The Battle of France and the Flight to D...

This 2023 episode covers how humans have worked on ways to make garments water resistant almost since they started to wear them. But figuring out how to manufacture a raincoat using rubber was a big breakthrough that took centuries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat ... Show More

Holly and Tracy discuss how frustrating Charles Goodyear could be. Then Holly talks a lot about shoes and how much she loves them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

The evolution from leather-soled shoes of the 19th century to the sneakers people wear today started slowly, then built momentum. Many of the big names in sneakers today got their start surprisingly early in the process. Research: “A Column for the Girls.” Brooklyn Eagle. July 28 ... Show More

Things were going very badly for the French, but then the Germans gave them a bit of a breather. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about ... Show More

How much do you know about the relationship between the Royal Navy and pirates during the Second World War? Vichy France, Hawker Typhoons, and a Jamaican epic are the topics on today's podcast - plus there's also a sneak preview of James' latest book on Italy during the War... A ... Show More

Thousands of nurses begin landing in France, some of them never to return. Codebreakers at Bletchley Park decrypt German communications, feeding vital intel to the front lines. Female pilots dodge German fighters in the skies above Britain. And on a sinking hospital ship in the C ... Show More

Al Murray and James Holland continue to narrate the story of D-Day in stunning detail. In today’s episode they spend time focusing on an often untold stories of the invasion - the massive minelaying operation, and the first men to land at Pegasus Bridge. Next up, The Beaches. In ... Show More

In the dead of night, airborne troops become the first Allied soldiers to set foot in France. Engineless gliders carrying men and equipment crash-land behind enemy lines. A paratrooper lands on a church steeple… yet somehow survives the battle. And, with Pegasus Bridge in the cro ... Show More

A mysterious radio broadcast summons help from behind enemy lines. British spies steal their way through France, as Resistance operatives sabotage key German targets. Civilians gather vital intelligence while hiding in plain sight. And a wave of brutal reprisals horrifies the Fre ... Show More

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 ... Show More

Do commanders matter? Were the British generals effective or "foppish"? How did the Allies rebound from huge losses such as the Battle of Dunkirk to victories like Alamein and D-Day? Tom and Dominic are joined by Al Murray to discuss all this and more, following the release of Al ... Show More

Seven thousand ships depart Britain. The King intervenes to prevent Churchill from personally crossing the Channel. On board, soldiers prepare themselves in whatever ways they can - fevered prayers, photos of loved ones, slap-up meals. As dawn breaks, the first Allied landing cra ... Show More

It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this.By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the history books.W ... Show More