History Book Club

By Oliver Webb-CarterNews Arts Books Politics History

History Book Club episodes

August 22, 2025 The Wars of the Roses Part Five: The Princes in the Tower
In August of 1483 a sighting was reported of two young boys playing in the grounds of the Tower of London. Rumours spread that these were the two princes, Edward V and his younger brother Richard Duke of York. It was the last time they were seen again, and ever since, speculation has been rife that their uncle, Richard III had them killed, or, and this is perhaps less likely, they managed to escape abroad.
So began the reign of Richard III as Derek Birks, author of the Guide to the Wars of the Roses and David Pilling, author of Kingbreaker join me to discuss the enduring mystery of what happened to the princes.
Links
A Guide to the Wars of the Roses, by Derek Birks
Kingbreaker: Rebel and Traitor, by David Pilling
Kingmaker Board Game
Aspects of History Links
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54 min
August 19, 2025 The Wars of the Roses Part Four: The Fall of the Kingmaker
Welcome to episode 4 of this 6 part special on the Wars of the Roses. Today’s episode sees Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, make plans which soon fall apart.
Joining me are two historians, Derek Birks, the author of the Guide to the Wars of the Roses, and David Pilling, author of Kingbreaker.
You’ll get two episodes per week, and so hopefully will emerge from August with a superior knowledge of a conflict that was an early civil war, and which formed England for the next few hundred years. All the great characters are here, Elizabeth Woodville, Henry VI, Queen Margaret, Warwick the Kingmaker, Edward IV, Richard III and finally Henry Tudor.
Links
A Guide to the Wars of the Roses, by Derek Birks
Kingbreaker: Rebel and Traitor, by David Pilling
Kingmaker Board Game
Aspects of History Links
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Ollie on X
Aspects of History on Instagram
Get in touch: [email protected]

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36 min
August 15, 2025 The Wars of the Roses Part Three: Edward IV
Welcome to episode 3 of this 6 part special on the Wars of the Roses. Today Edward IV emerges as the great new hope for the Yorkist cause now that his father, Richard Duke of York is dead.
Joining me are two historians, Derek Birks, the author of the Guide to the Wars of the Roses, and David Pilling, author of Kingbreaker.
You’ll get two episodes per week, and so hopefully will emerge from August with a superior knowledge of a conflict that was an early civil war, and which formed England for the next few hundred years. All the great characters are here, Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Margaret, Warwick the Kingmaker, Edward IV, Richard III and finally Henry Tudor.
Links
A Guide to the Wars of the Roses, by Derek Birks
Kingbreaker: Rebel and Traitor, by David Pilling
Kingmaker Board Game
Aspects of History Links
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Ollie on X
Aspects of History on Instagram
Get in touch: [email protected]

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35 min
August 12, 2025 The Wars of the Roses Part Two: The Death of York
Welcome to episode 2 of this 6 part special on the Wars of the Roses as today we deal with the fall of Richard Duke of York.
Joining me are two historians, Derek Birks, the author of the Guide to the Wars of the Roses, and David Pilling, author of KingBreaker.
You’ll get two episodes per week, and so hopefully will emerge from August with a superior knowledge of a conflict that was an early civil war, and which formed England for the next few hundred years. All the great characters are here, Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Margaret, Warwick the Kingmaker, Edward IV, Richard III and finally Henry Tudor.
Links
A Guide to the Wars of the Roses, by Derek Birks
Kingbreaker: Rebel and Traitor, by David Pilling
Kingmaker Board Game
Aspects of History Links
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Ollie on X
Aspects of History on Instagram
Get in touch: [email protected]

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41 min
August 08, 2025 The Wars of the Roses Part One: The Rise of York
Welcome to the first of 6 episodes on the Wars of the Roses. Over the next few weeks we’ll be starting with the Battle of St. Alban’s in 1455, all the way up to the Battle of Bosworth thirty years later in 1485 when Richard definitely said, "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"
Joining me are two historians, Derek Birks, the author of the Guide to the Wars of the Roses, and David Pilling, author of Kingbreaker.
You’ll get two episodes per week, and so hopefully will emerge from August with a superior knowledge of a conflict that was an early civil war, and which formed England for the next few hundred years. All the great characters are here: Henry VI, Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Margaret, Warwick the Kingmaker, Edward IV, Richard III and finally Henry Tudor.
Links
A Guide to the Wars of the Roses, by Derek Birks
Kingbreaker: Rebel and Traitor, by David Pilling
Kingmaker Board Game
The Causes of the Wars of the Roses
Aspects of History Links
Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99
Ollie on X
Aspects of History on Instagram
Get in touch: [email protected]

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39 min
August 01, 2025 Prince Rupert of the Rhine with Mark Turnbull
On Sunday 23 October 1642, at Edgehill during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Parliament and the Royalists met on the field of battle. In an inconclusive engagement, both sides left the field largely intact, but one man’s name would be known throughout England. Prince Rupert of the Rhine led a stunning cavalry charge on the King’s right flank, breaking through the Parliamentarians. But, as with so many cavalry advances, the thrill got the better of him and he pressed his attack too far, thus threatening the infantry.
Rupert’s reputation grew however, but who was this foreign prince? Mark Turnbull joins to discuss this brilliant soldier, sailor and renaissance man. Mark has written a new book that has found new material, not easy in a crowded field.
Episode Links
Prince Rupert of the Rhine: King Charles I’s Cavalier Commander
Aspects of History Links
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55 min
July 25, 2025 Ukraine's Foreign Legion with Colin Freeman
On 27th February 2022, three days after the Russians invaded Ukraine, President Zelensky sent out the call for volunteers from abroad to join the Ukrainians in resisting Putin’s so called special military operation. Over 20,000 expressed interest, but for those that made it out onto the front lines, combat proved far more difficult, and less romantic, than it had first appeared.
Joining today is Colin Freeman, author of The Mad and the Brave, the thrilling account of life in the Foreign Legion for those volunteers fighting Russia. We discuss the struggles, motivations and courage of these extraordinary men.
Episode Links
The Mad & the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine's Foreign Legion
Want to join up? Join the Brave
Aspects of History Links
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50 min
July 22, 2025 Film Club: The Thin Red Line (1998)
This month’s film club is the Terrence Malick 1998 masterpiece The Thin Red Line starring Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, John Cusack, John Travolta and Woody Harrelson, among many others. We talk the Adrien Brody cut, the military elements, comparisons with Saving Private Ryan and much more. It’s me, historian Roger Moorhouse and filmmaker Tim Hewitt talking The Thin Red Line.
Links
Adrien Brody on his being cut from The Thin Red Line.
Christopher Plummer & George Clooney on Terrence Malick.
Ollie on X
Tim on X
Roger on X
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1 hr 13 min
July 18, 2025 Nelson's Pathfinders with Michael Barritt
In 1795 the Admiralty established the Royal Navy’s Hydrography office, which became the world leader in charting the waters of the globe, as ships of the line sailed the oceans, pursuing their traditional enemy, the French. Treacherous waters were navigated with a skill that is quite breathtaking, and laid the groundwork, along with Trafalgar, for a century of domination of the waves.
Joining today is historian and Royal Navy veteran Michael Barritt, author of Nelson’s Pathfinders, himself a hydrographer, as he explains the growth of the discipline, and how it was used to help the great admirals of the navy including Collingwood and Nelson.
Episode Links
Nelson's Pathfinders: A Forgotten Story in the Triumph of British Sea Power
Michael Barritt on The Battle of Trafalgar
Aspects of History Links
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48 min
July 11, 2025 Iran's Grand Strategy with Vali Nasr
On 13 June of this year, one month ago, Israeli forces launched aerial and drone attacks on Iran thus beginning what is now called the Twelve Day War or the Iran-Israel War. The coverage here in the West has focussed on whether the bombing has been successful, but is there a strategic goal in place that takes into account Iran’s strategy?
Perhaps, but my guest today is Vali Nasr who has written a new book, Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History, which is both timely, and unusual in that it seeks to examine Iran’s Islamic regime from its own point of view, and so not through our Western lens. We discuss the events that have moulded the Iran at loggerheads with Israel and the US today.
Vali Nasr Links
Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History
Vali Nasr - Wikipedia
Aspects of History Links
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47 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.