WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
by Goalhanger
About WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
The World War II podcast with comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland. We Have Ways of Making You Talk dives deep into WWII history, exploring key battles, forgotten front lines, and incredible untold stories. Whether you're fascinated by the Battle of Britain, the D-Day landings, or the Eastern Front, this show offers a rich, detailed look at the war that shaped the modern world. Al and...
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk episodeslatest 50
#1015One Man's War: Rommel & Gazala (Part 3)
· 42:21
How did Rommel reverse Allied fortunes in North Africa? What was the importance of The Gazala Line in WW2? When was The First Battle Of Alamein? Join Jim and Al for part 3 of a new series focussing on one man's war, as...
#1014One Man's War: Operation Compass (Part 2)
· 39:13
Why was Operation Compass such a success for Allied forces in North Africa? When was Operation Compass? How did Sam Bradshaw and his friends survive in the early desert war? Join Jim and Al for part 2 of a new series...
#1013One Man's War: Deserted In The Desert (Part 1)
· 39:50
Why did young British men like Sam Bradshaw end up fighting overseas in North Africa? When was the situation in North Africa at the start of The Second World War? How did Allied forces do against Italians in North...
#1012British Band Of Brothers: Disaster At Berjou (Part 8)
· 50:31
What were American forces doing during the Battle of Normandy? How did the Sherwood Rangers deal with SS units? What high jinks did the men get up to on leave? Join Jim and Al for part 8, as they follow the trail of the...
#1011British Band Of Brothers: Battle Of Bloody Ridge (Part 7)
· 1:01:03
How did the Sherwood Rangers defeat Nazi Jagdpanthers? What was Hitler's Operation Luttich? And, were the men affected by the casualties they witnessed? Join Jim and Al for part 7, as they follow the trail of the...
#1010British Band Of Brothers: Operation Bluecoat (Part 6)
· 48:41
What was the Battle of Hottot? Who is Stan Perry? Why was Operation Bluecoat planned? Join Jim and Al for Part 6, as they follow the trail of the Sherwood Rangers, Britain’s own ‘Band Of Brothers’. Start your free trial...
#1009British Band Of Brothers: Back In Action (Part 5)
· 58:03
How did the Sherwood Rangers recuperate after D-Day? Why were the Germans struggling in Normandy? What were the physical and mental demands on tank commanders? Join Jim and Al for part 5 as they continue the epic story...
#1008Before The Storm: Midnight Approaches (Part 4)
· 45:39
What were Britain's 'shadow factories'? Why did the allies plan to intervene in the Finno-Soviet Winter War? How did Germany hope to meet it's desperate need for resources? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 4 of...
#1007Before The Storm: The Nazi Myth (Part 3)
· 59:41
Why does the fantasy of Nazi economic success still remain prominent? What did Mussolini and Ciano think about joining the war? How did Britain rapidly become self-sufficient in food? Join Al Murray and James Holland...
#1006Before The Storm: Drumbeat Of War (Part 2)
· 56:42
What was the state of the French Army in 1939 ? Why was Belgium so against Britain and France reinforcing defences there? How did the press cover the beginning of the war? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 2 of...
#1005Before The Storm: The Phoney War Begins (Part 1)
· 54:52
What is the truth behind the Nazi myth of German technological superiority? Why were German generals planning to kill Hitler? How well was Britain prepared for war in 1939? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 1 of...
#1004Operation Barbarossa: Winning To Death (Part 8)
· 1:05:05
What was so important about The Smolensk Pocket? Why did Guderian try overambitious battle plans despite a lack of adequate resources? How did Hitler and Halder disagree on the plans around capturing Moscow? Join Al...
#1003Operation Barbarossa: One Man's War (Part 7)
· 59:25
How were young men like Wilhelm Prüller radicalised by Nazi propaganda and ideology? What did troops think of the invasion of the USSR? When did the soldiers think the campaign would be over, and why? Join Al Murray and...
Operation Barbarossa: The Surge (Part 6)
· 51:48
What happened to Russian resistance once German units reached the Dneiper river? Why were units like Panzer Group Guderian suffering from success? How did Nazi Germany deal with Soviet partisans and PoWs? Join Al Murray...
#1001Operation Barbarossa: Barbarossa Unleashed (Part 5)
· 1:11:52
Why did Nazi Germany invade the Soviet Union in June 1941? What were the 3 main army groups and their objectives once they advanced Russian territory? How did Stalin react to news that Hitler had begun an attack on the...
#10001000th Episode Special
· 44:58
Why did James Holland and Al Murray start a WW2 Podcast? How did bats build a media empire? What are some of the most memorable bits of WW2 Pod: We Have Ways Of Making You Talk? Join Jim and Al - and guests - for an...
