Underground Strategy

• UGS x Jack Bowsher: Tank Warfare in Burma – Part 1

  We’re heading deep into the jungles of Southeast Asia to unpack one of the most overlooked and misunderstood campaigns of the Second World War—the Burma campaign. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, military historian and author Jack Bowsher joins Max and Tony to break down the brutal terrain, Japanese tactics, and the challenges faced by the multinational Allied forces in Burma.We explore the strategic importance of Burma to the Allied war effort, the jungle’s deadly environment, and why tanks—despite everything you might assume—played a critical role in the campaign’s outcome. Jack also explains how the British and Indian armies functioned as distinct yet overlapping forces, and why the Japanese military was both fanatically aggressive and operationally effective—until they weren’t.This is a masterclass in the forgotten mechanics of jungle warfare, full of rich detail, wild stories, and some very human lessons from the world’s most unforgiving terrain.Jack Bowsher’s WorkForgotten Armour: Tank Warfare in Burma – https://amzn.to/4ctduydThunder Run (pre-order) – https://www.chiselbury.co.uk/coming-soon/p/thunder-run-meiktila-1945-by-jack-bowsherA War of Empires by Rob Lyman - https://amzn.to/3GgPfapInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/historybowsh/The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2 - https://shows.acast.com/the-forgotten-war-podMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Quicksilver Captain – With Jacqueline Reiter

  This week on Underground Strategy, we’re joined by historian and author Jacqueline Reiter to explore the extraordinary life of Sir Home Riggs Popham, the naval officer at the heart of her book Quicksilver Captain.From Buenos Aires to the Cape of Good Hope, Popham was everywhere—and often where he shouldn’t have been. We unpack his role in British high strategy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, his infamous court-martial, his impact on naval signaling, and his talent for navigating both military disaster and political opportunity.Was he a maverick, a genius, or a fraud? Jacqueline digs into the archival trail and explains how Popham remains one of the most complex (and oddly useful) figures of the period.Quicksilver Captain by Jacqueline Reiter - https://amzn.to/4hSFw78Jacqueline Reiter on LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-reiter-b30a1693More from Underground StrategyJoin the mission - https://undergroundstrategy.comDiscover Number 788 - https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• UGS Special: UGS x Durham - Peacekeeping – Part 2

  This episode is part of a special collaboration with Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs. This student-led episode was created as part of the postgraduate module “Contemporary Challenges of United Nations Peacekeeping (SGIA48815)” for the Class of 2025.In Part 2, we’re joined by veteran UN official and former Assistant Secretary-General Peter de Clercq, who shares deep insights into the evolution of peacekeeping, regional coalitions, accountability, intelligence, and reform. Drawing from decades of experience in Haiti, Somalia, and the DRC, Peter offers a masterclass in the current and future challenges facing peacekeeping operations.Durham SGIA X - https://x.com/durham_sgiaDurham Module Handbook - https://apps.dur.ac.uk/faculty.handbook/2022/PG/module/SGIA48815Recommended Reading Does Peacekeeping Work? by Virginia Page Fortna – https://amzn.to/3XK5CCl Understanding Peacekeeping by Paul D. Williams – https://amzn.to/4iV0SlSMore from Underground Strategy Discover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Winston Churchill with Peter Caddick-Adams

  Military historian and author Peter Caddick-Adams joins Underground Strategy for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, legacy, and the life of Winston Churchill.We explore Churchill’s wartime decisions, his eccentric personality, his genius for messaging, and the long arc of a career that spanned cavalry charges to the nuclear age. Peter also shares firsthand insights from his time as a NATO historian and discusses how battlefield experience, archival research, and media strategy all shaped Churchill’s story—and continue to influence how we study and remember war.This episode covers everything from Churchill’s infamous boiler suit to his complex relationship with Roosevelt, his financial struggles, and whether Volodymyr Zelensky truly deserves the label of a “modern Churchill.”Peter Caddick-Adams’ WorkX (Twitter) – https://x.com/militaryhistoriWinston Churchill: The Prime Ministers Series – https://amzn.to/43v15r1More from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• UGS Special: UGS x Durham SGIA - Peacekeeping – Part 1

  In collaboration with Durham University, this special student-led episode explores contemporary challenges of United Nations peacekeeping. Recorded as part of the postgraduate module “Contemporary Challenges of United Nations Peacekeeping (SGIA48815)” at Durham’s School of Government and International Affairs, the conversation brings together real-world experience and academic insight.Max and Tony reflect on their deployments and contrast national military structures with multinational peacekeeping efforts. From the role of special forces and intelligence sharing to the challenges of building military culture in complex operations, this episode examines what happens when mandates, strategy, and ground realities don’t always align.With contributions from Durham’s Class of 2025, this discussion sets the stage for Part 2—featuring former UN diplomat Peter de Clercq.Durham SGIA X: https://x.com/durham_sgiaModule Handbook: https://apps.dur.ac.uk/faculty.handbook/2022/PG/module/SGIA48815Recommended Reading if you want to dig deeperDoes Peacekeeping Work? by Virginia Page Fortna – https://amzn.to/3XK5CClUnderstanding Peacekeeping by Paul D. Williams – https://amzn.to/4iV0SlSMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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