One of the most dramatic naval battles of the Second World War - high in the Arctic Circle on Boxing Day, 1943. Al Murray and James Holland set sail for another Naval adventure as they track the sinking of the mighty Scharnhorst. Setting the scene for the Boxing Day 1943 battle - the boys lay out the need for the Arctic Convoy, the characters involved, and ask a question that has vexed many ever since: was the Scharnhorst a battleship or a battlecruiser? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey ...
Jan 11, 2024•49 min•Ep 730•Transcript available on Metacast James Holland and John McManus review the war in the Pacific 1944 - the year in which the US truly becomes the most powerful nation in the world. John discusses the duplicitous nature of America's relationship with China and how the differing aims of MacArthur and Stilwell creates so much tension in the Pacific. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Join our ‘Independent Company’ to watch our livestr...
Jan 09, 2024•52 min•Ep 729•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the Allies' experience of fighting in the mountains of Italy in the brutal winter of 1943’ - especially the horrendous conditions in San Pietro and Monte Sammucro. John details the evolution of fighting under the cover of darkness, and the dangers it entails. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 728•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland discuss the beauty of naval acronyms, the fine details of the Eureka signal and the myth of Kesselring's fine war record. They also look into General Mark Clark's blistering letters, in which he calls for total destruction of the German war machine. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ...
Jan 02, 2024•27 min•Ep 728•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland are joined by academic and author Jonathan Fennell at St Edmund Hall bar to talk about their writing processes. From operating archives in China and Russia, finding the truth in primary sources and the best tips and tricks on Microsoft Word - we get into the detail of how to write a bestseller. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: weha...
Dec 28, 2023•50 min•Ep 727•Transcript available on Metacast How did the White Rose group become the defining figures of Nazi resistance after the Second World War? Al Murray and James Holland speak to Oxford's Dr Alexandra Lloyd about her research on the White Rose, and the problematic legacy of remembrance for Germany. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Dec 26, 2023•57 min•Ep 726•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland are joined by friend of the show, historian Rowland White, to talk about the most legendary aircraft of the Second World War - the de Havilland Mosquito - but also about the extraordinary men who flew, the largely forgotten but incredible story of Danish resistance, and one of the most extraordinary raids of the entire war: Operation CARTHAGE. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 725•Transcript available on Metacast The final chapter of our Convoys series sees Al Murray and James Holland recount the final days of Convoy HX231 and the harrowing stories of those that did not survive the crossing. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 19, 2023•34 min•Ep 723•Transcript available on Metacast From using cod psychology to predict battle fatigue to the enormous blood drives in 1945 - Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the ways in which the US forces mastered medicine during the Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 14, 2023•48 min•Ep 722•Transcript available on Metacast The horror of the Atlantic convoy comes into razor sharp focus when Convoy HX231 comes into contact with the Nazi Wolfpack. In the ultimate game of cat and mouse, can the ships make it to Liverpool in one piece? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 12, 2023•56 min•Ep 721•Transcript available on Metacast How does a Sherman tank get from the US to a battlefield in Western Europe, and who decides how many get sent? James Holland and John McManus get deep into the logistics of the Second World War and how it gave the Allies the edge in the 1944. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...
Dec 07, 2023•46 min•Ep 720•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the 31st of March 1943 and Convoy HX231 sets off from New York. Sir Charles Ramsey is the commodore of the convoy but he is low on ships for protection - will they get across the Atlantic without being pounced upon by the Nazi Wolfpack? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...
Dec 05, 2023•52 min•Ep 719•Transcript available on Metacast The existence of African-American soldiers has all but been erased from the popular narrative of the Second World War. James Holland and John McManus speak to the esteemed writer and academic Matthew Delmont to help explain how the experience of nearly a million black men on the front line impact the outcome of the war, but also laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement in the latter half of the 20th century. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor So...
Nov 30, 2023•44 min•Ep 718•Transcript available on Metacast In the first of a three part series, Al Murray and James Holland discuss the journey of Convoy HX231. Today, they chat about the build up to its launch from New York in March 1943 - including how Atlantic convoys were set up during the Second World War and the ever present threat of the Nazi Wolfpack. We Have Ways Fest is back! Tickets for 2024 available at wehavewaysfest.co.uk A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Websit...
Nov 28, 2023•55 min•Ep 718•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the deadly battle on Tarawa. A close quarters and bloody fight for a small atoll in the central Pacific Why was it so brutal, and how did their leaders convince the counterparts to fight to the last man? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices....