#999WW2 & The World Cup
· 36:48
As a part of our continuing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and...
#998North African Odyssey: To Hell And Back (Part 3)
· 53:22
How did the men of 2 Para make it to British lines? What did axis troops do to captured paratroopers? And, did the disaster at Oudna spell the end for paratroop operations? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 3 of...
Antony Beevor: Downfall In Berlin
· 24:48
Was The Battle of The Bulge a delay in the fall of Nazi Germany? Why did Western Allies like Eisenhower not race to capture Berlin? How did Soviet generals waste their own forces in order to conquer Nazi Germany faster?...
#997North African Odyssey: Blood On The Sand (Part 2)
· 48:36
How did 2 Para end up abandoned at Oudna? What was their strategy to survive the German onslaught? Was poor planning the cause of the disaster? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 2 of this thrilling story as John...
#996North African Odyssey: Disaster At Oudna (Part 1)
· 53:47
Why did British airborne forces have such limited kit? What did the Oudna operation plan to achieve? When was Operation Torch? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 1 of this thrilling story as John Frost and the...
#995Operation Barbarossa: Countdown (Part 4)
· 45:49
Why did Hitler shift the aim of Barbarossa to one of extermination? What intelligence was Stalin receiving that warned him of imminent German attack? How many panzers were mobilised for the invasion of the USSR? Join Al...
#994Operation Barbarossa: To The Brink (Part 3)
· 48:20
Why did the Nazi high command underestimate the challenges of fighting The USSR? How did low mechanisation affect German preparations? What was Stalin doing to strengthen his relationship with Japan? Join Al Murray and...
#993Operation Barbarossa: Planning The Impossible (Part 2)
· 1:00:27
How did the interwar years contribute to Germany's ability to successfully invade Russia? Why was Nazi Germany so reliant on trade with The Soviet Union? When did Hitler decide to betray his pact with Stalin? Join Al...
#992Operation Barbarossa: Seeds of Calamity (Part 1)
· 1:03:12
Why was Hitler planning an invasion of the USSR during The Battle Of Britain? What impact did the Nazi-Soviet Pact have on WW2? How was Stalin expanding communist influence in Eastern Europe? Join Al Murray and James...
#991Naval Battle of Narvik: Annihilation (Part 3)
· 1:00:08
How did the British sink the German ship Georg Thiele? What role did stringbags play in the naval battle? Why did Captain Warburton Lee win his Victoria Cross? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 3 of this...
#990Naval Battle Of Narvik: Confusion (Part 2)
· 51:52
Why did the British Admiralty miss a crucial opportunity to attack the Kriesgmarine in Norway? How did HMS Glowworm fire the first shots of the Norwegian campaign? What role did the Polish submarine Orzel play in this...
#989Naval Battle of Narvik: Plans & Schemes (Part 1)
· 1:09:54
Why did Hitler launch his conquest of Norway and Denmark in April 1940? How did WW1 influence the Kriegsmarine hierarchy? What was the British naval response to the invasions? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 1...
#988British Band Of Brothers: Tiger, Tiger! (Part 4)
· 58:51
What did Allied forces do when encountering elite SS tank units of Panther and Tiger tanks? How did British defenders successfully repel German counterattacks? What was an average day like for British soldiers in...
#987British Band Of Brothers: The Fight For Point 103 (Part 3)
· 1:10:41
Why was there a lot of churn among British tank crews after D-Day? How did British armoured units use specialised tanks like Fireflies and Churchill AVREs? What was important about Point 103? Join Al Murray and James...
#986British Band Of Brothers: From Open Seas To Open Fields (Part 2)
· 52:01
How was fighting in the Normandy Bocage dangerous for Allied forces after D-Day? Why were German panzers considered by some to be superior tanks? What was fighting on D-Day like for soldiers who had fought in the Middle...
#985British Band Of Brothers: D-Day (Part 1)
· 47:32
What did a British tank squadron look like in The Second World War? Why were weather conditions so important for the Allies on D-Day? How was a yeomanry different to other units in the British Army? Join Al Murray and...
#984Heist From The Sky: A Bloody Hero (Part 4)
· 44:51
When did the British know the raid had been a success? What air and sea forces were used to help the paratroopers? How was this used to boost morale by the British? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 4 of this...
#983Heist From The Sky: Hell Breaks Loose (Part 3)
· 39:56
What Nazi resistance was there to the British paratrooper raid? Why didn't the paras have any heavy support during the attack? When did the Royal Navy come to exfiltrate John Frost's men? Join Al Murray and James...
