History I’ve learnt dogwalking.

I’ve probably learnt a hell of a lot of history whilst dog walking. Matos is my Collie and I walk many a mile with him and I listen to either podcasts or audiobooks on most walks. My podcast of choice is ‘We Have Ways of Making You Talk’ hosted by the historian James Holland and what might be strange to some, the comedian AL Murray.

Today’s We Have Ways (WHW) was full of interesting information about how the Allies dealt with and defeated the Wolfpacks in the North Atlantic. I have filled many a notes page on my phone with ideas which I have thought of on my walks and that I know I would forget by the time I got home. However, after an episode of the podcast, I then turned to ‘Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle’ by Ben Macintyre.

I also listen to the ‘Fighting on Film’ podcast for my fix of war film war reviews. This is just the history I’ve learnt dog walking today, well nearly, as you’ll find out later.

Why are you interested in the Second World War anyway?

Al and James have taken to describing those with an interest in the Second World War as ‘The Afflicted.’ They then had this discussion, James Holland said, “One of the best lines ever was the one that Robert Harris came up with when it [sic] said, ‘people always ask me why I’m so obsessed with the Second World War,’ and I always reply, ‘why wouldn’t you be obsessed by the Second World War?’”

Later, Al Murray added “When people ask about why I’m so interested obviously the assumption is [it’s about battles and fighting] … We could talk about this for a year without talking about one battlefield incident. You could talk about technology, you could talk about medicine, you could talk about signals, social politics, you could talk about venereal disease… you could talk about refining uranium, you could talk about absolutely anything.”

As James would say, ‘What’s not to like?’ I would add that the Second World War encompasses millions of stories about the largest event in human history where many ‘ordinary’ people were called upon to do many extraordinary things. You can also find hundreds of stories that demonstrate humankind both at its best and at its worst.

They are both historians.

Even though he is better known for his stand-up, Al Murray’s books include, ‘Command – How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World War’ and Watching War Films With My Dad’. He also graduated from Oxford with a History Degree.

James Holland’s books include ‘Brothers in Arms’ and ‘Fortress Malta – An Island Under Siege’. Therefore, they know their onions, they’ve also been doing their podcast at least weekly, since March 2019. They have had numerous historians from Max Hastings to Dan Snow and experts on many aspects of the war.

For significant events in the war, they often do multi-day specials around the anniversaries of those events, they began with their favourite ‘fallback’ of Operation Market Garden and have recently covered Operation Chastise, the dams raid. They have previously had these weeks about El Alamein and Stalingrad.

They have recently begun a We Have Ways USA podcast with extra presenter and historian John C McManus. James loves looking at the operational side and walking the ground upon which the battles took place whereas Al thinks the Cromwell tank was the best of the war. On the back of the success of their podcast, they will be hosting the third instalment of their own Second World War festival, We Have Ways Fest, in September, a true gathering of ‘The Afflicted’.

Now back to the second part of the walk and Colditz

While discussing the various ways prisoners tried to become ill enough so they could be repatriated and leave Colditz, one story made me stop in my tracks. The list was made up of what they did to themselves and what illnesses or ailments they were trying to mirror. The track-stopping one was one prisoner who injected condensed milk into his penis, I’ll let you read or listen to the book to find out which ailment he was trying to replicate.

Tomorrow’s dog walk

This was today’s walk, but I thought that might be confusing. I went for a long walk so I could try and finish listening to Colditz. I did not quite manage that, but I have got just past the point where they were liberated. Just checking my Audible App, I have about an hour to go, so I should finish that tomorrow. I will try to be vague with my spoilers here but there will be some.

The chapters today have dealt with: Mission Sparrow and the arrival of the first American in the camp, the increasing lack of food as the war drew to a close, the mental state of some prisoners, the success and tragedy of the final escape attempts, aircraft building, the switch in the camp’s internal power dynamic, increased fear of the SS, how some were taken hostage by the SS, how the camp was liberated and how the first prisoner got home with the help of the press. Let’s see what the final hour or so of listening brings.

Final thoughts

Just when you think the drama is almost over, something else monumental occurs. If they had not happened, you would not believe they had. There have been films and a series about Colditz in the past but based on reading this book, I believe the stories deserve similar treatment to those given by Spielberg and Hanks in Band of Brothers and The Pacific and more recently with Ben Macintyre’s own SAS Rogue Heroes.

It is now tomorrow again; I should be able to finish it [today]. I have read a few of Ben Macintyre’s books to date and look forward to reading some more; the plan is to finish reading SAS Rogue Heroes so I can legitimately rewatch the TV series and cast my ever-critical eye upon it with more information at my disposal.

Keep reading, keep watching, and keep discussing!

BigT