Bloody Violent History

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Mutiny

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 5 Dec 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1.Intro 2.Mutiny through the ages 3.Naval Mutiny 4.Army Mutiny 5.Air Force Mutiny ps The Wagner Group

There is always an underlying grievance. Jamie and Tom dive into the history of Mutiny.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Mobster

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James jackson) — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1.Mob Rule 2.Power Play 3.The Hit 4.Global Rampage PS ' The 5 Families'

Organised crime has huge resources, wealth, high political connections. They own and operate billion dollar corporations. Jamie and Tom take a look at the underworld - the mafia man, the gangster, the mobster.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Massacre

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton & James Jackson) — Tue, 7 Nov 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1.Intro 2.Foundation 3. Genocide 4.Rampage 5.Explotation 6.Cull ps St Valentine's Day Massacre

Jamie and Tom take a long look at Massacre - the wholesale, indiscriminate killing of persons.

This episode was recorded before Palestinian Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilian men, women and children on 7th october 2023.

It is a difficult subject so we have split it into 5 sub headings, listed above.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reference:

Richard 1 and the Massacre at Acre - reportage

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

on Royalty with Hugo Vickers

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Hugo Vickers, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Royalty v Republic 2. The 'Crown' tv show 3. Princess Alice, the Duke of Edinburgh's mother 4. Mad, bad and bonkers 5. Modernisation of the Royal Family. 6. Conclusion

Tom talks with the UK's pre-eminent expert on royalty, Hugo Vickers. He has written many biographies of 20th century figures, including Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Andrew of Greece, and the Queen Mother. His book, The Quest for Queen Mary, sold 40,000 copies in various forms. He has attacked the fifty episodes of the Netflix series of The Crown – in his book, The Crown Dissected (2019), all of which are available as an e-book.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref:

Hugo Vickers

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Black on Black Slavery - Bloody Bites #20

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Jamie goes solo to keep you up to speed with tech, tactics and time honoured aspects in war, conflict and adversity. These 'Bloody Bites' are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Contagion part 2

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Chapters cont... 4. Dysentery 5. Typhoid & Cholera 6. Yellow Fever, Typhus and Malaria 7. Small Pox 8. Aids to Covid ps Biological Warfare

The second and concluding part to our dive into the story of Contagion.

Mankind has defeated all comers in the struggles we have had with the animal kingdom – no sabre-tooth tiger, crocodile or shark has been able to stall the Ascent of man … except perhaps our microscopic competitors; pathogens in the form of a virus, bacteria or God forbid, fungus. Throughout our history these miniscule machines of death have destroyed huge numbers of people across the planet. And we, humans, seem to positively encourage their many successes with our move to urbanisation, our migrations, our wars. Pestilence and plague seem to follow our every geopolitical convulsion. These crafty pathogens find any convenient vector to invade our fragile bodies – they are in the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breath.

From the distant past to the present day ‘Plagues’ have been sawing at the trunk of human progress: in this episode we take a tour through their greatest hits. Pity the poor Pangolin.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Contagion part 1

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Introduction 2.The Plague ... to be continued

From the distant past to the present day ‘Plagues’ have been sawing at the trunk of human progress: in this episode we take a tour through their greatest hits. Pity the poor Pangolin.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reading by David Hartley - The Black Death, 1348, Henry Knighton

See also:

https://www.bloodyviolenthistory.com/episodes

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Royals in War part 2

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Chapters cont... 4. Anglo Norman period 5. Medieval 6. Early Modern 7. C20 &21 ps The Queen Mother

The concluding section to 'Royals in War', continuing from th previous episode. But before we go any further, please

SHARE this podcast with a friend – do it now

To be King, Queen, Pharaoh, Tsar or Emperor a person had to gain power over people, a person had to hold power over people and lastly that person had to pass that power onto their successor of choice.

‘War should be the only study of a Prince. He should consider peace only as breathing time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans’. Yes Machiavelli; despite being tortured by a prince, was still clear headed enough to understand what a prince, a king, had to do to stay on top. In peacetime a king can maintain his power with spectacles, tournaments and Royal progression across him realm – bread and circuses. But when a challenge looms, war is not far behind. The ruler must don his amour and lead his men to victory. Or death.

Even as young democracies emerged, kings, with their conviction upheld by Divine Right, would only reluctantly surrender the levers of power when a sharp blade is held to their throat. How can monarchs gain, hold and pass on absolute power – have a listen to find out.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

https://www.bloodyviolenthistory.com/episodes

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Royals in War part 1

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1.Setting the Scene 2. Classical World 3. Dark Ages. Chapters 4 to 8 in the next episode

Today’s episode is Bloody and Violent, but before we go any further, please

SHARE this podcast with a friend – do it now

Thank you. Many of you will recognise the opening quote from the fictional TV series A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. It may be fiction but it doesn’t mean the sentiment isn’t true. What Cersei said. Before democracy, sovereigns ruled – often with absolute power over their court, their military, their subjects. To be King, Queen, Pharaoh, Tsar or Emperor a person had to gain power over people, a person had to hold power over people and lastly that person had to pass that power onto their successor of choice.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Royal Gems - Bloody Bites #19

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 1 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. British Crown Jewels 3. European Crown Jewels 4. Beyond Europe 5. ps Bling for Today

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

A Skull - Desperate Retreats, #18 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Fight or Flight 2. Deliverance 3. Embarrassing Retreats 4. Arduous 5. Catastrophic 6. ps Trafalgar

Today we are going to discuss the contentious issue of going backwards in war. And no, we are not just talking about certain nations driving their tanks with 10 reverse gears. We are talking about retreat, generally seen as a bad thing and withdrawal, sometimes seen as not such a bad thing. As Demosthenes put it ‘Sometimes you need to live to fight another day’. And we’ve seen leaders turn disaster into triumph – Rourke’s Drift, the evacuation at Dunkirk comes to mind. The US General Smith coined perhaps the best phrase for it when describing his military reverse ferret, at the Chosin Reservoir retreat by UN forces in the early stages of the Korean War in 1950. General McArthur ordered him to retreat and his reply, ‘Retreat, hell we’re not retreating we’re just advancing in the wrong direction’. It’s a known feature in war that the time of highest danger for men in battle is if they run, and the retreat turns into a rout. Many of the great massacres in battle begin with a disordered group of soldiers running from the battlefield, as happened in 1416 at the battle of Towton the greatest slaughter of men on English soil.

Today we’ll look at four categories of retreat, Deliverance, the Embarrassing retreat, the Arduous and the Catastrophic. We should remember Churchill’s line in his great Dunkirk speech, ‘Wars are not won by evacuations’. However, a successful withdrawal can allow those men to live, to fight another day. Jamie and Tom discuss.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Forgotten Battles - Bloody Bites #18

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James jackson, James Jackson) — Tue, 4 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Antiquity 3. Crusaders 4. Middle Ages 5. C18 6. C19 7. C20 8. postscript

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Civil War (Upheaval pt 3 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. The Violence of Civil War 2. England 3. Ireland 4. America 5. Russia 6. Europe 7. Africa 8. China 9. Democracy or Bread and Order

There is nothing more brutal than when a country goes to war with itself. The scale of horrors almost always descends from the battlefield to ragged lines of refugees, violent insurgency, mass starvation, and long term schismatic destruction. Towns are divided, the country sunders into ragged parts. Throw in a giant dollop of religion or ideology and very quickly the people will be consumed by all manner of violence.

In this episode we are going to look at some examples - there are no good wars (although there can be just wars) but civil war, brother against brother, is probably the worst.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reference:

Extracts from The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue by Frederick Forsyth

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Spy Plane - Bloody Bites #17

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 6 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Ancient spies to the 19th century 2. WW1 & WW2 3. Cold War 4. ps Drones and planes

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Armed Merchantmen - Bloody Bites #16

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 23 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Spy Ships 3. Merchant Raider WW 1 & 2 4. Cold War Spy Trawlers 5. Middle East 6. ps Future Roles

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Dambusters Raid (16 May 1943) with Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Hugh macdonald-Buchanan, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 9 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Genesis 2. The People 3. The Plan - Operation Chastise 4. Aftermath

On the night of 16th May 1943, 133 men of the Royal Air Force, in 19 Lancaster Bombers, flew a daring mission to destroy the Dams in Germany’s Ruhr valley. Flying at night, at low level, these intrepid men destroyed 2 out of 3 of the dams. 1,300 where killed on the ground. 8 out of the 19 bombers didn’t return. 3 airmen were taken prisoner. Of the 133 men who took part in the Dam Buster’s Raid, 53 were killed.

