Podcasts about Long Range Desert Group

In this episode, I'm joined by bestselling author Damien Lewis to talk about one of the remarkable men featured in his new book SAS Great Escapes Four — Archie Gibson. Archie served with the Long Range Desert Group and worked closely with the SAS during some of their earliest and most daring operations. His wartime journey took him from the harsh deserts of North Africa to the rugged terrain of Yugoslavia, where he operated alongside local resistance fighters behind enemy lines. We also delve into the ongoing campaign to award SAS legend Paddy Mayne a posthumous Victoria Cross, recognition he was controversially denied during the war.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

Ralph Bagnolds ekspeditioner ind i The Great Sand Sea, der ligger mellem Libyen og Egypten, var banebrydende. For de var ikke på kamelryg, men i bil – hvilket mange andre tænkte var helt uhørt. Bagnold blev formentlig den første i verden til at krydse den libyske ørken fra øst til vest. Rundt om lejrbålet i ørkenen drømte Bagnold og hans kammerater om at finde den sagnomspundne oase Zerzura. Ekspeditionen opdagede ikke nyt land – men den opdagede sand. Bagnold skrev faktisk en doktorafhandling om sand. Enig, det lyder noget kryptisk, men det vender vi tilbage til.Dagens gæst synes, at Bagnold var en kedelig eventyrer, for intet gik galt på hans rejser. Han havde styr på sagerne! Men hans liv var langt fra kedeligt og spænding kom der senere, for Bagnold blev berømt, da han i starten af 2. verdenskrig oprettede den betydningsfulde Long Range Desert Group, som opererede bag fjendens linjer i Nordafrika.Medvirkende: Jesper Kurt-Nielsen. Museumsinspektør ved Nationalmuseet og forfatter til en lang række af biografier om opdagelsesrejsende. Jesper er redaktør på museets store Ekspeditions Værk og så har selv talrige rejser i Nordafrika bag sig.

The exploits of the SAS in North Africa in the early years of the Second World War are well known; attacks behind enemy lines, destruction of hundreds of German aircraft on the ground and generally creating mayhem for the Afrika Korps. But little of this would have been possible without the Long Range Desert Group. Experts in desert navigation, the LRDG was formed to carry out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols and intelligence missions behind Axis lines. As the commando tactics of the SAS developed, a reliable mode of transport to and from targets, often across hundreds of miles of desert, was provided by the LRDG to the SAS, using their ubiquitous 30 cwt Chevrolet trucks. Our speaker is Richard Pinches, whose father, Peter Pinches, served in North Africa with the 7th Armoured Division. Richard is a Second World War re-enactor and historian, specialising in the North African campaign and the LRDG. His talk covers the vital but often overlooked role of this uniquely skilled and capable unit of the Desert Rats.

Cool under fire, Kiwi Sergeant Edgar "Sandy" Sanders was known for his wartime heroics as part of a clandestine British army unit, The Long Range Desert Group. The unit operated in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt and their hit-and-run tactics made them a formidable fighting force. But after the war, Sanders continued his daring exploits, this time sailing the Pacific for the fabled Treasure of Lima. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Brady interviews desert explorer Toby Savage, professional photographer and Land Rover enthusiast. Tony shares his many adventures in his Land Rover, and his significant work with the Long Range Desert Group historical society. Full show notes available at Overland Journal Podcast

De flesta har ju hört talas om SAS och Long Range Desert Group, men även brittiska Special Interrogation Group opererade bakom tyskarnas och italienarnas linjer.

As the SAS head off on their first mission, Pierre and Spencer are joined by military historian Lucy Betteridge Dyson to try and understand why things went so wrong, so quickly. They will also be getting into the SAS's game changing partnership with Long Range Desert Group and chatting about the man, myth and the legend: Paddy Mayne.

