - Metamorphoses being his most famous work.

Joining me today is Fiona Forsyth, author of Poetic Justice, who discusses the poet’s life, his work and his legacy, as well as a recommended translation.

Episode Links

Poetic Justice

Metamorphoses, transl. Stephanie McCarter

Ovid Banished from Rome, JWM Turner

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Within months of the allies liberation of Naples in October of 1943 the city was plunged into the horrors of disease, starvation, prostitution and racketeering. How did this happen, who was responsible, what about the mafia and what was the impact on a city that is despised by the rest of Italy, and itself views the world very differently from other Mediterranean cities.

Joining is Keith Lowe, author of Naples 1944, an account of the chaos that resulted from what was supposed to be a release from the misery of occupation.

Episode Links

Naples 1944: War, Liberation and Chaos

The Skin, by Curzio Malaparte

DDT

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On the 25th October 1415 Henry V led the English army onto the field of Agincourt. There he defeated the flower of French chivalry to win perhaps the finest victory of the medieval period, made famous by Shakespeare’s play. But who was Henry V? Brilliant general, skilled politician or simply a warmonger? And is there a figure from the past that he most resembles?

Dan Jones, the author of a new biography of Henry joins to answer these and many more questions as we try to get to the bottom of who Henry V was.

Episode Links

Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King, Dan Jones

YouTube video of young Henry's surgical procedure to remove the arrowhead

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Our Operation Market Garden series concludes with a chat on the 1977 classic directed by Richard Attenborough.

Joining is Roger Moorhouse, author of The Forgers, and film maker Tim Hewitt.

Links

ChatDMZ - Market Garden

A Bridge Too Far on IMDB

A Bridge Too Far on Wikipedia

Dirk Bogarde Interview

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Roger on X

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At 3 o’clock in the afternoon on the 20th September 1944 in Nijmegen, Holland, men of the 504th regiment, US 82nd Airborne embarked in canvas rowing boats and began an amphibious assault that was one of the most heroic in military history. Facing the well defended objective on the north end of the Nijmegen bridge over the river Waal, 134 men were killed or wounded in the crossing, more than half the force, but the attack was a success and the bridge was captured. The road to Arnhem was the final jigsaw in Operation Market Garden. Or was it?

Joining me are two historians to discuss the operation as a whole, from the airborne forces tasked with capturing Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, to XXX corps and the German troops facing them. Gordon Corrigan takes the allied side, and Philip Blood the German.

Episode Links

It Never Snows in September, Kershaw

Sky Warriors, David

A Bridge Too Far, Ryan

Airborne Carpet, Farrar-Hockley

Arnhem 1944, Middlebrook

Arnhem, Beevor

Arnhem: Black Tuesday, Murray

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On Sunday the 17th September 1944 the 1st Airborne Division began dropping into Arnhem to begin a battle that remains iconic to this day. Within 2 days progress was proving difficult and on Tuesday the 19th, Black Tuesday, things had come to a head. The commander, Roy Urquhart had gone missing, his subordinates were squabbling over command, only 1 battalion had made it to the objective, Arnhem Bridge, and the paras had come up against stiff resistance.

Continuing our Operation Market Garden special, historian and comedian Al Murray joins to talk about that most heroic of failures, the Battle of Arnhem, and focusing on one day when success or failure was decided.

Al Murray Links

Arnhem: Black Tuesday

Command: How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World War

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Arnhem was one of the greatest battles fought by the British in World War Two. 10,000 men went in, but only 2,000 came out. We’re at the 80th anniversary and Saul David joins to discuss the plan, the personalities involved and the action itself in this special series on Operation Market Garden. Saul is the author of Sky Warriors, which is an account of British Airborne Forces throughout the war. Today we’ll get Saul’s take on the plan, the intelligence, and whether everyone did their job.

This is the first in a series. Next Al Murray joins to talk Black Tuesday, the 19th September, then Gordon and Philip discuss the wider operation as a whole, and finally the Film Club revisits A Bridge Too Far.

Saul David Links

Sky Warriors

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On the 12th March 1938 German troops crossed the border into Austria, thus completing the Anschluss, the annexation by Germany. Resistance was non existent, in fact the Wehrmacht was greeted by cheering crowds as Nazi flags were draped over the beautiful city of Vienna.

The referendum that followed may have achieved a 99.7% approval, but many in Europe were fearful of a coming war.

Jane Thynne, author of Midnight in Vienna, joins to discuss the city during the 1930s and that feeling of foreboding as communists, Nazis and spies mixed in the City of Music as it is known.

Jane Thynne Links

Midnight in Vienna

The Words I Never Wrote

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By the 1960s Richard Burton was the highest paid movie star in the world. He was paid the equivalent today of $10million dollars per picture, but when one looks at his childhood, the mind boggles at his change in fortune. Born the 12th of 13 children, his family lived in poverty, and his chances of success seemed to have peaked when he worked in a haberdashery. But by the age of 18 he had won starring roles on stage and his life was set.

Joining me today is historian and social media star Alice Loxton whose new book, 18, intriguingly features 18 significant historical figures at that formative age.

Alice Loxton Links

Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives

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