This is perhaps the most famous story of a bombing mission in WW2.

I first heard today’s guest give a terrific description Op Chastise at the Turf Club a couple of years ago, and I’m very pleased he is with us today in person. Welcome back to the podcast, Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan.

and so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reference & Readings:

Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson

Bomber Harris by Henry Probart

Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan http://www.hmbtourguide.co.uk

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Driftwood - Disastrous Expeditions, #17 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Reality Bites 2. Cannibals 3. Desert & Jungle 4. Mountain 5. Sea 6. The Odd Triumph 7. Aviation 8. Outer Space 9. postscript

I hope you have calibrated your compass and zeroed your altimeter - for we are about to set off on a journey of exploration. Anyone who has led any sort of life will have embarked on an expedition or two: some more hair raising than others, but things can still go awry at Centre Parks as they do paddling up the Limpopo or straddling Crib Goch wearing your grand father's tweed suit and a pair of wellies.

But in the field of human endeavour there are some expeditions which end in a truly disastrous manner. Humans love to explore and set records: on land, at the Poles, at sea, in the air and in outer space. And some of these are undertaken by the amateur, who may be ill prepared or subject to bad luck. So let's get in amongst the bodies dangling from mountain tops, frozen in the ice or bobbing amongst the waves awaiting a call from Bruce. Jamie and Tom summon the ghost of Phileas Fogg and describe how often, on expeditions, reality bites.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

Ref.

Cannibal Song, Flanders & Swam

Michel Montaigne Essays, Of Cannibals

Ronald Reagan broadcast, Space Shuttle Challenger - disaster

See also:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/447683/a-dangerous-enterprise-by-spicer-tim/9781999589134

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Gun Boat Warriors and Secret Agents - 15th MGB Flotilla with Colonel Tim Spicer

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tim Spicer, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Today we talk about a subject close to our hearts on this show – what happens when the Brits get in touch with their inner pirate. To help me I am joined by Colonel Tim Spicer OBE. Tim had an illustrious career in the army, including commanding his Regiment, the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. He then had 20 years running Private Military Security businesses; founding both Sandline International and Aegis Defence Services. He has published ‘A Dangerous Enterprise: Secret War at Sea'. It is a brilliant example of a few brave men, at great odds to themselves, making an important and vital difference to the prosecution of the war against Nazi Germany.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

A Dangerous Enterprise, Secret War at Sea by Col. Tim Spicer OBE

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Tank - Bloody Bites #15

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson) — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Evolution 3. WW2, all grown up 4. The Funnies 5. C20 & C21 - Battles 6. Ukraine 7. ps In Extremis

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Hastings (14 Oct 1066) with Allan Mallinson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Allan Mallinson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 01:00:00 +0000

On 14th Oct, northwest of the town of Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon army of the English King Harold met and fought the invading Norman army of the Duke of Normandy, later to be known as William the Conqueror. This was the moment, the turning point in English history, still considered today as the last successful invasion of the British Isles by a foreign army. The Battle roiled from dawn to dusk – a long, bloody and exhausting encounter – at the end William was victorious and Harold was dead.

Tom interviews the historian and novelist, Allan Mallinson, who has written extensively on military matters. His latest book, ‘The Shape of Battle’ was published in 2021 and is a study of why battles are fought, and to do this he examines 6 military encounters, all of which took place in the preceding one thousand years. The first of these is the Battle of Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings ended the Anglo-Saxon rule in England. Under the Norman rule of William the Conqueror the feudal organisation of the country began.

and so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reference:

The Shape of Battle by Allan Mallinson

Face of Battle by John Keegan

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Missile - Bloody Bites #14

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. The Missile 3. Comparing today's missiles with the past 4. The beginning 5. Air to air missiles 6. Air to surface missiles 7. The range extends - surface to air 8. Ballistic missiles and interceptors 9. Lasers, particle beams and railguns

Jamie goes solo while we are on our end of series break. These 'Bloody Bites' are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Kidnap of General Kreipe, Patrick Leigh Femor, Crete, Feb to May 1944 with Rick Stroud

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Rick Stroud, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 01:00:00 +0000

We examine an iconic event from World War Two carried out by Greek and British members of the Special Operations Executive. The SOE. To help me with this is I am joined by Rick Stroud. Rick, a director of film and television, has also published a number of books, mostly within the military sphere. His latest, Lonely Courage, is the true story of SOE heroines in WW2. As some of you know we published our own episode on Twentieth Century Heroines last year (that being Episode 11).

In 2014 Rick published Kidnap in Crete, the true story of the Abduction of a Nazi General. This is our subject today.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Route taken by PLF across Crete: https://patrickleighfermor.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/imgp5485.jpg

Rick Stroud latest book: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Lonely-Courage/Rick-Stroud/9781471155666

Reading: Kidnap in Crete by Rick Stroud

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Insurgent (Upheaval pt2 or 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1.Intro 2. Soft Underbelly 3.An Old Profession 4. US Civil War 5. Boer War 6. Latin America 7. Lawrence of Arabia 8. World War 2 9. Cold War 10. Afghanistan 11. What have we learnt PS Ukraine

As this podcast demonstrates, Insurgency is one of the world’s oldest professions. It is a chance for the oppressed or the invaded to push back, to challenge the larger force with unconventional and guerrilla tactics. Whether assassination or ambush, punji stakes or IEDs, the Insurgent has many tricks and answers to the larger enemy. The Chinese strategist Tzu Su argued it was a key aspect of warfare, and today it is as relevant as it ever was. Spartacus used such methods, as did TE Lawrence. Indeed, even Lawrence’s approach to demolishing bridges – leaving them upright but destroyed – is a formula adopted by Ukraine when attacking the Kerch Strait bridge in Crimea.

The indirect approach and keeping the enemy off balance; Insurgency embraces it all.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reference:

Reportage by TE Lawrence, Sep 1918

See also:

https://www.napoleon-series.org/images/military/maps/1815/waterloo1.jpg

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Waterloo (18 Jun 1815) with Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Hugh Macdonal-Buchanan, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1.Intro 2. Lead up to the Campaign (2:07) 3. Commanders (9:17) 4. Weapons (30:37) 5. Lead up to the Battle (41:16) 6. The Battle of Waterloo (58:20) 7. Key Moments/Hot Points (1:49:20) 8. Troops, Tactics and Tech (1:52:50) 9. Individuals in Action (1:58:58) 10. Conclusion and Aftermath

Today we are going to talk about the famous Battle of Waterloo which took place on 18thJune 1815 just south of Brussels. This was the finale, the culminating contest between Napoleon and his reconstituted French Army after his escape from exile on Elba, and the British and the nations of the 7th Alliance, most notably the Prussians. It was a vicious and bloody day with more than 20,000 causalities on the Alliance side and more than 40,000 on the French. To gain a true understanding of something as complex as a battle, a visit to the site is paramount. Today we give you the next best thing. I have with me an historian and expert on the Napoleonic period, who has taken many lecture tours to Napoleonic battlefields, and especially Waterloo.

and so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reference:

Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan http://www.hmbtourguide.co.uk

Face of Battle by John Keegan

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Despot (Upheaval pt1 or 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 3 Jan 2023 01:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Dust to Dust 3.Making of a Monster 4. Taking and Holding Power 5.Tyranny by Example 6.Hubris and Downfall 7. The Enlightened Despot? PS Woke - The Modern Tyranny

Tyrants have populated every century, from the ancient pharaohs through the monsters of the twentieth century Vladimir Putin today. They leave in their wake a trail of blood and their institutions and legacy often involve systematic torture and abuse of power, and the occasional invasion of neighbours. Some are outsiders, many are psychopathic, and all have delusions of grandeur and megalomania. Uniforms and military parades, vast economic schemes and a misreading of the political runes often accompany their rise and fall. What starts as a radical or revolutionary movement which can all too frequently end in a bunker and oblivion. The shadow of Ozymandias is dark and powerful. This is the tale of the despot.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reference:

Blood Rock by James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

The Knights Templar - Bloody Bites #13

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 12:52:34 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Code Breaker - Bloody Bites #12

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 6 Dec 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref. Sir Arthur Harris Bt, audio memoir

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Drone 2 - Bloody Bites #11

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Series Two Concludes - Summary 2022

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 8 Nov 2022 01:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. E58 - Battle of Britain 3. E55 - Gladiator 4. E59 - Artillery 5. E47, 53 & 62 - Bloody Russia 6. Banditry 7. E48,49 & 50 - I.E.D 8. What’s coming in 2023

Bloody Violent History Season 2 is drawing to a close - this being our valedictory episode for 2022. James Jackson and I have published 29 episodes since our last summary in 2021. I hope you agree the range has been wide and that you have enjoyed our output. Listen to all episodes on our website or via your podcast app. Please send us feedback and requests to talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com – we read and respond to all your messages.

