The Redcoat History Podcast

Busting the Redcoat Myths! A Christmas Special

Today I am joined by Dr Chris Brice and the brilliant Daniel Harrington from the Clasps of Courage YouTube channel.

Expect honest analysis, good humour, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we make military history content.

Have a great Christmas and be sure to buy your gifts here - https://redcoathistory.com/ 

Britain’s “Point of Failure” — The Brigadiers Who Almost Lost WW2

When we think of 1940, we picture Dunkirk, the fall of France and the BEF racing for the Channel. But behind the headlines were real officers making real decisions — the brigadiers. Too senior to ignore, not quite famous enough to be remembered.

In this episode, my friend and part-time co-host Chris Brice talks to military historian Dr Phil McCarty about his new book Point of Failure: British Brigadiers in France and Norway, 1940. They explore who these men were, how they were selected, and why some rose to greatness while others quietly vanished after the débâcle of 1940.

Expect discussion of staff college bottlenecks, Monty and Brooke’s patronage, public school myths, territorials, and why the brigadiers of Normandy look both similar to — and subtly different from — their 1940 predecessors. Plus some cracking stories along the way.

If you enjoy British Army history told through real people rather than map arrows, you’ll enjoy this one.

Purchase Phil's book here - https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/point-of-failure-british-brigadiers-in-france-and-norway-1940.php 

Discover Chris Brice's books here - https://www.helion.co.uk/people/christopher-brice.php 

Join my mailing list for a free eBook about the Zulu War - https://redcoathistory.com/ 

Meet the Regiment the Army Loves to Hate!

The RAF Regiment - ask any squaddie and they’ll give you a sneer, a joke, or a tall tale about babysitting airfields.

But the truth? The RAF Regiment has been fighting - and dying - in deadly and dangerous places since its formation.

But what is the RAF Regiment, what’s the history and what is the unit’s role now? Let’s find out.

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Support the Study of British Military History - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

After Dunkirk: Britain’s Forgotten Fight For France (1940)

Today we have something fascinating - After Dunkirk, job done… right? Not quite.

While Britain cheers the “miracle,” more than a hundred thousand of our lads are still in France — fighting, improvising, and trying not to be rolled up by Rommel. The 51st Highland Division digs in at St Valery. Alanbrooke rows with Churchill down a crackly phone line, the RAF keeps flying and the Navy pulls off two more evacuations most people have never heard of.

Today we’re unpacking the 18 desperate days after Dunkirk — Operation Cycle, Operation Aerial, the fate of the 51st, de Gaulle’s decision to fight on, and the tragedy of the Lancastria.

Joining the show is historian Paul Fantom, author of A Forgotten Campaign: The British Armed Forces in France, 1940 — From Dunkirk to the Armistice.

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/a-forgotten-campaign-the-british-armed-forces-in-france-1940-from-dunkirk-to-the-armistice.php 

Join my patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

The Spartans of Africa? The reality of the Zulu army (1879)

Visit Osprey publishing to see their incredible catalogue of military history books - https://www.ospreypublishing.com/

Historians often refer to them as the Spartans of Africa. The Zulus famously destroyed a British force at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879.

But what do we really know about that victorious warrior army? In today’s video I’m going to walk you through their training, tactics, and organisation.Did they have guns? And could they really run fifty miles a day and fight a battle at the end of it?

Get your free eBook about isandlwana - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/

Support the study of British military history by joining my Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory - you will get early access to videos and extra content.

The Great War’s Forgotten Rulebook: How the British Army Learned to Win

How did the British Army go from the muddle of the Boer War to the professionalism of 1918?

In this episode, historian David Keable-Elliot talks to the show about The Doctrine of the British Army — the forgotten Field Service Regulations that shaped everything from tactics to training.

It’s the story of how a rulebook turned chaos into coherence, and helped Britain win the First World War.

Thanks to Dr Chris Brice for organising and conducting this interview. 

Join the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

Subscribe to the newsletter - https://redcoathistory.com/ 

Buy David's book - https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/the-doctrine-of-the-british-army-the-conception-and-implementation-of-field-service-regulations-1900-1918.php 

Don't mess with Bootnecks! 360 Years of Britain's elite Royal Marines

Who and What exactly are the Royal Marines? And what is there history? They’re not the Army. They’re not sailors. And yet somehow they’ve ended up in every war, every landing, every corner of the planet — from storming French ports in the 1700s, to yomping across the Falklands with eighty-pound packs, to creeping up beaches today with drones, fast boats, and sniper teams.

 

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Sign up for Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

The Many Faces of Richard Burton: Britain’s Wildest Explorer (and Soldier!)

Soldier, scholar, explorer, spy, shagger!

A man who spoke twenty-nine languages—plus a dozen more dialects.A man who carried the scars of a spear wound through both cheeks and still managed to insult people afterwards.

He was a man who was fascinated by the dark and mysterious corners of the world and of the human psyche.

Today we are going to Learn about one of Britain’s greatest explorers, an extreme character - complex and unconventional . . .sirs ma’am’s ladies and gents I give you the one and only Richard Francis Burton.

Sign up for my newsletter here - https://redcoathistory.com/2021/10/27/free-book-the-military-history-geeks-guide-to-the-anglo-zulu-war/ 

Victorian Crusaders: Britons Who Fought for the Pope’s Army

Today, we’re really diving into an obscure niche. . . Rome in the 1860s — a decade of revolution, nationalism, and, oddly enough, British and Irish Catholics signing up to fight for the Pope.

Our guest is historian Nicholas Schofield, author of Victorian Crusaders: British and Irish Volunteers in the Papal Army, 1860–70. It’s a story of faith, politics, and some very unlikely Redcoats in baggy Zouave trousers. The book is published by Helion and here is the link to buy - https://amzn.to/46tsA48 

Special thanks to my good mate Dr Christopher Brice for conducting today’s interview. He is an expert in his own right and has written a number of books about Victorian military History - https://www.helion.co.uk/people/christopher-brice.php 

Sign up for my mailing list to receive your free eBook about the battle of Isandlwana - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ 

And come tour the Zulu War battlefields with me by signing up for a tour here - https://paystack.com/buy/the-zulu-war-a-self-drive-tour-with-redcoat-history-devkrw 

Guerrillas, Redcoats, and Empire: Understanding Asymmetric Warfare

How do you beat an enemy who refuses to fight by the rules? From ambushes in the forests of North America to the frontier wars in Africa, the British Army faced enemies who fought small, fast, and ruthless. We now call it asymmetric warfare — the clash between the strong and the weak, the lion and the fly.

In this episode of Redcoat History, I sit down with Dr Jacob Hagstrom — former U.S. Army officer and author of Asymmetric Warfare (Cambridge University Press). We explore how Redcoats struggled, adapted, and sometimes failed when fighting foes who didn’t line up on open fields. Expect stories from the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the Cape Frontier as well as a discussion about the recent campaign in Afghanistan.

Link to Jacob's book - https://amzn.to/47B3jHz

Sign up for my mailing list - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ 

Join the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory