Aspects of History

The editor of Aspects of History, Ollie Webb-Carter, interviews historians and authors on the past - from the ancient world right up to the modern day. In each episode, Ollie seeks to get to the bottom of a story or scrutinise a figure from history. There are bonus episodes too, from current events and anniversaries to the Aspects of History Film Club.

History
Arts
Books
1
Monuments to War with Tessa Dunlop
On 8 June 1982 the Sir Galahad troop ship was about to offload the Welsh Guards at Bluff Cove in the Falkland Islands. As the guardsmen were waiting, an Argentine Skyhawk attacked and the Galahad was hit. 48 men were killed, and 97 wounded, among them Simon Weston.
47 min
2
Film Club: Downfall (2004)
This month’s movie is Downfall, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and starring Bruno Ganz, the depiction of the last days of Adolf Hitler as we reach the 80th anniversary.
80 min
3
The Siege of Leningrad with Sinclair McKay
In August 1941 Army Group North of the Wehrmacht approached the suburbs of Leningrad, as St. Petersburg was called. Within days the city was surrounded, and would remain so for nearly two and a half years.
43 min
4
WW2 Titans: Churchill, Brooke & Ismay, with Joh...
On 25th December 1941, General Alan Brooke was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the commanding officer of the British Army during the Second World War. His new boss, Winston Spencer Churchill was a hard taskmaster with high standards who had no problem with sacking generals. But, he had a helping hand in the form of General Pug Ismay, soldier, statesman and diplomat.
48 min
5
WW2 Family History and the 1980s with Helen Led...
Today’s guest is Helen Lederer, actress, comedian, writer and the author of Not That I’m Bitter, her life’s memoir which includes the 1980s comedy scene, and her family story during the Second World War
40 min
6
The Greek Revolution with Yanni Kotsonis
On 17 March 1821 the Greek Revolution began in the small town of Areopoli, part of the Mani Peninsula in the Peloponnese.
50 min
7
Film Club: Cross of Iron (1977)
Welcome to Aspects of History’s film club. Every month we pick a historical film and chat about it with myself, filmmaker Tim Hewitt and historian Roger Moorhouse. This month it’s Cross of Iron starring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason and David Warner. We chat about the movie then it’s our awards including the much coveted Simon Baker award for best performance. Links Cross of Iron on Wikipedia Cross of Iron on IMDB 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: history@aspectsofhistory.com
58 min
8
Women's History with Miranda Malins & Sarah Gri...
During March we’ve had Women’s History Month, and in that vein I invited two Aspects of History authors on to discuss.
35 min
9
Hadrian's Wall with Alistair Tosh
In around 108AD, the Legio IX Hispania, or the Ninth Legion, a unit of just over 5,000 men, was last recorded at York in Britannia, and possibly heading north towards Caledonia, modern day Scotland.
37 min
10
Operation Varsity with Saul David
On the morning of 24th March 1945 the British and Canadian 6th Airborne Division and the American 17th Airborne Division began parachuting into German held territory on the eastern side of the River Rhine.
39 min
11
The Vietnam War, Part Two: Breakdown with Geoff...
As the Vietnam War progressed, discipline among US troops began to deteriorate, to the stage where incidents of ‘fragging’ – the practice of killing officers and NCOs with grenades – became more widespread, as did the shooting of officers when out on patrol or during contact.
40 min
12
The Vietnam War, Part One: Quagmire with Geoffr...
On 8 March 1965 at Da Nang in South Vietnam, 3,500 Marines landed thus marking the beginning of US combat troops in Vietnam.
40 min
13
Ukraine with Gordon Corrigan
A quick bonus episode and discussion on Ukraine with Gordon Corrigan for you as I was keen to get his thoughts in light of his successful Substack writing, and to follow on from Saturday’s episode.
33 min
14
Putin's War with Philip W Blood
In 416BC, during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, the island of Melos was a non-combatant. Strategically located in the middle of the Aegean, The Athenians arrived and demanded Melos surrender and thus be absorbed into their empire.
61 min
15
Film Club: The Third Man (1949)
Welcome to a delayed Film Club and it’s The Third Man, Carol Reed’s 1949 masterpiece starring Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and of course, Orson Welles from a script by Graham Greene.
64 min
16
Churchill's Right Hand Man with John Kiszely
In late 1941 Winston Churchill lost his temper with his top generals over their disagreement in supplying Stalin with tanks and aircraft. Their obstruction caused a furious row at the heart of the British government.
44 min
17
The Causes of the Wars of the Roses: Part Two, ...
In this second and concluding part on the Causes of the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI fails in his kingly duties, and rival factions were gain strength across England.
30 min
18
The Causes of the Wars of the Roses: Part One, ...
On 31 August 1422 Henry V, England’s finest king, died aged 35. His successor, Henry VI was only 9 months old and so his uncle, and Henry V’s brother, John, Duke of Talbot, became regent and continued the war in France. The young Henry was a gentle child, and most worrying for England he lacked a monarch as mentor, and so little understanding of how to handle the politics of kingship in the 15th century.
30 min
19
The Nazi Mind with Laurence Rees
During Nazi rule it is estimated that 8 million Germans were members of the party, that’s around 10% of the population.
50 min
20
The Nazis & the German Royal Family with Stepha...
On 9th November 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the German crown and retired to Holland where he learnt Dutch and began a passion for archaeology. But during the rise of the Nazis hope was raised that he could once more stride the imperial stage arm in arm with Adolf Hitler.
46 min
21
Athens, Sparta and Honour with Paul A. Rahe
In a continuation of Saturday’s discussion with Paul Rahe, we delve into the Peloponnesian War after the Sicilian Expedition, as the Spartans take Persian gold to subdue their democratic rivals Athens.
33 min
22
Athens, Sparta and the Sicilian Expedition with...
In 415BC, the Athenian Empire, during a lull in the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans, voted to embark on a massive campaign to capture Syracuse.
29 min
23
The Mafia & the Kennedys with Louis Ferrante Pa...
On the 22nd November 1963 President John F Kennedy was assassinated…..by Lee Harvey Oswald right?
33 min
24
The Mafia & the Kennedys with Louis Ferrante Pa...
In early 1957, the Robert F Kennedy and his brother Jack were part of the US Senate Rackets Committee and they both attacked the notorious Jimmy Hoffa, the leader of the Teamsters union and a man with numerous connections to the mob.
31 min
25
Film Club: Salvador (1986)
On the 2nd December 1980, four American nuns were driving from San Salvador international airport when their van was attacked and run off the road. Men from the El Salvador National Guard, the ruling government’s military, dressed in civilian clothing, raped, shot, then buried the four women.
59 min