And fear not the airways wont collapse into silence on this channel – Jamie will record a Bloody Bite for you, to keep you ticking over until the New Year. So if you haven’t listened to our show yet, or need a gentle reminder of what we like to talk about, here are some snippets from 2022.

So it goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Interrogation & Torture - Bloody Bites #10

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Bloody Bites are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Bloody Russia pt 3 - End Game

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Mindset 3. Defence and Offence 4. Air 5. Artillery 6. Armour 7. Naval 8. Asymmetric Warfare 9. Winter & Spring Thaw

Today we're going to take a third look at the war being waged by Russia against Ukraine. 215 days have passed since the invasion began. In that time we've seen the Russian offensive stopped and then pushed back from Kiev and now Kharkiv in the east. And so Putin, inspired perhaps by his St Petersburg’s rat story, is doubling down, making threats proclaiming annexed Ukrainian territory is now part of mother Russia, rattling the nuclear sabre. But this won't work, the Ukrainians are winning, they are highly motivated, morale is strong and the culmination approaches. And the endgame for Putin’s Russia.

Now of course we don't know what will happen to Russia and Putin: perhaps some murky figure from the FSB (ex KGB) will remove Putin and after a couple of days silence we will be introduced to the new leader of the Russian Federation. Or if the Russians get lucky (and the rest of us into the bargain) there will be a citizen's revolution like the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine in February 2014, the war curtailed and a real attempt at democracy beginning in Russia. A third option, Putin is removed by the army, but don't hold your breath on this, the army is a mess and run by incompetents and crooks; as we've seen Sergei Shoigu, head of the army, is an engineer by profession. Lastly the Russian Federation might just collapse, the empire sundering into a mish-mash of countries and fiefdoms, no doubt ready to argue with their neighbours about borders and some with access to nuclear weapons. We don't want that.

No doubt there are other possibilities, but whatever we think, Putin is finished, in some fashion Russia will collapse and most important Ukraine will win the war

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Traitor

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Moving Target 3. Throwback 4. Scapegoat and Redemption 5. Cold War p.s. Judas Iscariot

Traitors have always been the most hated and vilified of creatures. And rightly so. Often it involves the very survival of a tribe, nation or belief and the traitor is the viper at the heart of the body politic. We all know their names and whether it is Kim Philby or Aldrich Ames, Klaus Fuchs or the Rosenburgs, they epitomise the worst of human behaviour. There will ever be those who sell out through personal weakness or for thirty pieces of silver. Yet in the more autocratic regimes, anyone can be painted and scapegoated as a traitor. There was the Dreyfus affair in late nineteenth century France fuelled by antisemitism and in Russia today there will surely be those selected by Putin as fall-guys for his own failure.

In this episode we peer into the dark recesses of treachery and statecraft, and discover it is not always as clear-cut and simple as it seems.

so it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Reference:

Cold Cut by James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Outlaw (Banditry pt 3 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 6 Sep 2022 06:57:48 +0000

1. Intro 2. Myth & Psychopathy 3. Ancient & Classical 4. Merry England 5. Wild West 6. Bounty Hunters p.s. Biker Gangs

Whether myth or reality, Robin Hood or Jesse James, the truth behind Outlaws is often darker and more bleak than we suppose. There was a great deal of bloodshed beyond the songs and fictional gun smoke. John Brown was not averse to killing people in cold blood. The bushranger, Ned Kelly, was little more than a robber and a murderer. As for Jesse James, he was a Confederate guerrilla and known participant in the massacre of unarmed Union soldiers. Later still, Bonnie and Clyde died in a hail of gunfire down in Louisiana, having had an infamous career of brutal robberies and car jackings. Free spirits they might have been, but often it was a tale of trial and woe, betrayal and slaughter. They were not nice people.

Like pirates and highwaymen, they join our trio of episodes on Banditry through the centuries. They created hell and were certainly no angels.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

All episodes available on Amazon Podcast

Reading: The Trial of John Brown from Flashman and the Angel of the Lord by George MacDonald Fraser

Clips: John Brown's Body and The Outlaw Josey Wales - The Malpaso Company

Reference: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Artillery

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Today & Ukraine 2. Classical & Biblical Times 3. Medieval Artillery 4. Eighteenth & Nineteenth Century 5. Naval Gunnery 6. World War I & II 7. Back to Today ps The Super Gun

Artillery has been around for millennia. Even Philip of Macedonia and his son, Alexander the Great, were early exponents of artillery on the battlefield, and their techniques and technology were avidly copied and improved apon by the Romans. Whether hurling giant bolts or basilisk rocks, torsion catapults had a devastating effect from the Bible lands to the Iron Age forts of southern England. There was too the use of naphtha, the terrifying heat and flame of wildfire and incendiary ordnance at distances of several hundred yards. Such weapons were even used at sea, with the Greeks deploying ancient flame-throwers.

Later there were trebuchets and mangonels, and eventually the invention of black powder. Siege warfare and then the battlefield itself were to be transformed for ever. Today, we have witnessed the effects of the high mobility rocket system in Ukraine, terminally-guided munitions, and the importance of target spotting drones. Artillery is as integral to the combined arms battle as it ever was.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Amazon Podcast

Reference:

Now All Roads Lead to France, The Last Years of Edward Thomas by Matthew Hollis

Despatch by Samuel Wilkeson from the Battle of Gettysburg 1863

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

We Have Ways Of Making You Talk

Battle of Britain (1940) with James Holland

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Holland, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 9 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Lead up to the Battle 2. The Commanders and the Kit 3. Summary of the Battle @ 43.42 Reading, Richard Hillary cont.... 4. Key moments and Hot points 5. Troops, tactics and tech 6. Some individuals 7. Conclusion and Aftermath

Today we going to discuss the Battle of Britain with James Holland. Fought in the skies above Britain between the Royal Air Force and Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. We are very fortunate to be joined by a historian who has written extensively on the second world war. His 2010 book, the ‘Battle of Britain’, is highly regarded and a must read on the subject. Per Ardua Ad Astra.

This is, our section on some of the most important Battles in History. The Prussian military theorist, Carl von Clausewitz, said that War is Politics by other means. And in war, battles are fought – on land, on sea and in the air. Many are inconclusive, some are a step towards eventual victory and of course the winner of the last battle is generally the victor. We are going to examine some iconic Battles which have either brought a war to a close or have had such an important effect on the war that they have decisively changed its direction and outcome. A very few of these end up defining a conflict or even a nation.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

James Holland's WW2 podcast with Al Murray:

Reference:

Battle of Britain (2010) and Brothers in Arms (2021) by James Holland

The Last Enemy by Flight Lieutenant Richard Hillary

Reach for the Sky by Paul Brickhill

Books recommended by James Holland:

First Light by Geoffrey Wellum

Smoked Trails in the Sky by Tony Bartley

Scramble by Tom Neil

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Terrorist (Violence pt 3 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. The Terrorist in the Ancient world 3. 17th, 18th & 19th Century Terror 4. The Anti-Colonial Wave 5. Extremism and Technology 6. Spectaculars 7. State Sponsored Terrorism and the Lone Wolf 8. The Future p.s. The Reaper

Whether the Sicarii of ancient Judea or Al-Qaeda of modern times, terrorist groups and their accompanying violence have scarred human existence for millennia. Technology and human interdependence – along with the rise of air travel, computing and the advent of high explosives – have ensured that anyone with a grudge or malign political motive, can resort to violence in order to achieve their aims. Sometimes that very violence is an end in itself and the late twentieth century saw the rise of terrorist organisations whose aim was to create as much destruction and bloodshed as possible. The late 1960s saw Palestinian terrorism on the rise, closely followed by the radical left wing European groups such as the Red Army faction. Later, there came the mercenary types such as Abu Nidal and Carlos the Jackal. Finally there came the extremist Islamic groups: Al Qaeda and Isis.

