History Book Club

By Oliver Webb-CarterNews Arts Books Politics History

History Book Club episodes

November 22, 2025 Film Club: Das Boot (1981)
Latest film club is to celebrate the publication of Roger Moorhouse's latest book, Wolfpack, and it's Das Boot, the Wolfgang Petersen masterpiece.
Links
Wolfpack
Das Boot on Wikipedia
Ollie on X
Tim on X
Roger on X
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1 hr 8 min
November 21, 2025 Film Club: Das Boot (1981)
Latest film club is to celebrate the publication of Roger Moorhouse's latest book, Wolfpack, and it's Das Boot, the Wolfgang Petersen masterpiece.
Links
Wolfpack
Das Boot on Wikipedia
Ollie on X
Tim on X
Roger on X
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Aspects of History on Instagram
Get in touch: [email protected]

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1 hr 7 min
November 15, 2025 Peak Human with Johan Norberg
Is the West’s dominant golden age at an end? What can the
past tell us about the future? Joining today is Johan Norberg who poses these and many more questions in his fascinating book Peak Human.
Episode Links
Peak Human
Ollie Links
⁠Ollie on Twitter / X⁠

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32 min
November 08, 2025 Sharpe with Bernard Cornwell
On 9th February 1981 a novel was published that would reinigerate historical fiction, begin a series that would sell millions of copies, and inspire a certain Sheffield born actor to take on a role that would lead him to Hollywood as a Bond villain and the star of Lord of the Rings. Sharpe’s Eagle was that novel, and Sean Bean the actor. There is a new Sharpe out, Sharpe's Storm, set in late 1813 during the British invasion of southwest France.
Today I have the great pleasure of speaking with Bernard Cornwell in a wide-ranging chat which starts off with my mention of his publisher, Susan Watt who very sadly died recently.
Episode Links
Sharpe's Storm
Ollie Links
Email me: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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49 min
November 01, 2025 The World Cup with Jonathan Wilson
In the build up to World Cup 98 in France, Glenn Hoddle pondered the selection of England’s greatest and most skilful player. A mercurial genius capable of turning a game with one drop of the shoulder or defence splitting pass. His free kick ability was legendary. A scorer of great goals as well as a great goalscorer. I am of course talking about Matthew Le Tissier, and England went out on penalties, a skill Le God had perfected having scored 48 from 49.
But we’re not here to talk about the Channel Islands’ greatest export, but instead the World Cup Finals that he sadly never graced, as Jonathan Wilson, football writer for the Guardian and author of The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup, joins to discuss his new book.
Episode Links
The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup
Ollie Links
Get in touch:: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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52 min
October 24, 2025 Naples with Keith Lowe
On 27th September 1943, in German occupied Naples, an uprising began that lasted four days. By the 29th the Germans had lost the city and so made the decision to leave, heading north for safety as the victorious Neapolitans and Partisans celebrated in the streets. On 1st October the Allies arrived, and the city was secure. Or was it? Within months starvation descended on Naples, and with it disease, prostitution and misery.
Joining today is Keith Lowe, author of Naples 1944 as we delve a little bit deeper into this piece of Italian and WW2 history, including the notorious Camorra.
I’ll be at the Imperial War Museum on Saturday 1st November, so it would be great to see you there.
Episode Links
Links
Naples 1944: War, Liberation and Chaos
IWM Live
Ollie Links
Email me: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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39 min
October 21, 2025 Film Club: The Hunt For Red October (1990)
Latest film club is to celebrate the publication of Roger Moorhouse's latest book, Wolfpack, and it's great sub movie Hunt For Red October, starring Sean Connery & Alec Baldwin. We talk crazy Ivans, safety measures on torpedoes and an egregious example of mansplaining.
Links
Wolfpack
Hunt For Red October on Wikipedia
Caterpillar Drive
Ollie on X
Tim on X
Roger on X
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Aspects of History on Instagram
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1 hr 1 min
October 17, 2025 Witchcraft with Steven Veerapen
In 1562 the Witchcraft Act was passed in England during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Act stated that anyone who should "use, practise, or exercise any Witchcraft, Enchantment, Charm, or Sorcery, whereby any person shall happen to be killed or destroyed", was guilty of a felony without benefit of clergy, and was to be put to death. The Scottish Witchcraft Act followed a year later.
Joining today is Steven Veerapen, author of Witches: A King’s Obsession as we explore the reign of James VI of Scotland and I of England and its attitude to so called witches. James wrote a book on witchcraft and oversaw a huge uptick in legal proceedings against women who made up 85% of those accused.
Links
Witches: A King's Obsession
IWM Live
Ollie Links
Get in touch: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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52 min
October 14, 2025 Body Snatching with History Rage
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries there was huge demand among medical practitioners for corpses on which to practices and perform. With the demand so came the suppliers in the form of body snatchers. These were highly motivated and well organised groups who solved the supply problem by taking the freshly buried dead and selling them to desperate surgeons.
Joining today is Paul Bavill from the History Rage podcast as discusses the practice, the economic rewards and the quantities. Paul joins me as part of the Podcast Show Live preparations at the Imperial War Museum on Saturday 1st November. Do get your tickets and I’ll see you there.
Links
History Rage Podcast
IWM Live
Ollie Links
Email me: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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41 min
October 10, 2025 The U-Boat War with Roger Moorhouse
In October 1939 U-47 approached Scapa Flow in silence, as its crew prepared to attack. Their target were British warships at port in the deepwater natural harbour. The U Boat’s tubes were filled with water, and three torpedoes were fired, heading for HMS Royal Oak. This mission, so early in the war, was a huge success for the Kriegsmarine and was commented on by Winston Churchill in the House of Commons. So began the U-Boat war that would strike fear into both Churchill and the Allied High Command.
Joining today is Roger Moorhouse, great friend of the show and the author of Wolfpack: Hitler’s U Boat War as we discuss the death rate the submariners faced, the threats from above and what life was like underwater.
Coming up on 1st November I’ll be hosting a live recording at the Imperial War Museum’s Live Podcast show
Links
Wolfpack: Inside Hitler's U-Boat War
IWM Live
Roger on X
Ollie Links
Email me: [email protected]
Ollie on Twitter / X

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51 min

About History Book Club

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the History Book Club - the club for all lovers of history, presented by writer and historian Oliver Webb-Carter. Oliver interviews authors of the best historical writing, to draw out the stories that you'll be interested in.