The SAS is one of the first modern special operations teams in the world.  Conceived in North Africa during World War II, they have been involved in almost every British conflict since.  Originally, they were shrouded in shadow and few knew of their existence until they were placed on the front pages of the news during the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis in 1980.  They specialize in winning the hearts and minds of local populations in order to win countries back for the people and overthrow corrupt governments.  They also specialize in hostage rescue, VIP protection, direct action, underwater demolition and the list goes on.  So sit back with your tea and biscuits and prepare to be  amazed!

The SAS is one of the first modern special operations teams in the world.  Conceived in North Africa during World War II, they have been involved in almost every British conflict since.  Originally, they were shrouded in shadow and few knew of their existence until they were placed on the front pages of the news during the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis in 1980.  They specialize in winning the hearts and minds of local populations in order to win countries back for the people and overthrow corrupt governments.  They also specialize in hostage rescue, VIP protection, direct action, underwater demolition and the list goes on.  So sit back with your tea and biscuits and prepare to be  amazed!

Join us as we clamber aboard our trucks and ready the Vickers Guns as we prepare for a raid behind enemy lines with 1958's 'Sea of Sand'. A classic British war film with a solid cast including Richard Attenborough, John Gregson, Michael Craig, Percy Herbert and Barry Foster. Guy Green directs this fictionalised depiction of a Long Range Desert Group raid ahead of the Second Battle of El Alamein.  Follow us on Twitter @FightingOnFilm and on Facebook. For more check out our website www.fightingonfilm.com Thanks for listening! 

Our guest on Pod #012 is Tim Miller who completed a tour as BC of 4/73 Bty.  On this podcast we discuss why he joined the Army, his time with the unit and the challenges he faced in keeping STA patrols relevant in an ever changing world.  The main focus of the episode is on the Long Range Desert Group.  A specialist unit who pioneered long range operations in that difficult environment and were much more than a taxi service for an embryonic SAS.     This episode is a precursor to a future pod on STA patrols in Afghanistan where they carried out some of the longest desert patrols since WW2.  We finish with Tim's book choice on Desert Island dits Undercover War by Harry McCallion.  His film choice is Where Eagles Dare.  The teams book choices this episode are My Friend The Mercenary by James Brabazon and The Jungle Is Neutral by F Spencer Chapman . Find out about the current serving unit at STA Patrols Special Observer. Follow us: Instagram @the_unconventional_soldier_pod. Facebook @lateo82.  Twitter @TheUCS473. Download on other platforms via Link Tree. Email us: unconventionalsoldier@gmail.com.  This episode brought to you in association with ISARR a veteran owned company.

La Flotilla de Goletas de Levante (Levant Schooner Flotilla, LFS) fue, en cierta medida, la Long Range Desert Group pero cambiando el desierto por el Egeo, y los vehícuos rápidos artillados, por goletas y caiques erizados de ametralladoras, radios de largo alcance, e impulsados por motores de Matilda. Enmascarados de pesqueros civiles, actuaban por la noche en misiones de rescate, infiltración y sabotaje. Te lo cuenta Antonio Gómez @antogom1 Casus Belli Pódcast es parte de la Factoría Casus Belli. Casus Belli Podcast es parte integrante del Sello iVoox Originals. Estamos en: Facebook, nuestra página es @casusbellipodcast https://www.facebook.com/CasusBelliPodcast Telegram, nuestro canal es @casusbellipodcast https://t.me/casusbellipodcast Y nuestro chat es @aviones10 Twitter, como @casusbellipod @CasusBelliPod Pinterest, como @casusbellipod, https://es.pinterest.com/casusbellipod ¿Quieres contarnos algo? También puedes escribirnos a casus.belli.pod@gmail.com Si te ha gustado, y crees que nos lo merecemos, nos sirve mucho que nos des un like, que es el corazoncito que sale en el episodio en el móvil arriba a la derecha, si nos escuchas desde la app de ivoox, sea android o IOS. La música que acompaña al podcast es Ready For The War de Marc Corominas Pujadó, bajo licencia Creative Commons. Casus Belli está producido y dirigido por Dani Caran. Muchas gracias por escucharnos, y hasta la próxima. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Alun R facilitates the 4th and final session of Achtung! Cthulhu Dark, his game of occult espionage during World War 2 that is inspired by Cthulhu Dark (by Graham Walmsley), Achtung! Cthulhu (from Modiphius) & World War Cthulhu (from Cubicle 7). This game is organised through the Gauntlet RPG Community's monthy gaming calendar. The Libyan Sand Sea, April 1941: The team tempt the Long Range Desert Group (precursors of the SAS) into a raid on the Projekt Prometheus base in the deep desert. Competent Sparks, Avery Carlyle, returns and there's a blow up, while Educated Advisor, Arthur Blake, demonstrates how hardened he has become. Meanwhile, Tough NCO, Wilbur Strauss, opens 'the cello case' and costs Plucky Private Angel Stoner a chapter of his previous life under which he draws an emotioonal line ... and there are Djinn. 0:00:00 Start 0:02:00 Introductions 0:14:00 Siwa & the LRDG 0:42:00 Break 1 Start 0:51:00 Part 2 1:03:00 The Sand Storm 1:47:00 Break 2 Start 1:51:00 The Raid 2:30:00 Stress & Consequences ... 2:50:00 Roses & Thorns