But the tactics of all these groups flowed from the post-Colonial era, when kidnapping, hostage-taking and car bombings were the norm, and often achieved results. This then is the blood-soaked trail, and the placing of terrorist incidents in the context of wider asymmetric threats. Terrorism can be a tool of both the deranged individual and the oppressive state. We ignore such threats at our peril.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading reference:

The Reaper and others articles by James Jackson read by Joe Pelissier

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Highwayman (Banditry pt 2 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Biblical & Classical Highwayman 3. 18th & 19th Century bandits 4. Decline p.s. Backpack murders

There has always been highway robbery. From the tale of the good Samaritan, through ancient China and onto the infamous and murderous Thugees of India, these thieves and cut-throats have made such an impact that their legend and reputation endure. Yet it was in 18th and 19th century Europe, and England in particular, that the romance and modern-day image of the highwayman were forged. There was Dick Turpin and Black Bess, and there was the Wicked Lady. These stories, many untrue, have dominated books and movies ever since. But they represented a high watermark of road building and stagecoaches, and it was all too brief, for urbanisation and policing – not to mention the blunderbuss - outpaced and outgunned these villains on the road.

Where there is unprotected road travel and wealth on the move, there will always be robbers and victims. So deliver up your purse and we will let you enjoy this podcast.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading reference:

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes read by David Hartley

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Gladiator

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Intro 2. Famous gladiators 3. Allure of the gladiator 4. Types 5. Training 6. Gladiatorial spectacular p.s. Mandingo

Gladiators have intruded on the public consciousness for two millennia. Fuelled by books and movies. Yet the truth behind them all is often more vivid and brutal than fiction could ever convey. Training was hard, specialised skills were prized, and the spectacle was all. Bread and circuses. There were horsemen and charioteers, mock naval battles, and dramatic re-enactments of famous Roman victories. Blood was usually demanded. Around the Roman empire, amphitheatres were constructed to take this popular entertainment to the masses and to imprint Roman culture and values, and to carry Roman influence across the world.

Some gladiators became famous, some the lovers of society women, some led revolts or were used as bodyguards by emperors and generals under threat. With the Colosseum still standing and the remains of the gladiator school nearby, this era of history evokes powerful emotions and imaginings. It continues to fascinate to this day.

Stansted Park - Battle of Waterloo event: Stansted Park Summer Jamboree

Also check out our: BVH E2 Cavalry Charge

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Secret Police

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Spanish Inquisition 2. Chinese 3. French Revolution 4. Cheka – KGB - FSB 5. Nazi - Stasi 6. Third World PS The Chinese future

Tyrannies require their servants, and none are more obedient and loyal than the secret police. These are the instruments off oppression and control, the guarantor of regime continuity. Using torture and terror – and with the coercive instruments of state control – they ensure that opponents disappear and criticism is silenced. You will never find secret police in a democracy. As guardians of tyranny, they are more than just intelligence agencies and it is the domestic population that is their target. They pry into private lives and pervert the politics of the state; their instruments range from blackmail to torture, and fear always pervades their activities. In East Germany, the Stasi drove people mad with their subtle psychological games, whilst in Haiti corpses were hung as a voodoo ritual in the trees.

Terror is everywhere and the Secret Police is its executor.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Bloody Russia pt 2 - Tipping Point

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Introduction 2. Evolution of the conflict 3. Where things stand 4. Putin 5. The Battlefield – land, air, sea 6. Predictions and conclusions 7. PS The intelligence game

Over three months in the grinding war in Ukraine, events have shifted their focus to the Donbas. Even here, where the Russians have a distinct advantage in artillery and rocket forces, and where its supply lines are shorter, the Ukrainians continue to go toe to toe with their enemy. Russian gains have been slow and often amount to little more than squeezing out salients and pushing out Ukrainian forces from areas already dominated by Russia. Attrition of Russian forces has been heavy, witnessed by their recourse to 1960’s vintage T62 tanks. Ukrainian losses have also been heavy in this relentless campaign, yet large supplies of weaponry from the US and others will continue to be a game changer and allow Ukraine both to defend its territory and to mount selective counter- offensives. Kherson, northeast Ukraine and the east of the Dnieper will all be areas to watch. Russian failures will continue to mount and its inability to dominate the air space will undermine any offensive thrusts that it chooses to make.

We believe that by the end of August, after a war lasting 6 months, Russia will have truly lost its way and its aggressive impetus.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading reference:

Putin the Putrid - essay by James Jackson Feb 2015 read by Joe Pelissier

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Pickaxe - Secret Sites & Sunken Silos, #16 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 17 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. The Big Reveal 2. Command Bunkers 3. Tunnels and Hidden Holes 4. Spy Bases 5. Secret Airstrips 6. Summary & Postscript

Secret sites have often intrigued. From the bunkers of despots to guerrilla tunnels and underground routes, the subterranean lairs of history sometimes emerge by mistake, redundance or military victory. Most governments have bomb-proof shelters, whether it is the granite-bound command station of Russian leaders in the Urals or the American Presidential facilities in the situation room beneath the White House. Some look remarkably like the famous war room in the Doctor Strangelove movie but others have adopted a more mundane appearance.

There will always be a nook for commanders and despots. For some it will be the site of their final stand. Then there are the spy bases and secret airfields dotted about the globe. One day perhaps they will fall into disuse and simple become novelty home in far flung places. A few people seem to yearn to live below ground in a disused missile silo in Arkansas.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Caribbean Macaw - Pirates, #15 of 100 Bloody Objects (Banditry pt 1 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 3 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Myth and romance 2. Ancient world 3. Privateers 4. Corsairs 5. Famous Pirates 6. State Pirates 7. Modern Piracy PS The Legends

Pirates have always captured the imagination. And romance and myth surround them. Yet the reality was often bleak and violent. We have images of peglegs and parrots, but the story of piracy often ended at the end of a hangman’s noose and a rotting corpse imprisoned in a gibbet. They were outcasts and run-of-the-mill criminals and many earnt a wage by working on occasion for navies and governments.

Certain factors helped the pirate: lawlessness on land, availability of hidden harbours and a ready market for the goods they stole. We remember pieces of eight and hidden treasure, but in fact the merchandise they looted and subsequently traded was usually more prosaic. Figures such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack have featured in many books and movies. Today there is still piracy, but it is oil tankers and container ships that are the target. Piracy costs the world money and poses a challenge to governments.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

I.E.D. part 3 - The Minefield Engineer

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Simon Conway, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 07:36:08 +0000

see The HALO Trust website to donate and to support the Ukraine Crisis Fund

1. Mines & minefields - background history 2. I.E.D.s 3. HALO and the situation today 4. The future - will mines and IEDs be discovered and deactivate in all parts of the world.

Simon Conway is a former British Army office and international aid worker who has cleared landmines and unexploded bombs in the aftermath of war in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As co-chair of the cluster munitions coalition he sucsessfully campaigned for an international ban on cluster bombs. He currently serves on the board of directors of the minefield clearance charity, the HALO Trust and the weapons policy organisation, Article 36. He travels regularily overseas to conflict afflicted countries. He is also the author of 5 novels including the 2010 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger winner a loyal spy.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

Reading reference:

The Stranger by Simon Conway

Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

I.E.D. part 2 - The Combat Surgeon

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Dr Tom Carrell, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Dr Tom Carrell - background 2. Battlefield Medicine 3. Route to War - the training 4. reading - The Oscillating saw @ 32.15 5. Camp Bastion, Hellmand 6. The IED - lessons and thoughts

Tom Carrell is a doctor who qualified in the 90s. He also served as a territorial soldier based out of the Duke of York’s barracks in London. In 2004 he was appointed consultant vascular surgeon specialising in minimally invasive endovascular surgery at St Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital. He was posted as a Combat Surgeon to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in 2008/2009 and 2012. He is now a partner in the Cambridge medical research company Cydar, which he founded with others in 2012.

This is his account of his time in Afghanistan as a Combat Surgeon. It is a very moving and personal description of the intense pressure a frontline medic is subjected to. Although the training is extremely rigorous, the work of a field hospital in a war zone is almost indescribable. New techniques are tested, developed and rediscovered in the hellish environment of war, and then applied across the NHS and other health services for the great benefit of the civilian population.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

Reading reference:

Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

I.E.D. part 1 - The Infantry Soldier

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton & James Jackson) — Tue, 5 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. Harry Parker - background 2. The Soldier – his story 3. His book – Anatomy of a Soldier 3a. 1st reading @ 27.17 3b. 2nd reading @ 34.02 4. I.E.D. 4. Lessons for today and tomorrow

An interview with ex-soldier, Harry Parker, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Harry talks about his experience as an officer in the Rifles, having to deal every day with the dangers of operating in a hostile environment, especially when the enemy are fighting an asymmetrical war using I.E.D.s to injury and kill.