Nov 23, 2023•53 min•Ep 716•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland catch up on their latest research and after some revelatory peering down rabbit holes look back to this week in 1943 to explore the war in Italy, the role of Charles De Gaulle in Lebanon, the birth of the United Nations and the complexity of the Cairo Conference. Tickets for We Have Ways Fest 2024 are on sale now! Find out more now... wehavewaysfest.co.uk A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod W...
Nov 21, 2023•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland speak to actress, comedian and political campaigner Suzy Eddie Izzard about their lifelong love for the Second World War. In another jam-packed episode of war waffle, Suzy discusses the difference between performing stand up in Germany and France, playing a Nazi alongside Tom Cruise in the film Valkyrie, and her incredible 1940s themed model railway. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Websit...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tribal Class Destroyers, what was life like serving on them - and what is a Destroyer? Al Murray and James Holland go into detail into the staffing, roles and weapons that could be found on an Allied Navy Destroyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 14, 2023•49 min•Ep 713•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland speak to decorated Marine Corps officer and former United States senator Jim Webb. They discuss the evolution of the US Marine Corps between the two world wars, including the lessons learned from the disaster of Galipoli. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Nov 09, 2023•52 min•Ep 712•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland read Second World War manuals produced by the British and American Army. They detail the unbelievable difficulty that XXX Corps faced in Arnhem, and the problems posed in urban warfare. Plus- how many horses did the Waffen SS have? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad ch...
Nov 07, 2023•46 min•Ep 711•Transcript available on Metacast Recorded at We Have Ways Fest 2023, Al Murray sits down with music journalist David Hepworth for a chat about 1940s pop music, the spirit of the nation, and the BBC. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 02, 2023•54 min•Ep 710•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray chats to Dr Waitman Wade Beorn about one of the most fascinating ruminations on fighting during the Second World War - Warriors by J. Glenn Gray. J. Glenn Gray entered the army as a private in May 1941, having been drafted on the same day he was informed of his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University, years after the end of war - the philosopher reread his war diaries and began to write eloquently on warfare does to soldiers, especially our understanding of cruelty in war. A G...
Oct 31, 2023•59 min•Ep 710•Transcript available on Metacast Italy proved a nightmare place to fight, no matter what side you were on: the endless mountains, the innumerable rivers, the narrowness of roads, the blazing heat, and then torrential rain and freezing cold. Jonathan Fennell, John McManus and James Holland ask, just how big was the crisis in morale for both sides and how did commanders deal with the weight of expectation, mounting casualties and truly appalling conditions? Recorded at We Have Ways Fest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 708•Transcript available on Metacast In another wide ranging discussion, Al Murray tells James Holland about his evening at the Royal Engineers Museum alongside Jools Holland and Sir Tom Jones, the tactical importance of landing craft, and how often they think about invading Wiltshire.A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Oct 24, 2023•53 min•Ep 707•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland speak to the writer and director of 'The Great Escaper', a new film starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson about the heartwarming true story of Bernard Jordan, the 89-year-old veteran who snuck off to attend the 70th anniversary of D-day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 23, 2023•38 min•Ep 706•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray, James Holland and John McManus discuss the life of Joseph Stilwell - the United States Army general best known for his service in the China-Burma-India Theatre during the Second World War. What was his relationship like with Chiang Kai-shek, and what about his personality led to him being remembered as "Vinegar Joe"? A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/weh...
Oct 19, 2023•47 min•Ep 706•Transcript available on Metacast In December 1942, Herbert 'Blondie' Hasler's men were aiming for the occupied port of Bordeaux - with just canoes, mines and grenades. Operation FRANKTON was certainly daring and it did achieve its aims but only two out of ten ever made it back. James Holland and Al Murray discuss one of the most famous - but possibly hare-brained - missions of the entire Second World War. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: we...
Oct 17, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast John 'Lucky' Luckadoo was born in 1922, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is the last surviving pilot of the US Eighth Air Force 100th Bomb Group - nicknamed 'The Bloody 100th'. In this brilliant interview with James Holland, he describes his experience flying for the USAAF and the devastating experience of Black Thursday. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways E...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep 703•Transcript available on Metacast What did the US Army and West Point learn from the Civil War, and how did this impact leadership throughout the Second World War? James Holland and John McManus discuss the similarities of leadership by two iconic American generals: Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod Website: wehavewayspod.com Members’ Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Learn more ...
Oct 12, 2023•52 min•Ep 702•Transcript available on Metacast Al Murray and James Holland turn back the clocks to investigate two seismic events of the Second World War that happened 80 years ago this week. They first discuss the Fifth Army’s crossing of the River Volturno in Italy, drawing on eye-witness accounts, and then the disastrous second bombing of Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 by the US Eighth Air Force that became known as Black Thursday. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWay...
Oct 10, 2023•56 min•Ep 701•Transcript available on Metacast 