Osmý díl o solitérní hře Long Range Desert Group od Josepha Mirandy, Decision Games.https://shop.decisiongames.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1714

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Entrevista con el escritor David López Cabia sobre su libro Sangre y Fuego en Tobruk, así como comentarios sobre otras de sus novelas, y para finalizar nos relatará la Operación que llevó a cabo el Long Range Desert Group, atacando el aeródromo de Sidi Haneis Fuentes: Entrevista personal Musica: Fallen Soldier,licencia gratuita, de Biz Baz Estudio Musica SAS Espero que os guste y os animo a suscribiros, dar likes, y compartir en redes sociales y a seguirnos por facebook y/o twitter. Recordad que esta disponible la opción de Suscriptor Fan , donde podréis acceder a programas en exclusiva. Podéis opinar a través de ivoox, en twitter @Niebladeguerra1 y ver el material adicional a través de facebook https://www.facebook.com/sergio.murata.77 o por mail a niebladeguerraprograma@hotmail.com Telegram Si quieres acceder a él sigue este enlace https://t.me/niebladeguerra Además tenemos un grupo de convesación, donde otros compañeros, podcaster ,colaboradores y yo, tratamos temas diversos de historia, algún pequeño juego y lo que sea, siempre que sea serio y sin ofensas ni bobadas. Si te interesa entrar , a través del canal de Niebla de Guerra en Telegram, podrás acceder al grupo. También podrás a través de este enlace (O eso creo ) https://t.me/joinchat/Jw1FyBNQPOZtEKjgkh8vXg Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

In the last episode we looked at the American experience of D-Day at Omaha beach, this time it’s the turn of the British and Canadians at Sword, Juno and Gold on the 6th June 1944. In this episode we’re going to concentrate on the British and Canadian landings on D-Day. I’m joined by John Sadler. Now we’ve talked to John before in episode 26, when we looked at Operation Agreement, a combined operations raid in the deserts of North Africa that included  the Long Range Desert Group, the SAS and the Royal Navy. John is also a battlefield guide of the D-Day Beaches and surrounding areas and has a book out called D-Day: The British Landings.