A raw and deeply moving account that sheds light on aspects of both warfare and human behaviour. Something that so few of us will ever know.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

Reading reference:

Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Bloody Russia - pt 1 Hubris

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

1. State of play 2. Should we have seen it coming 3. Can Russia win 4. Long term prospects for Putin and Russia 5. Prospects for Ukraine 6. Prospects for the West

Aggression and mendacity are shared characteristics of many Russian leaders and territorial expansion an on ongoing pastime. Ivan the Terrible sought to capture the Baltic region and eventually has to settle for Siberia, while Peter the Great shifted the centre of gravity of Russia towards Europe, and established the mighty capital of St Petersburg. Putin has similar pretension to power and glory, and his current invasion of Ukraine follows the same hubristic vein. Yet the modern Russian armed forces are not what they were. They have forgotten how to operate combine arms and rapid advance; and they are suffering from the deadly effect of handheld anti-tank weaponry.

This episode examines the calamitous Russian invasion of Ukraine today and looks for the reasons and the historic threads that led to this moment.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading reference:

Cold Cut by James Jackson read by Jo Pelissier

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Mercenary

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 01:00:00 +0000

1. Yemen in the 60s 2. Mercenaries in the ancient world 3. Medieval mercenaries 4. Nineteenth Century 5. Twentieth century 6. Today

Mercenaries are once again in the news. And Russian use of the Wagner Group in Ukraine has raised everyone’s interest. Yet mercenaries go back a long way, and even a pharaoh used hired help to defeat an aggressor on his boarders. In the Middle Ages, there was the White Company who helped Florence achieve prominence and dominate the surrounding region. There were too the famed pikemen of Switzerland, who were employed by France and the German states to defeat all adversaries on the battlefield. In Constantinople, the Varangian Guard helped secure the future of the city state’s rulers.

But there is always the risk that the paid foreigner will change sides, and throughout history mercenaries have been used to under mine regimes and mount palace coups. In the 1960s and 1970s, Africa became the hub for such ventures, and money and blood diamonds were often the key and catalyst for such escapades. Mercenaries were made famous by the likes of Mad Mike Hoare and captured in best selling thrillers such as Fredrick Forsyth’s The Dogs of War.

So it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading reference:

The Dogs of War by Fredrick Forsyth read by David Hartley

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Top Trumps with added comment on Ukraine #9 Bloody Bites

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 8 Mar 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Bloody Bites are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Camouflage and Deception

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 1 Mar 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Since pre-history, both hunters and fighters have relied upon camouflage and deception to both improve their chances of survival and success in attacking their enemy. Caesar used ships with blue sails to disguise his reconnaissance of Britain, whilst a Chinese army used thousands of bonfires to suggest to their opponents that a vast army was deserting and becoming smaller every day. Right up to modern days camouflage and deception have been essential. During the Boer War, the guerrilla fighters lay under the soil with breathing reeds to escape British forces: in World War I, British snipers hid in hollowed out trees in No Man’s Land to fire on German positions.

Then there were the great deceptions, the dummy airfields and fake tanks prior to Normandy landings in 1944. Of course, sometimes neither deception nor camouflage work: Western intelligence quickly saw through Putin’s ruse in invading Ukraine. Yet there will always be a soldier lying with foliage covering his combat fatigues and there will always be strategists devising methods of throwing the enemy off the scent. Today, intelligent camouflage shields can replicate the surroundings and render positions invisible. And cyber space has created a sphere of disinformation and further confusion. It is a world constructed by layer upon layer of deception from the front line to the war room.

It has roots in the past and will extend into the future.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading Reference:

Macbeth by William Shakespeare read by David Hartley

--------------------------------

PROMOTION - 3 cabins left:

from Cazenove & Loyd +44 (0)207 384 2332 or info@cazloyd.com

SOUTH AFRICA IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

We invite you to join us on an exciting journey through South Africa with Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill. Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell, Co-Owner + Director of cazenove+loyd, has hand-designed an extraordinary journey with Rovos Rail, which will take one of the world’s most opulent trains deep into the heartlands of the Boer War.

The trip will trace Sir Winston Churchill’s footsteps during the war, from his dramatic capture by the Boers to his subsequent escape via freight train. Joining you on this journey will be Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames, a former British Member of Parliament and fantastic storyteller, who will regale you with tales of his grandfather and bring KwaZulu-Natal’s Boer battlefields to life.

“I feel very strongly that much of my grandfather’s life was shaped by his time in South Africa, in particular when he was captured by the Boers and subsequently made his escape,” says Sir Nicholas Soames. “So much of who he was and who he was to become came through at this moment of great danger and personal desperation. It will be a privilege to lead this trip next September, travelling by train to visit many of the most important battlefields of the Boer War. I believe that much of Churchill’s audacity and courage – and his drive and ambition – comes to light in his experiences as a young man in Africa. These characteristics are what made him into the national hero that he later became.”

This phenomenal opportunity promises to be fascinating, entertaining and full of learning, with the luxury of returning to one of the world’s most stunning trains every evening.

--------------------------------

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Death Squad - Bloody Bite #8

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton & James Jackson) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Bloody Bites are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Hostage (Violence pt 2 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 1 Feb 2022 01:00:00 +0000

What to do if you are taken hostage (unless you are taken by a death cult such as Islamic State – in which case you fight or die):

i. Prepare for the worst

ii. Do not antagonise your captors

iii.Maintain faith in yourself

iv.Set yourself positive goals

v. Be a human, not an object

Extortion, political leverage or chaos & terror

1. History and Definition of Hostage taking. 2. Famous Hostages. 3.What to do if you are taken Hostage. 4. Modern Hostage situations. ps. Colditz Prominenti.

Hostage taking is the most ancient of activities. From Mesopotamia to Anglo Saxon Wessex, kings and nobles have traded and kept hostages for political gain and financial leverage. Yet over time the process has been democratised and modern despots and criminal gangs have shown themselves adept at utilising hostage taking as a means to many different ends.

We know the famous victims – Patty Hearst, Getty and those taken by Baader Meinhof – and there will always be high-profile cases. But the arrival of crypto currency and malware have introduced new forms of extortion and leverage. This maybe the future.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading Reference:

'The Counter Terrorist Handbook' by James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Assassination (Violence pt 1 of 3)

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 01:00:00 +0000

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading Reference:

`the Death of Lincoln by Walt Whitman

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Series 2 Intro plus Infamous Castles - Bloody Bites #7

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (tom assheton, james jackson) — Tue, 4 Jan 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Tom introduces the second series of BVH, to kick off 2022. Handing up a few hints as to what listeners can look forward to, in the next few months.

And then we throw in a 'Bloody Bite' on Infamous (Notorious?) Castles to keep you in the mood. Bloody Bites are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Notorious Prisons - Bloody Bites #6

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Drone 1 - Bloody Bites #5

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson) — Tue, 7 Dec 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Longbow - Bloody Bites #4

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton & James Jackson) — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Guillotine - Bloody Bites #3

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton & James Jackson) — Tue, 9 Nov 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Nazi Whodunnit - Bloody Bites #2

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Submarine - Bloody Bites #1

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James jackson) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Jamie goes solo while we are on our end of series break. Despite a resistance to using any new technology (in this case Tom's tape recorder and a set of gaming headphones), Jamie valiantly lays down a track on Submarines. These 'Bloody Bites' are short podcast episodes which will hopefully answer a few questions thrown up in our general podcast discussions. A kind of BVH glossary.

Let us know if you would like to hear Jamie's take on a particular topic. talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Series One Concludes: A Summary

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (tom assheton, james jackson) — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Tom and Jamie discuss the BVH episodes they have published in the past 12 months. Included are some extracts from the Series to remind you of the range of the podcast, and if you haven't listened to them all perhaps take a moment to go back and do just that.

We are back in January, although we might publish a few short 'Bloody Bites' to keep you in the mood, between now and then.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Mount Tabor - Crazy Cults, to Insanity and Beyond, #14 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Join our marmalade cult. Sticky end guaranteed.

1. Cults Ancient & Modern. 2. Types of Cult. 3. Cult Leaders and the Cult of Personality. ps. The Moonies.

Cults have always been with us. From predatory sex cults, through Cargo cults and on to cults-like terrorist organisations, these strange and remote bodies prey on the weak, the credulous, and the stupid. Whether Jim Jones or Osama bin Laden, there have always charismatic leaders who can inspire or coerce their followers. And some of them aren’t even charismatic! Yet they all have a message and one even managed to convince followers that he was a fallen angel who could only be kept alive through having regular sex with young women. A ghastly bunch of conmen.