#982Heist From The Sky: The Raid Begins (Part 2)
· 36:22
How did British paratroopers train for the Bruneval Raid? What role did intelligence play in helping plan for the airborne operation? Why did the Germans not defend their radar installations better? Join Al Murray and...
#981Heist From The Sky: The Bruneval Raid (Part 1)
· 33:37
When did Operation Biting happen? Why was this so important for the British war effort? What did British paratroopers hope to achieve? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 1 of this exciting new series on Operation...
#980A Buffalo Soldier In Italy
· 35:03
As a part of our continuing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and...
Winston Churchill, Dominic Sandbrook, & Philippe Sands
· 25:10
Was Churchill the greatest Briton of all time? Why are people like Boris Johnson so keen to be seen like Churchill? How did Nazi war criminals start new lives in places like South America? Listen to these exclusive...
#979The Visionaries: One War Ends, Another Begins (Part 6)
· 1:00:45
When did Harry S. Truman become President of The United States? How was Truman different to FDR? What were the causes of the Cold War between the US and USSR? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 6 of their most...
#978The Visionaries: Planning For Peace (Part 5)
· 1:10:56
Why is the Bretton Woods conference so important to today's economies? How did the US dollar become the global currency, replacing the British pound sterling? What was the American contribution to D-Day on June 6th...
#977The Visionaries: A Global War (Part 4)
· 53:07
Why did Roosevelt enter World War Two? What was Atlantic Charter? How did the USSR defeat Operation Barbarossa? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 4 of their most ambitious series yet; a definitive survey of the...
#976The Visionaries: Total Defence (Part 3)
· 1:01:40
Why was the Fall of France in 1940 such a surprise? How did FDR get the USA ready to fight in WW2? What did Churchill do to encourage American entry on the side of the Allies? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 3...
#975The Visionaries: From Recovery To Rearmament (Part 2)
· 1:04:49
Why was there a stock market crash in 1929? How did The Great Depression help extremist political parties like the Nazis in Germany gain power? What did President Roosevelt's New Deal in the USA do to help America...
#974The Visionaries: Picking Up The Pieces (Part 1)
· 1:12:25
When did America enter WW1? In what ways were The Treaty of Versailles and Wilson's 14 Points For Peace flawed? Why is this period of history important today? Join Al Murray and James Holland for part 1 their most...
#973How To Survive The Siberian Gulags
· 37:22
As a part of our continuing effort to commemorate the incredible global story of WW2, we present our ongoing ‘Family Stories’ series. This series tells YOUR relatives’ stories of derring do - both on the front line and...
#972Belfast, Bunkers, and Vichy Show Trials
· 42:29
Why did the Germans expend so much to defend the Norwegian coast? What does the engine room of HMS Belfast have in common with abstract art? How did Vichy show trials collapse into farce? Join Al Murray and James...
#971Japan's Road To War: Countdown To Infamy (Part 4)
· 50:16
What did military planners in Japan think was the best way to attack The United States? How did the war in Europe influence policy in both America and Japan? When did both sides realise peaceful negotiations were over...
#970Japan's Road To War: Honne & Tatemae (Part 3)
· 57:31
What is Honne and Tatemae in Japanese culture? How did Honne and Tatemae possibly contribute to the slide into war? When was the deadline set for peaceful negotiations with The United States to conclude in favour of...
#969Japan's Road To War: Power Behind The Throne (Part 2)
· 1:00:23
Why did Yōsuke Matsuoko want war with the Western Allies? How did Japanese military planners contribute to aggressive imperial expansion? What did wider events in WW2 history do for shifting Imperial Japan's war aims?...
#968Japan's Road To War: Empire Of The Rising Sun (Part 1)
· 1:03:05
Why did Japan enter WW2? How did Japanese expansion in China lead to a deteriorating economy? When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? Join Al Murray and James Holland for Part 1 of this new series as they explore the...
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Frequently asked questions about WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
How can I listen to WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk online for free?+
You can play WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk straight from this page: pick the episode you want and press play. There is no sign-up, no app to download and nothing to install.
How many episodes does WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk have?+
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk has published 1026 episodes so far. This page carries the 50 most recent, newest first.
Who presents WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk?+
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk is presented by Goalhanger.
What is the latest episode of WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk?+
The most recent episode is "One Man's War: Rommel & Gazala (Part 3)", published on 9 Sep 2026. New episodes appear here as soon as they go out on the programme's feed.
Can I listen to WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk from outside the UK?+
Yes. WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk plays over the internet, so it works from any country with no location restrictions.