Episode geeklist Here's something I haven't done in a while: a one-off podcast. In other words, this isn't the start of a multi-episode, multi-month exploration of one battle/war. Instead, this is a single episode about (mostly) a single topic, WW2's Long Range Desert Group. I vaguely remembered hearing something about history, then earlier this year the French wargaming magazine Vae Victis featured the LRDG in their issue game. It was a small, solitaire design, and I tweeted about how I was intrigued. A friend recommended a book to read about it, and soon I discovered another solitaire game on it. That was enough for me--it sounded like the makings of a podcast episode. This episode also features an interview with wargame designer David Thompson. He created Pavlov's House and has Castle Itter coming up next, both published by DVG. As you'll hear, he's got some other games on the way from other publishers, too. In fact, his interview is primarily about what it's like to get a wargame published, particularly the part about pitching a project to a publisher. He's researching the LRDG himself for a project, so the interview was perfect timing. Movies & Video • Sea of Sand • Lost in Libya: In Search of the LRDG • Battlestorm Lite - LRDG (3 parts including Moore's March) Books • Sand , Wind, and War, by Ralph Alger Bagnold • Incident at Jebel Sherif, by Kuno Gross, Roberto Chiarvetto, Brendan O'Carroll • Killing Rommel, by Steven Pressfield Discussions • Long Range Desert Group versus aircraft Next I'm going to start playing some WW2 East Front games. It's an enormous topic, one of the centerpieces of our hobby. My knowledge about it is fairly limited, but I'm learning a bunch already. Also, I've naturally got quite a number of wargames on the topic already. With a subject this large, there are several smaller options out there, just like I prefer. I'm starting with Frank Chadwick's introductory classic, Battle for Moscow. I've started a geeklist about with these games, too. If you're not a Twitter user (or don't follow me), but still want to see my photos and short videos about some wargames, just go to http://www.twitter.com/WargamesToGo. Feedback here or there is always welcome.

At long last, the interview with author and game designer, Joe Balkoski. He's been on my podcast before, when we talked about The Korean War. At that time we made plans for his return when I dove into D-Day games. Besides designing some notable games on the subject, Joe has had an entire second career (his main career, really) of writing books on the subject. It's no exaggeration to say he is the definitive expert on US 29th Infantry Division and it's actions on Omaha Beach and beyond into Normandy, the rest of France, and Europe. I had the opportunity to interview Joe, and this time it wasn't at the end of a Skype line. This time I was able to meet him at his workplace, the home of the Maryland National Guard at Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory. It's right there on 29th Division Street in downtown Baltimore, and you'll hear what a fortuitous role it played in Joe's life. With this episode, I'm wrapping up my drawn-out series on D-Day. After the Balkoski interview I talk about some battle games played that were "beyond the beachhead," covering the Battle of Mortain. As well as a few titles that don't have anything to do with D-Day at all: they're in here because my trip to Maryland/Virginia included some local sightseeing and inspired the play of these other games. I've had a little more time to think about what makes or breaks a good, short, small wargame. I'll share my thoughts, and would especially welcome any discussion on that subject. I think in my previous episode I toyed with the idea of stopping my podcasts. I no longer think I'm going to do that. Although future Wargames To Go episodes may no longer follow the multi-episode format for a "quarter" (or so) per topic, I'll still do something. I'm still figuring out what. Right now I know I want to play a couple different Long Range Desert Group games I've acquired. Both are solitaire titles. Then it's high time I learned some basics about the Eastern Front, and what better time to try that than in winter. Maybe I want to squeeze a Bulge game in around Christmas, too. Hmmm... -Mark   If you're not a Twitter user (or don't follow me), but still want to see my photos and short videos about some wargames, just go to http://www.twitter.com/WargamesToGo. Feedback is always welcome.

I avsnittet "Spökpatrullen" träffar Lars Gyllenhaal äventyraren och författern Karl-Gunnar Nordin som rest genom Nordafrika i specialförbanden SAS och LRDG:s (Long Range Desert Group) fotspår. Karl-Gunnar berättar inte bara om de mytomspunna specialförbandens födelse och uppgift utan förklarar också hur man ska agera i en sandstorm och inte minst hur man kör en över 70 år gammal Willys Jeep hundratals mil genom Saharas öken (!).