So it goes

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

If you want Tom's marmalade recipe email him at talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com and he will send it to you as a PDF

Readings by David Harley from Aleister Crowley's book of the Law

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Billiard Ball - The Duel, a Shot in the Park, #13 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A matter of honour or an encounter between fools?

1. Billiard Ball. 2. The Renaissance. 3. Hopton on Duelling, section one. 4. History of the Due. 5. Hopton on Duelling, section two. 6. Decline of the Duel. ps. The Wild West

Whether acting on principal or an example of extreme folly, the duel captured the imagination of European society for at least three centuries. There was the duel involving billiard balls, an armed encounter between balloonists, and even a skirmish between two society ladies in Hyde Park in which one lost her hat to a lead round.

Many lost their lives during these encounters, often for the most trivial of perceived slights. In France alone, over a ten-year period during the seventeenth century, over 2,000 aristocrats and officers were killed in duels. The sport certainly took its toll. There were duels in London clubs and even the Palace of Westminster, and once the middle classes took up the sport it became almost a contagion. One drunken duelist even faced his opponent naked. Yet eventually the habit died out, a victim of its own ridiculous nature and growing alarm in the political establishment. America developed its own form with the arrival of gunfights in the Wild West. These too were to eventually fade into history and legend.

So it goes

Tom Assheton and James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley from Richard Hopton's book Pistols at Dawn published by Piatkus 2007

(Richard Hopton's latest book, The Straits of Treachery, is published by Allison & Busby)

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Siege

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Siege is hell.

1. It's total war. 2. AD 70 Siege of Jerusalem. 3. 1453 Constantinople. 4. 1565 Great Siege of Malta. 5. 1870 The Siege of Paris and the Commune. 6. Colonial Sieges. 7. Leningrad. 8. Battle of the Atlantic. 9. Balkans and the Middle East

Siege involves not just the military, but entire civilian populations trapped within walls invested by the enemy and clinging on for survival. Often it involves bombardment, starvation, disease and the desperate will of a populace to cling on through unexpected horror. During the siege of Jerusalem, in AD70, the Romans crucified up to 10,000 would-be escapers outside the walls. In the siege of Paris, the embattled locals turned to eating everything from dogs to zoo animals. Because of the involvement of everyday citizenry, the pathos and misery can be dramatic and overwhelming. Women and children are often the victims and their tales of suffering are rarely fully told.

Siege can be the catalyst for major political change, and the Siege of Paris alone demonstrates a turning point in both the fate of Europe, the birth of the German state and the arrival of Communism in world politics. Siege is all-encompassing, brutal and wholly unforgiving.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings and Menu Reference:

Suppression or the Paris Commune 23-24 May 1871 by Archibald Forbes

The Art of French Cooking, Hamlyn

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Escape

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 3 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

1. Inertia & Escape

2. The Wild, the Wacky and the Simple Plan

3. Organisation

4. Equipment

5. Killing Time

6. Technique

7. The Camps

8. Other escapes

ps - Lucky Escapes

Great Escapes have captured the imagination for generations. From the simplest adoption of disguise to the longest tunnels, both successful and failed attempts have entered the realm of legend. Everyone knows the WW2 tale of the Great Escape, yet far fewer remember the names of those who dug myriad escape tunnels to confound the Germans and try to reach home. Colditz and Stalag Luft III have been the subject of television and the big screen. But the real stories of boredom, fortitude, courage and starvation – and occasional death – give a picture that is more layered and complex than most now imagine. This is the story

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings:

Marcus Scriven interview with wartime POW Frank Day - 2 extracts

Counter Terrorism Handbook by James Jackson - extract

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris MRAF speech Bomber Command Association 30 April 1977

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton) — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode we present a talk Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris gave to the Bomber Command Association in 1977. In it he gives a full and detailed account of how the Bombing campaign of WW2 led, in great part, to the defeat of Nazi Germany on land, in the air and at sea.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref.

Audio clip - Sir Arthur Harris broadcast 1942

Audio clip - Sir Arthur Harris at the Bomber Command Association 1977

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Bombs Away - A Dart, the Birth of Shock and Awe, #12 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 6 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Great War - Birth of Aerial Bombing
Never again - Between the Wars
World War 2 - Strategic Bombing
Post War/cold War
The modern era - Shock and Awe

Shock and Awe has entered the modern lexicon as a description of the effectiveness and efficiency of modern air power. Yet the employment of air assets took a century to evolve. In the earliest days over the Western Front during the Great War, rickety biplanes often struggled to find a role both in reconnaissance and as fighters. As ground attack aircraft, the technology available was in its infancy and bombs where little more than light weight flechette darts. As the conflict progressed, it was the Germans who developed and pushed ahead with the concept of the strategic bomber and conducted raids over London and other cities. First the Zeppelin airship and then with their Gotha and Staaken bombers.

It was during the post war period that air strategists including Trenchard, Mitchell and Douchet evolved the concept of aerial bombing and air supremacy. The myth that the bomber will always get through was born. There was the belief in ‘never again’, that the bomber would allow nations to avoid the slaughter of trench warfare and break the morale of the enemy at home.

It was only later, with the use of the atomic bomb over Japan and precision weapons in later conflicts that some of the hopes of those earlier thinkers and pioneers have been shown to be partially true. As counterinsurgency from Vietnam to Afghanistan have shown, air power alone is still not enough.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref.

Baldwin reading by David Hartley

Audio clip - Sir Arthur Harris at the Bomber Command Association 1977

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Joint of English Beef - Propaganda, Winning Friends and Playing with the Enemy, #11 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

William Hogarth's painting 'O the Roast Beef of Old England'
Holbein and the Tudors
Queen Elizabeth I
Cult of Personality
English Civil war
Napoleonic Wars
World War I
World War II
Nazi & the Third Reich
Soviet Propaganda
Allied Propaganda
The Modern Day

In both peace and war, propaganda plays its part. It is the mood music, the manipulation of information, the nudging of a population in a certain direction. Whether Hogarth’s famous depiction of an English side of beef or Josef Goebbels’ Nazi disinformation, propaganda has the power to move and persuade. As the Soviets proved, its influence extends beyond wartime and can control and direct citizens during peace time as well. From heroic statues to demonic posters, from the broadcasts of Lord Haw Haw to the uplifting speeches of Winston Churchill, everyone has used propaganda to spread their message and point of view. Often it is only when a leader kills himself in a Berlin bunker that the full scale of the lie behind the propaganda is revealed.

This podcast is about both the power and fragility of propaganda and how its use has served to both sway and destroy millions.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref.

Lord Haw Haw (Joyce) audio extract 1941

Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Secret Intelligence

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 8 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A. Introduction: Human Intelligence, Capability and Intention

B. Counter Measures: Influence, Deception and Disruption Operations

C. James Bond

D. Why the Brits Spy

E. British Secret Intelligence Today

Espionage, like religion and prostitution, is one of the world’s oldest pastimes. To know your enemy is to have advanced warning of potential threats and to have the facility to counter them. Any nation with global pretensions requires an intelligence service and Britain, as a former imperial power and colonial policeman, is among those few countries that has international reach and capabilities in this regard. James Bond might be fiction, but from Moscow to Marrakesh, there are agents and handlers at work. Some dismiss the importance of the spying game. Yet during World War 2 and the subsequent cold war, espionage was vital and could change the course of international events. Victor Sorge in Japan or agent Sonya handling western nuclear secrets, many have played their part in the murky and sometimes dangerous world of the spy. There are always casualties. But even with the world moving towards cyberspace, there is still a need for human intelligence (Humint) and the capacity to read the intent of hostile and sometimes friendly forces.

We need to know, and the spy is often the best means of acquiring that information. In a fragmented world order in which allegiances can change and threats develop overnight, those who wish to be power players in the 21st century still need their spies.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Special Force

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (james jackson, tom assheton) — Tue, 25 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

1. Evolution and Adaptation of Special Forces. 2. Strategic, not Tactical Assets. 3. Rogers Rangers - the beginning? 4. Sea Bourne - Admiral of the Red Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald. 5. Desert. 6. Small Scale & the formation of the SAS. 7. Post War and Counter Terrorism. 8. Disasters. 9. The Future

Special Forces have a long history and the British in particular have shown a real capacity for the craft. These are strategic assets, capable of throwing the enemy off balance and adding a war-winning dimension. From the Rogers’ Rangers in the 18th century through the SAS in the deserts of north Africa in WW2 to the terrorist hunting roles of US and British forces in the modern age, they are fast, flexible and deadly.

Sometimes they are victims of their own success; politicians often look to Special Forces to achieve dramatic and face-saving results. They are also seen as the go to solution when employing conventional forces would promote a dramatic escalation in developing events. For a medium sized power such as Britain, the professionalism and skill of its Special Forces led it a weight and punch it might not otherwise possess. This is the history of Special Forces and why they have come to be so dominant in the public consciousness throughout the world.

So It Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley:

Richard Roger's Rules for Ranging

Fellowship of Arms by Tony Mellows

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

A Monocle - The British Stiff Upper Lip, #10 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Imperturbability and indefatigability have long been bywords for the British character. Sometimes it has been mythologized or exaggerated but at its core it captures something that is very real. Every nation possesses recognisable characteristics and traits and, for the British, understatement and the fear of embarrassment or letting the side down have long been part of our nature.

Examples range from the Duke of Wellington to Scott of the Antarctic, from the empire builders of the 19th century to the heroes of two world wars. There are multiple examples that demonstrate the stiff upper lip is no illusion. Yet it is more than mere emotional restraint. There is often in the mix humility and humour, a pragmatic understanding of the situation and a supreme distain for Continental hysterics. Wars have been won, crisis confronted and situations salvaged, all thanks to the SUL.

Screw in your monocle, stiffen your spine and banish that wobbly lip as you listen to this podcast.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Audio extras from Bomber Command Association dinner, 1977

Readings by David Hartley:

Bricklayer's Lament by Gerard Hoffnung

Chips Channon Diaries

Captain Scott's final diary entry - Antarctic

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Bokassa's Crown - Klepto Kitsch, Tyrants and their Terrible Lack of Taste , #9 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Tyranny and lack of taste tend to go together. From Putin’s Black Sea playground to the palaces of the Ottomans, from Idi Amin’s amphibious car to the Sultan of Morocco’s chariot pulled by wives and eunuchs, bling and bluster are often the order of the day. Marcos had psychics and seers, Castro had a turtle farm, and the Columbian drugs baron Escobar had his own private bullring and go-kart tack. The mighty and the despotic have no-one to counsel them on matters of taste.

Here we reveal the appalling consequences of this calamitous style vacuum.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Famous Last Stands

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A byword for tenacity and courage, the famous last stand has studded history with legendary exploits that define conflict and empire. From Thermopylae to the Alamo, from Custer’s last stand to Okinawa, they represent individual heroism and sometimes crass military miscalculation. The result is always the same, the wiping out of a small group of die-hard defenders.

The odds might be crazy, and catastrophe might ensue, yet as the explosion at the British Army magazine near Delhi in 1857 proved, the consequences can reverberate down the years. So, whether its FUBAR or SNAFU, or just desperate men fighting like ‘rats in a sack’ to quote a senior British Officer after Rorke’s Drift, we remember many of them. And whether for PR purposes or to deflect attention from wider disasters, they do not diminish the bravery of those involved.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref.

Thomas Babington Macaulay, Horatius, Lays of Ancient Rome

See also:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

White Slavery

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Regardless of colour or creed, slavery has been a curse on humanity for millennia. Often, it is African slavery that has dominated the debate. Yet in this episode, Bloody Violent History seeks to cast the net wider and demonstrate how every corner of the globe has been affected. From ancient Rome to the Soviet gulag, from the Viking slave markets of Dublin to the victims of Corsair piracy sold into bondage in Morocco, slavery has tormented millions throughout history.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Ref.

White Gold by Milton Giles

The Barbary Slaves by Stephen Clissold

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Crossed Sword Sticks - Dr Thomas Bond and Jack the Ripper, #8 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Jack the Ripper has dominated the consciousness of the British public and crime fiction since the Victorian era. In late 1888, 5 gruesome murders occurred in London’s Whitechapel and the legend of the Ripper was born. The man on his trail was the surgeon and pathologist Thomas Bond, an expert in forensics and the medical detective who wrote the world’s first criminal profile.

Mary Ann Nichols (found August 31, 1888), Annie Chapman (found September 8, 1888), Elizabeth Stride (found September 30, 1888), Catherine Eddowes (also found September 30, 1888), and Mary Jane Kelly (found November 9, 1888). These women were the tragic victims of these appalling crimes.

This was the beginning of serious pathology and the initial steps into unravelling the minds and behaviour of criminals and killers. Thomas Bond was a classic Victorian, a man who had been at the front during the Austro-Prussian war, who prided himself on riding to hounds with every hunt in England and whose suggested cure for depression was a pint of burgundy and a pint of champagne on alternative days of the week. His was a world of grime discoveries and Holmesian like sleuthing. Yet time, injury and the dark aspects of his work were to take their toll. Bond became a laudanum addict and in 1901 threw himself to his death. His pioneering work laid the foundation for police forensics and offender profiling today.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading by David Hartley of Dr Thomas Bond's police report and profile of Jack the Ripper

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Hand Towel from the Titanic - Great Liners, Great Tragedies, #7 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (tom assheton, james jackson) — Tue, 2 Mar 2021 01:00:00 +0000

The early twentieth century was the high point of travel by luxury liner. Yet two world wars saw the roles of these great ships transformed. Their speed and capacity were redirected into troop-carrying and hospital service. The sister ships of the Titanic were employed during World War One: HMHS Britannic sank in the Aegean. There were further tragedies, including the loss of the Lusitania, which helped bring America into the war.

By World War Two, liners were again to achieve a high profile. The ‘Grey Ghost’, The Queen Mary, gained a reputation for repeatedly outwitting the U-Boat menace in the Atlantic. This is the story of those ships and the contribution they made to the history of that time.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

True Founding of America

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 01:00:00 +0000

1607, and in the wilderness of Virginia, a tiny, pallisaded fort containing some one hundred English settlers clings on grimly and awaits salvation and resupply. Beset by internal feuds and attacks by the local Indians, the outpost continues to endure. Theirs is a tale of stoicism and woe. A relentless period of endurance and fear.

Conditions become so terrible that some are driven to eat their own compatriots and the worst offenders are burnt at the stake by authorities desperate to maintain control. Outside, the Indians prowl with their turkey spur arrowheads and bone spears. Should the settlers fall into their hands, they face being jointed and flayed alive with sharpened mussels shells. This is the story of the first European colony in North America.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley:

'Cradle' by James Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Last Stand of the Crusaders

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 2 Feb 2021 01:00:00 +0000

1291, and in the redoubt of Acre the Crusaders prepare to make a final stand against the might of the Mameluke Sultan of Egypt. After 200 years in the Holy Land the Frankish hold on Palestine is at an end and few will come to save what is left of the Christian possessions. The Templars and the Hospitallers are still there, the former in their Lion Fortress and standing firm. Yet most in Acre are cowed by the sight of the great Muslim army. All that is left is prayer and futility. Jerusalem is gone and soon the writ and power of the Crusader will be but a memory.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley:

Perdition by James Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Fragment of the Reich Chancellery - Beastly Ends for Beastly People, #6 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Bad things happen to bad people. Throughout history, tyrants and despots have fallen, often in bloody and surprising ways. There was the defeated Roman Emperor used as a foot stool, the Afghan chief of defence fired from a cannon, and the Moroccan vizier chained to his dead brother in a dungeon. All were part of a rich tapestry of horror and macabre episodes. Yet even today there are still stories of woe and unpleasantness, and from Russia to Africa we recount some of the Beastly Ends of Beastly People.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading by David Hartley:

Kipling, Rudyard, The Young British soldier

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

A Baguette - Why we (the English) hate the French, #5 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 5 Jan 2021 01:00:00 +0000

For a thousand years, England and France have been sparring, fighting and generally knock lumps from each other. Indeed, most of our greatest memorials – from Blenheim Palace to Trafalgar Square – were erected in honour of our triumphs over the ancient enemy. We try to get along, but all too often diplomacy and soothing words fail to patch over our deep-routed differences. Our podcast explores this most fraught of subjects.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Siege of Fort St. Elmo

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 01:00:00 +0000

1565, a vast armada of Turkish ships carrying an Ottoman army some 40,000 strong arrives off the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta to begin a siege that will change the course of history. The action will become forever known as the Great Siege of Malta. Facing the invaders are the small band of the Hospitaller Knights of St John, marauders and throwbacks to the time of the Crusades.

