Aspects of History

The Kop in full swing at Anfield is one of the beautiful game’s most iconic
sights: a sea of flags and scarves, a red wall of song and noise, and a crowd
whose support has become the fulcrum of Liverpool Football Club’s unique
identity. Yet the story behind it goes far beyond football, beginning with a
disastrous British defeat during the Second Boer War and evolving into a
history of working-class culture, collective memory and the unequalled bond between a club and its supporters.

In this episode of the podcast, Brian Reade joins ⁠⁠Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, to discuss his new book, ⁠⁠The Kop: A Fan’s History of Football’s Most Famous Stand⁠⁠⁠. They trace the name back to Spion Kop in South Africa, explore how the terrace became a symbol of Liverpool’s rise under Bill Shankly, and consider the songs, legendary European nights and remarkable atmosphere that have made Anfield famous around the world.

Brian also reflects on the Kop’s role beyond the pitch, from its response to
Hillsborough and the fight for justice to protests against football’s
commercialisation. Drawing on six decades of supporting the country’s most successful club, he explores how the stand has become a repository of shared memories and a tradition passed between generations – and what its future might hold.

Episode Links

The Kop: A Fan’s History of Football’s Most Famous Stand

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In the space of a few decades, aviation advanced from fragile aircraft
barely capable of crossing the Channel to the long-range bombers and fighter planes that would shape the Second World War. Behind this transformation were a motley cast of individuals: daring pilots, ambitious engineers, determined politicians and eccentric visionaries who helped turn flight from a dangerous novelty into a decisive military force.

In this episode of the ⁠Aspects of History⁠ podcast, ⁠⁠Charles Spicer joins ⁠⁠Phil Craig⁠⁠ to discuss ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Flying Pianos⁠, published by Oneworld Books, his new book on the early history of British aviation. They explore the pioneers who pushed the boundaries of flight before the First World War, that conflict’s impact on military aviation, and the technological developments that led to the Spitfire and the Merlin engine. Along the way, they consider Winston Churchill’s surprisingly hands-on role in the development of the RAF, the achievements of trailblazers such as Harriet Quimby.

Charles also discusses the darker side of air power, from the RAF’s use in
the British Empire to the devastating potential of aerial bombing, while
reflecting on what this era of rapid innovation might teach us today. This is
an episode brimming with ambition, ingenuity and determination – all of which helped shape the age of aviation that followed.

Charles Links

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Napoleon’s marshals were among the most formidable soldiers of the
Napoleonic Wars, rising from backgrounds ranging from the working classes to the old aristocracy to become the senior military figures of the French Empire. But behind the battlefield victories lay a complicated world of rivalries, ambition, wealth, infidelity and fierce competition for Napoleon’s favour.

In this episode of the ⁠Aspects of History⁠ podcast, ⁠Andrew Roberts joins ⁠Phil Craig⁠ to discuss his new book, ⁠⁠Napoleon and his Marshals. They explore Napoleon’s relationship with his commanders, his extraordinary micromanagement, the rivalries that increasingly undermined the Grande Armée, and the ways in which his marshals’ ambitions and personal loyalties shaped the course of the wars.

Andrew also considers the marshals’ roles in the collapse of Napoleon’s
empire, from the disasters of Spain and Russia to Waterloo and the Hundred
Days. He also gives his verdict in the ultimate Napoleonic pub quiz –
identifying the bravest, maddest, cleverest, luckiest and least pleasant of
Napoleon’s commanders – and reflects on whether his own view of Napoleon has changed after a lifetime spent studying him.

Episode Links

Napoleon and his Marshals: Victory, Rivalry, Betrayal

Andrew Links

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Phil Links

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As the Second World War in Europe entered its final weeks, the outcome was no longer in doubt – but the fighting continued with extraordinary intensity. From the Allied crossing of the Rhine and the German defence of their homeland to the liberation of Belsen and the final bombing raids, the last days of the war were marked by courage, confusion, brutality and tragedy.

In this episode of the Aspects of History podcast, Max Hastings joins Phil Craig to discuss his new book, Plunder. They explore why so many German soldiers continued to fight when defeat was inevitable, the persistence of the Nazi killing machine, the liberation of Belsen, and the difficult encounters between Allied troops and those emerging from the camps and prisoner-of-war system.

Max also discusses the extraordinary individual stories he uncovered while researching the final weeks of the war and the importance of bearing witness – and why, even after a lifetime of writing about the Second World War, there are still stories that deserve to be better known.

Episode Links

Plunder: The Last of the War in Europe, 1945

Max Links

Max ⁠⁠online⁠⁠

Phil Links

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Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell are among the most recognisable figures of Tudor and Stuart history – but few people realise that they were related. Separated by a century, their lives were shaped by remarkably similar rises from relative obscurity to the centre of English political life.

In this episode of the Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast, historian
Miranda Malins joins Mark Turnbull to discuss her new book, ⁠The House of Cromwell. Together they explore the Cromwell family’s origins, its two
branches, the wealth and estates inherited from Thomas Cromwell, and how
fortunes were made and lost across the Tudor and Stuart periods.

Miranda also explores the striking parallels between Thomas and Oliver, from their early obscurity and religious convictions to their relationships with Parliament and the Reformation. The conversation also considers how both men’s reputations have changed over the centuries – and how their family continued to navigate the political and religious upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Episode Links

The House of Cromwell: Power, Family and the Making of Modern Britain

Miranda Malins Links

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Mark Turnbull Links

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Aspects of History Links

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