We’re in North Africa in this episode of the podcast. The War in the desert was full of ups and downs for both Axis and Allies. In January 1941 Tobruk fell to the Allies. With the arrival of Rommel the Allies were forced back and Tobruk held out under siege for seven months, depriving the Axis of a vital supply port, before being relieved as the Allies once more swept forward. Only for it to fall in June 1942 to Rommel. Though the British Army had expected to sacrifice Tobruk to the public at home it was a huge shock. The war had not been going well, not helped with entry of the Japanese and the fall of Singapore. It was now Churchill wanted action, he wanted good news to report to Parliament, the British people and their new Allies the USA who had entered the war. Operation Agreement was a daring raid on Tobruk in September 1942. Taking part were the Long Range Desert Group, the SAS, the Special Interrogation Group, the Royal Navy, the RAF… Everyone was in the act… I’m joined by John Sadler. Johns book “Operation Agreement: Jewish Commandos and the raid on Tobruk” tells the story of the operation.

Pat Clayton fue el soldado que inspiró el personaje de Ralph Fiennes en "El paciente inglés". Topógrafo de formación, Clayton había vivido en Egipto antes de la guerra, y conocía el desierto mejor que nadie en todo el Ejército británico; fue un recluta perfecto para el "Long Range Desert Group". En 1940, una patrulla bajo su mando acabó en una de las mayores y más épicas historias de supervivencia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Pat Clayton fue el soldado que inspiró el personaje de Ralph Fiennes en "El paciente inglés". Topógrafo de formación, Clayton había vivido en Egipto antes de la guerra, y conocía el desierto mejor que nadie en todo el Ejército británico; fue un recluta perfecto para el "Long Range Desert Group". En 1940, una patrulla bajo su mando acabó en una de las mayores y más épicas historias de supervivencia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

My grandfather joined up when the Second World War broke out, but he was soon returned to civvy street as he was much more valuable employing his mechanic's skills to fight the Nazis from a factory in Newcastle. He ended up making the parts of the spot lights that were used to guide anti-aircraft batteries (and my grandmother made parachutes, just over the River Tyne in Gateshead). Although this was not half as exciting to find out about as a young boy as discovering that he was in fact a Commando or part of the Long Range Desert Group, what my grandfather was part of was vital to the defeat of Nazism. In his excellent book, Britain's War Machine: Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War (Oxford University Press, 2011), David Edgerton is all about this crucial non-military part of Britain's war with Germany, and it sets about challenges perceptions almost from the front page. His argument is that Britain was actually far more able and well resourced than commonly thought. It entered the war as the richest per-capita nation in the world, a ‘world island' interconnected with markets across the globe. It had industry and it had a formidable military. Even after France fell, Britain still had its empire to fall back on, and that is before the economic (and then military) assistance of the USA is taken into account. It had the luxury of fighting a war that it was comfortable with, through Bomber Command and in North Africa and the Mediterranean: not for Britain the mass bloodshed that characterized the Eastern Front. Even by the end of the war, an exhausted Britain was still in enviable shape, although – especially in comparison to the USA – it did not seem to be. The book is full of fascinating information, facts and arguments. I did not realize that (again, contrary to accepted opinion) British tanks were actually extremely highly rated, or that British units were extremely well equipped with armour. The bombing campaign was extremely well suited to statistical analysis. In 1939 the Admiralty was sent around a thousand letters a day from garden-shed inventors, each promising that his amateur tinkering had produced an invention that might win the war against the Germans. I also appreciated that this book explained to me exactly how my grandfather (and grandmother) had done so much to win the war, without having to fire a shot. It was not risk free: I remember my grandfather telling me how a bomb had scored a direct hit on the factory's toilet, just after one of his colleagues had disappeared inside with his morning newspaper. But it was also vital, and I thoroughly recommend the book, especially to those who want to know a little bit more about how war was fought, beyond the simple matter of bullets and blood.