It is upon the little star-shaped fort of St Elmo that the full fury of the enemy will initially fall. This is martyrdom and hand-to-hand fighting at its most brutal. Everything depends on the garrison holding out. Across Grand Harbour, atop his headquarters at Fort St Angelo, the Grand Master of the Knights Jean Parisot de Valette, watches and waits.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

How to Write an Historical Thriller

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (james jackson, tom assheton) — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 01:00:00 +0000

In this podcast we cover the inner workings and secrets of the Historical Thriller, the excitement of walking the ground and prising open the hidden truths of the past. The answer is to make it look simple and keep the pace moving. Yet there are many tricks of the trade and here Jamie and Tom discuss how to create dramatic and immersive stories. For both readers and writers, this should be a gallop through the world of creative writing.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley:

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Twentieth Century Heroines

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 8 Dec 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Many are names in the wartime Hall of Fame. Yet others have faded from view and collective memory. All are heroines and all sacrificed much in two world wars to defend their country and help others in need. As nurses or secret agents, from Edith Cavell to Violette Szabo, they stand as extraordinary examples of courage, fortitude and duty

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Readings by David Hartley:

Violette Szarbo Code Poem

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Poisoned Loo Roll - Crazy Weapons, #4 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 01:00:00 +0000

You might not have heard of the poisonous loo roll or of exploding rats and incendiary bats. But this is their story, the litany of bizarre inventions and lunatic ideas that only war and desperation can throw up. Even today there are some pretty strange concepts and pipedreams and the mad inventor is certainly not a thing of the past. When a scientist gets an idea, it is not simply a bouncing bomb that emerges. Here are a few examples.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

YouTube Tribute to the Irish Terrier with Lucy Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Andrew Roberts - Leadership in War, #1 of 100 Bloody Interviews

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, Andrew Roberts) — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Tom interviews the historian Professor Andrew Roberts. We discuss the importance of history, his books including his latest work, Leadership in War, and his critically acclaimed biography of Winston Churchill, Walking with Destiny, and what history might inform us about the future. The very essence of this BVH podcast.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Prof. Andrew Roberts

Waterloo Uncovered Mark Evans

Roberts, Andrew, Leadership in War

Keegan, John, The Face of Battle

Re. Covid 19. Sir Winston Churchill, Speech to the Royal College of Physicians, 2 March 1944:

“The discoveries of healing science must be the inheritance of all. That is clear. Disease must be attacked, whether it occurs in the poorest or the richest man or woman, simply on the ground that it is the enemy; and it must be attacked just in the same way as the fire brigade will give its full assistance to the humblest cottage as readily as to the most important mansion.”

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

An Irish Terrier - Dogs of War, #3 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 01:00:00 +0000

During the Great War, thousands of dogs were sent to the Western Front to patrol, guard, catch rats and carry messages. It is an extraordinary story of courage and sacrifice and the contribution these beloved animals had in sustaining morale and keeping spirits high. In particular, it tells of the Irish Terriers who seemed almost the perfect breed for the hardship and rigours of the trenches.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reading from:
Winter, Denis, First of the Few, Fighter Pilots of the First World War, (1983)

See also:

We Love Irish Terriers

https://bit.ly/30psgFK

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Gunpowder, Treason & Plot

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 01:00:00 +0000

5th November 1605. Few are unaware of the story and most have heard of Guy ‘Guido’ Fawkes. After all, he was the ‘clean skin’, the mercenary hired to live under deep cover in the precincts of the Palace of Westminster and blow the King and his entourage to oblivion when the moment came.

Yet fewer know of the true story, of the Catholic horsemen waiting to snatch the King’s young daughter, Princess Elizabeth, from her residence at Coombe Abbey in Northamptonshire. The tale involves spies, treachery, double agents and a hunt for the hidden gunpowder. It involves too the great spymaster Robert Cecil. The world’s first great potential terrorist spectacular was foiled. It could have been very different.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

Readings by David Hartley

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Armada

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 01:00:00 +0000

1588. The history of a nation has many waypoints and the Spanish Armada is one of the key stepping-stones in the folklore and legend of the British Isles. Names such as Drake, Howard, Frobisher and Hawkins are synonymous with the dash and daring of the action.

Yet behind the scenes was an intelligence war masterminded by the spy chief Sir Francis Walsingham. It involved secret agents, black propaganda, disinformation and even murder. Ultimately, the Armada was pursued by the English navy, hounded by fireships and wrecked in storms on the coastline of Britain and Ireland.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

https://www.instagram.com/bloodyviolenthistory/

https://www.jamesjacksonbooks.com

https://www.tomtom.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

Readings by David Hartley:

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Nazis and Nukes

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

We take the existence of the atomic bomb for granted, accept that America was always going to get there first. However during World War Two, that was not a given. German science started way ahead. Yet Germany never brought its research out of the lab, never capitalised on its initial technological superiority.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

https://www.instagram.com/bloodyviolenthistory/

https://www.jamesjacksonbooks.com

https://www.tomtom.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

Readings by David Hartley:

Despatch on War Operations by Sir Arthur Harris

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Cannabis Plant - Narco Warriors, #2 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Tom Assheton) — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 22:55:19 +0000

From the Assassins and Berserkers and on to the Zulus, narcotics have played a key part in warfare. By the Twentieth Century, aggression-fuelling drugs were replaced by those improving alertness and stamina and amphetamines were widely utilised throughout the conflict by Allied and Axis armies alike. Indeed, Hitler was hooked on them. Later, it was recreational drugs that took such a toll on morale and capabilities in theatres such as Vietnam.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Instagram for BVH

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Maxim's Plaque - The Machine Gun, #1 of 100 Bloody Objects

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Tom Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:00:06 +0000

When Hiram Maxim built and patented the world’s first single-barrel automatic machinegun, few saw its potential. Yet within a few years it had proved its worth in colonial battles such as Bembezi, Shangani River and Omdurman. Still military high commands refused to embrace its lethality.

Come the Great War and its devastating effect on ranks of advancing infantry, the machinegun won its spurs and a notorious place in history. Today, automatic weapons are taken for granted. Maxim’s invention, and that of the earlier Gatling, retain their place in the arsenal.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

https://www.instagram.com/bloodyviolenthistory/

https://www.jamesjacksonbooks.com

https://www.tomtom.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short reviewon Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really help to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Kill the Führer

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (James Jackson, Thomas Assheton) — Tue, 1 Sep 2020 00:00:03 +0000

As World War 2 progressed and the Nazis suffered a reversal of fortune, plots against Adolf Hitler began to multiply. After the defeat of the German Army at Stalingrad in particular, many officers began to see the Führer as the problem and the war as unwinnable. Assassination became the answer.

Long before the July ’44 bomb plot, individuals were stepping forward with their own plans and with bombs in their pockets. In March 1943, there were three distinct attempts on Hitler’s life, including the famous ‘brandy bottle bombs’ scenario.

British and American intelligence too had early plans for the death of Hitler. The heads of MI6 and the OSS even met with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris in the summer of 1943 to discuss the potential for the Führer’s violent demise. Yet the plans foundered and the Allies opted for a strategy of invasion and unconditional German surrender. Ultimately, it was Hitler who took his own life and brought the war to its eventual close.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

https://www.instagram.com/bloodyviolenthistory/

https://www.jamesjacksonbooks.com

https://www.tomtom.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really help to spread the word

See https://simplecast.com/privacy/ for privacy information

Cavalry Charge

talk@bloodyviolenthistory.com (Thomas Assheton, James Jackson) — Tue, 1 Sep 2020 00:00:03 +0000

The cavalry charge throughout history is synonymous with both pluck and daring and with catastrophic failure and defeat. Its advantages of speed and power have too often been squandered by commanders who have failed to use its potential or appreciate its flaws. Whether Crusaders or Napoleon’s cuirassiers, the result has been a battlefield littered with dead men and horses.

Yet occasionally there is triumph: the Charge of the Heavy Brigade in Crimea, the famous action by the 21stLancers at Omdurman, the elan and spirit of the Deccan Horse at High Wood during the Great War.

Even today, in conflicts such as Afghanistan, horse and rider have their use. They provide speed and flexibility over rough and inhospitable terrain. On many occasions, the horsemen of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan outmanoeuvred their Taliban opponents and quickly seized the initiative. This is their story.

So it Goes

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

https://www.instagram.com/bloodyviolenthistory/

https://www.jamesjacksonbooks.com

https://www.tomtom.co.uk

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcast App? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really help to spread the word

Readings by David Hartley:

Horse Guards by General Sir Barney White-Spunner KCB, CBE

An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer