It was so popular last year that we decided to do it again! Join us this holiday season as we introduce you to twelve of our favourite podcasts in the 12 Days of Podmas.
A good rule in life is that if you get the chance to listen to someone who is enthusiastic, eloquent, and enthusiastic about a subject you should take it. The subject itself, almost without exception, doesn’t matter. That is why We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a podcast focusing mainly on the Second World War (not World War Two, as we’re occasionally reminded; it’s not a movie sequel) and hosted by Al Murray and James Holland, is an absolute gem.
Way back in episode ten, an oblique reference is made to some kind of weapon of war. Holland is concerned that listeners might not know what is being spoken about but Murray reassures him that anyone listening to this podcast will know what they mean. Bluntly put: not so. There is a fascinating mix of chat, readers’ questions, interviews with veterans and experts, book readings, and even tales sent in by listeners about their own families’ war experience. A listener doesn’t need to have cabinets full of books with stock images of tiger tanks, spitfires, and Winston Churchill to appreciate how interesting this all is.
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This is not a podcast of war top trumps. The near fetishisation of the Second World War – particularly the veneration of the Nazis – is something this show doesn’t just steer clear of but even calls out and ridicules at times. There is recognition of much of what the axis powers managed, but it is always tempered and level headed. Having said that, it took over 200 episodes before anyone mentioned the jerry can, clearly the single greatest invention of the Second World War.
But more than the tales of daring-do and good guys vs bad guys, what continually shines through on We Have Ways is the love these two have for the subject, and the respect and admiration for all those who took part in what is arguably the most important event in human history. This is particularly interesting when Holland mentions German veterans he interviewed. As he points out, the trauma experienced by our own veterans was shocking enough, but imagine coming home from war not to a hero’s welcome, but to never be able to talk about what you experienced. The courtesy they show when talking to veterans of the war – and not just soldiers but others, including a nurse and a holocaust survivor – is more than admirable, reminding us that soon there will be no voices left who can talk with first hand experience of this time.
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With over 715 podcast episodes available at the time of publication, plus a £5 a month Patreon with a staggering amount of additional content and even its own three day festival, now in its 4th year – this is a pleasingly deep dive into a near bottomless lake. What’s not to like?
We Have Ways of Making You Talk is available from wherever you get your podcasts.