247. Monty & Patton vs. the Nazis

What are the origins of the legendary Joan of Arc, the famous French maid who saved France from the English during the Hundred Years’ War, dressed all the while in men’s clothes? Why is hers one of the most remarkable stories of all time? And, was she really under divine influenc ...  Afficher plus

Was Richard Wagner a revolutionary artist who reshaped music forever, or an egotists mired in scandal, whose dangerous ideas were inseparable from the operas he created? How did the legendary worlds encapsulated in his bombastic music - featuring gods, heroes, and monsters - beco ...  Afficher plus

After over a month on the ground fighting through fields and villages, the Allies have forced a retreat by Nazi High Command. The fightback has begun in Western Europe. Al Murray and James Holland assess Allied victory, losses and our memory of June 1944. In the biggest series of ...  Afficher plus

May 1944, it is clear to Erwin Rommel that the Allied counter attack is just a few weeks away. The answer is simple - defend the Atlantic Wall. But Nazi infighting and ludicrous top-down decision making has led to chaos on the Western Front. With the 6th June just days away - the ...  Afficher plus

Was the Duke of Marlborough Britain's greatest ever military commander? How did Britain face down the challenge of an expansionist France? And did soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars feel that they were living in the shadow of the Royal Navy? Military historian Saul David talks t ...  Afficher plus

The Battle of the Somme was supposed to be the joint British-French offensive that would win the First World War. A string of battles spread over five months, it involved everything from cavalry charges, poison gas, and the debut of the tank. But the Somme was anything but victor ...  Afficher plus