Such was the secrecy in which Operation CHASTISE was mounted, the first anyone other than those directly involved knew about it was on the afternoon of Monday, 17th May, 1943. Some nine hours after the last Lancaster had touched back down, a carefully worded BBC communiqué announced that the giant Möhne and Eder Dams in […]
This is an extract from my book Burma 44: Before heading across the Bay of Bengal, the men and tanks of the 25th Dragoons were based briefly at barracks to the south of the centre of Calcutta. Because it was suspected that the city was seething with Japanese agents, the tanks were hidden away in […]
The main reason for being in Gettysburg was to visit Erik Dorr and his partner Cheryl, who run the truly amazing Gettysburg Museum of History. This is in Baltimore Street right in the very heart of old Gettysburg and is also housed in Erik’s family home – Erik’s forebears have been living there for generations […]
I was first at Gettysburg some ten years ago – staying there while I was researching at the nearby Army Heritage Centre at Carlisle Barracks, some fifteen miles away from the town. It was November and stupidly, I’d forgotten about Thanksgiving Day, which fell while I was there. Since it was a public holiday, the […]
I’ve just been to a screening of this very exciting new movie by Christopher Nolan. By all accounts, it was a long-time-coming passion project and it’s just fantastic that Nolan, an A-list Hollywood director, should have the clout to persuade a major studio like Warner Bros to back a film that does not have a […]
Even today, we still tend to paint a picture of plucky little Britain against mighty Germany in 1940 and the myth persists, incredibly, that the RAF was on its last legs in early September and that had it not been for the Luftwaffe switching tactics and attacking London and cities instead of airfields, it would […]
Sicily: an island of myths and legends, and of ancient ruins; a land that has been repeatedly invaded and conquered, that has inspired travellers and adventurers, great artists and writers. It is a land of mystery and magic, of the Mafia and of revolutionaries, and a place where the Arab world meets the European. It […]
Just why Hitler gave his infamous order to halt the advancing panzer divisions on 24 May 1940 has been the subject of speculation and controversy ever since. But I reckon I’m pretty sure how and why it happened in this short extract from my book, The Battle of Britain… Momentous decisions were now about to made […]
On the whole, historians have not been kind to General Mark Clark and his handling of the Italian campaign. He wavered at Salerno, say his detractors, sent the Texans of the US 36th Division to needless deaths across the River Rapido, and most heinous of all, disobeyed General Alexander’s orders to cut off the retreating […]
One of the things that always astonishes me is just how little our politicians know their history. Yet no-one can reasonably deny the critical importance of having a knowledge of our past, as it allows us to make sense of the present and prepare for the future. This was something that Churchill, for example, understood […]
Normandy, August 1944. In the six weeks since the pilots of 609 Squadron had moved to France, they had become used to the very different surroundings and living conditions in which they now found themselves. Gone were the days of large, properly built airfields, complete with hangars, repair-workshops, living quarters and, most importantly, a comfortable […]
I’m getting very excited about the living history we are laying on at this year’s Chalke Valley History Festival. As usual, we will be show-casing a wide range of different periods from Romans onwards, but we’re going especially big with the Second World War. Centrepiece is going to be a troop of Sherman tanks including […]
I came across this entry after being completely horrified...27th August 2014 - 5:25 pm by alias_lass
James Holland is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. The author of the best-selling historical novels, he has also written nine works of historical fiction. He regularly appears on television and radio, and has written and presented the BAFTA-shortlisted documentaries. Co-founder and Programme Director of the Chalke Valley History Festival, he has his own collection at the Imperial War Museum, and is Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
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