My grandfather joined up when the Second World War broke out, but he was soon returned to civvy street as he was much more valuable employing his mechanic’s skills to fight the Nazis from a factory in Newcastle. He ended up making the parts of the spot lights that were used to guide anti-aircraft batteries (and my grandmother made parachutes, just over the River Tyne in Gateshead). Although this was not half as exciting to find out about as a young boy as discovering that he was in fact a Commando or part of the Long Range Desert Group, what my grandfather was part of was vital to the defeat of Nazism. In his excellent book, Britain’s War Machine: Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War (Oxford University Press, 2011), David Edgerton is all about this crucial non-military part of Britain’s war with Germany, and it sets about challenges perceptions almost from the front page. His argument is that Britain was actually far more able and well resourced than commonly thought. It entered the war as the richest per-capita nation in the world, a ‘world island’ interconnected with markets across the globe. It had industry and it had a formidable military. Even after France fell, Britain still had its empire to fall back on, and that is before the economic (and then military) assistance of the USA is taken into account. It had the luxury of fighting a war that it was comfortable with, through Bomber Command and in North Africa and the Mediterranean: not for Britain the mass bloodshed that characterized the Eastern Front. Even by the end of the war, an exhausted Britain was still in enviable shape, although – especially in comparison to the USA – it did not seem to be. The book is full of fascinating information, facts and arguments. I did not realize that (again, contrary to accepted opinion) British tanks were actually extremely highly rated, or that British units were extremely well equipped with armour. The bombing campaign was extremely well suited to statistical analysis. In 1939 the Admiralty was sent around a thousand letters a day from garden-shed inventors, each promising that his amateur tinkering had produced an invention that might win the war against the Germans. I also appreciated that this book explained to me exactly how my grandfather (and grandmother) had done so much to win the war, without having to fire a shot. It was not risk free: I remember my grandfather telling me how a bomb had scored a direct hit on the factory’s toilet, just after one of his colleagues had disappeared inside with his morning newspaper. But it was also vital, and I thoroughly recommend the book, especially to those who want to know a little bit more about how war was fought, beyond the simple matter of bullets and blood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My grandfather joined up when the Second World War broke out, but he was soon returned to civvy street as he was much more valuable employing his mechanic’s skills to fight the Nazis from a factory in Newcastle. He ended up making the parts of the spot lights that were used to guide anti-aircraft batteries (and my grandmother made parachutes, just over the River Tyne in Gateshead). Although this was not half as exciting to find out about as a young boy as discovering that he was in fact a Commando or part of the Long Range Desert Group, what my grandfather was part of was vital to the defeat of Nazism. In his excellent book, Britain’s War Machine: Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War (Oxford University Press, 2011), David Edgerton is all about this crucial non-military part of Britain’s war with Germany, and it sets about challenges perceptions almost from the front page. His argument is that Britain was actually far more able and well resourced than commonly thought. It entered the war as the richest per-capita nation in the world, a ‘world island’ interconnected with markets across the globe. It had industry and it had a formidable military. Even after France fell, Britain still had its empire to fall back on, and that is before the economic (and then military) assistance of the USA is taken into account. It had the luxury of fighting a war that it was comfortable with, through Bomber Command and in North Africa and the Mediterranean: not for Britain the mass bloodshed that characterized the Eastern Front. Even by the end of the war, an exhausted Britain was still in enviable shape, although – especially in comparison to the USA – it did not seem to be. The book is full of fascinating information, facts and arguments. I did not realize that (again, contrary to accepted opinion) British tanks were actually extremely highly rated, or that British units were extremely well equipped with armour. The bombing campaign was extremely well suited to statistical analysis. In 1939 the Admiralty was sent around a thousand letters a day from garden-shed inventors, each promising that his amateur tinkering had produced an invention that might win the war against the Germans. I also appreciated that this book explained to me exactly how my grandfather (and grandmother) had done so much to win the war, without having to fire a shot. It was not risk free: I remember my grandfather telling me how a bomb had scored a direct hit on the factory’s toilet, just after one of his colleagues had disappeared inside with his morning newspaper. But it was also vital, and I thoroughly recommend the book, especially to those who want to know a little bit more about how war was fought, beyond the simple matter of bullets and blood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My grandfather joined up when the Second World War broke out, but he was soon returned to civvy street as he was much more valuable employing his mechanic’s skills to fight the Nazis from a factory in Newcastle. He ended up making the parts of the spot lights that were used to guide anti-aircraft batteries (and my grandmother made parachutes, just over the River Tyne in Gateshead). Although this was not half as exciting to find out about as a young boy as discovering that he was in fact a Commando or part of the Long Range Desert Group, what my grandfather was part of was vital to the defeat of Nazism. In his excellent book, Britain’s War Machine: Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War (Oxford University Press, 2011), David Edgerton is all about this crucial non-military part of Britain’s war with Germany, and it sets about challenges perceptions almost from the front page. His argument is that Britain was actually far more able and well resourced than commonly thought. It entered the war as the richest per-capita nation in the world, a ‘world island’ interconnected with markets across the globe. It had industry and it had a formidable military. Even after France fell, Britain still had its empire to fall back on, and that is before the economic (and then military) assistance of the USA is taken into account. It had the luxury of fighting a war that it was comfortable with, through Bomber Command and in North Africa and the Mediterranean: not for Britain the mass bloodshed that characterized the Eastern Front. Even by the end of the war, an exhausted Britain was still in enviable shape, although – especially in comparison to the USA – it did not seem to be. The book is full of fascinating information, facts and arguments. I did not realize that (again, contrary to accepted opinion) British tanks were actually extremely highly rated, or that British units were extremely well equipped with armour. The bombing campaign was extremely well suited to statistical analysis. In 1939 the Admiralty was sent around a thousand letters a day from garden-shed inventors, each promising that his amateur tinkering had produced an invention that might win the war against the Germans. I also appreciated that this book explained to me exactly how my grandfather (and grandmother) had done so much to win the war, without having to fire a shot. It was not risk free: I remember my grandfather telling me how a bomb had scored a direct hit on the factory’s toilet, just after one of his colleagues had disappeared inside with his morning newspaper. But it was also vital, and I thoroughly recommend the book, especially to those who want to know a little bit more about how war was fought, beyond the simple matter of bullets and blood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My grandfather joined up when the Second World War broke out, but he was soon returned to civvy street as he was much more valuable employing his mechanic’s skills to fight the Nazis from a factory in Newcastle. He ended up making the parts of the spot lights that were used to guide anti-aircraft batteries (and my grandmother made parachutes, just over the River Tyne in Gateshead). Although this was not half as exciting to find out about as a young boy as discovering that he was in fact a Commando or part of the Long Range Desert Group, what my grandfather was part of was vital to the defeat of Nazism. In his excellent book, Britain’s War Machine: Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War (Oxford University Press, 2011), David Edgerton is all about this crucial non-military part of Britain’s war with Germany, and it sets about challenges perceptions almost from the front page. His argument is that Britain was actually far more able and well resourced than commonly thought. It entered the war as the richest per-capita nation in the world, a ‘world island’ interconnected with markets across the globe. It had industry and it had a formidable military. Even after France fell, Britain still had its empire to fall back on, and that is before the economic (and then military) assistance of the USA is taken into account. It had the luxury of fighting a war that it was comfortable with, through Bomber Command and in North Africa and the Mediterranean: not for Britain the mass bloodshed that characterized the Eastern Front. Even by the end of the war, an exhausted Britain was still in enviable shape, although – especially in comparison to the USA – it did not seem to be. The book is full of fascinating information, facts and arguments. I did not realize that (again, contrary to accepted opinion) British tanks were actually extremely highly rated, or that British units were extremely well equipped with armour. The bombing campaign was extremely well suited to statistical analysis. In 1939 the Admiralty was sent around a thousand letters a day from garden-shed inventors, each promising that his amateur tinkering had produced an invention that might win the war against the Germans. I also appreciated that this book explained to me exactly how my grandfather (and grandmother) had done so much to win the war, without having to fire a shot. It was not risk free: I remember my grandfather telling me how a bomb had scored a direct hit on the factory’s toilet, just after one of his colleagues had disappeared inside with his morning newspaper. But it was also vital, and I thoroughly recommend the book, especially to those who want to know a little bit more about how war was fought, beyond the simple matter of bullets and blood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices