Best British Society of Sports History Podcasts (2025)

1
From Cold War Berlin to Belfast – A Paratrooper’s Story Pt 2 (384) 1:12:00

36m ago1:12:00

1:12:00

David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He continues his unvarnished anecdotes about his Cold War career as an officer in the Parachute Regiment. The conversation extends to further experiences in East Berlin, West Germany, Nigeria, and Northe…

1
S8E12 Podcast: Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman’s March Revisited

8h ago

—

Stan’s guest this week is historian Bennett Parten, talking about his new book, Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman’s March and the Story of America’s Largest Emancipation, published by Simon & Schuster on January 21, 2025. Sherman’s March has remained controversial to this day, and this book is a major new interpretation of the March and its legacy …

1
Emily Calcraft on Pacifism, Non-Violence and Sport in Inter-War Britain 37:24

6h ago37:24

37:24

Whilst scholars have tended to focus on hegemonic internationalist sporting practices and their promotion of peace, this paper explores peace activists’ use of sport as a means to create a community of anti-war individuals, on both the domestic and international levels. This study looks at two organisations to ascertain the role of physical activit…

1
Bombs, Berlin & Peacekeeping: A Paratrooper's Cold War Story Pt 1 (383) 1:02:35

4d ago1:02:35

1:02:35

David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He returns by popular demand to share his compelling journey through military service in the British Army's Parachute Regiment. From his humble beginnings in Scotland to his experiences in the Parachute …

1
Watching the Jackals: Prague's Covert Liaisons with Cold War Terrorists and Revolutionaries (382) 1:08:19

11d ago1:08:19

1:08:19

Author Daniela Richterova new book "Watching the Jackals" tells the untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War In the 1970s and 1980s, Prague became a favourite destination for the world's most prominent terrorists and revolutionaries. They arriv…

1
S8E11 Podcast: Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn

14d ago

—

This week Stan talks to Christopher Cox, Senior Scholar in Residence at the University of California, Irvine, about his new book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn, published in 2024 by Simon & Schuster. Cox’s focus is on Wilson’s role in the movements for women’s suffrage and racial equality, and his open hostility to both. This is a riveting, b…

1
The Truth about the Gulf of Tonkin incident that sparked the Vietnam War (381) 58:13

18d ago58:13

58:13

The Gulf of Tonkin incident, was a pivotal moment that escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. I talked with US Marine Veteran John F. Davies, who researched the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. He shares a personal connection and insights on the political and military decisions that led to one of America's most controversial conflicts. Discover the…

1
Under Fire: A Journalist's Story of the 1989 Romanian Revolution (380) 46:48

25d ago46:48

46:48

Today we are transported back to a pivotal moment in history that occurred 35 years ago this month - the Romanian Revolution of 1989. This episode is from our archive and features, Mark Brayne, a former Reuters and BBC journalist, who provides a gripping first-hand account of the tumultuous events that led to the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu. As Mark …

1
Colin Yates on Sport and "Art as a Message" 1:33:14

25d ago1:33:14

1:33:14

Join Max Portman as he interviews artist Colin Yates on sport and "art as a message", discussing how Colin's career and major projects have highlighted art as a message through the lens of football. Talking primarily about football for an aptly-timed 90 minutes (plus 3 minutes of injury time), Max and Colin cover a lot of ground, discussing how Col…

1
S8E10 Podcast: The 2024 Reading Year in Review

29d ago

—

This week Stan reviews his reading in 2024: how many books and pages, fiction and non-fiction, and offers tips on age-old reading problems, including: how to get more reading into your life, should you write in your books, reading in a distracted age, suffering from book guilt and how to conquer it, and more. Plus you’ll get an earful about the upc…

1
#095 Five Gold Airings: Vintage BBC Christmases 1922-42 25:25

1M ago25:25

25:25

Episode 95 is our Christmas special for 2024 - looking back to five vintage BBC Christmases of 1922-42. Well, I say 'five'. I mean nine. Christmas is a time for giving, so have four extra... Nine Gold Airings didn't sound as catchy. You'll hear: - 1922 – Rev John Mayo - the BBC's first religious broadcast for Christmas Eve - 1926 – Christmas Overtu…

1
Foes to Friends: Cold War British and East German Tank crew together in conversation (379) 1:34:33

1M ago1:34:33

1:34:33

Join our East-West tank crew reunion that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of those who served on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. The episode features Al and Mick, former Chieftain tank crew members from the British Army, alongside Dag, an ex-East German T72 tank commander. Together, they delve into their personal experiences, providing ins…

1
From Vulcan Bases to Communist Bucharest: A Tale of Cold War Intrigue (378) 1:10:38

1M ago1:10:38

1:10:38

Ron Mackay further recounts his experiences in Romania, a country teetering between Soviet influence and a desire for independence, offering a fascinating glimpse into a time of uncertainty and intrigue. Among many stories, Ron visits an RAF base in the UK where his brother was a crew member of a Vulcan bomber, Britain’s nuclear deterrent at the ti…

1
S8E9 Podcast: The Fascinating But Forgotten Founder

1M ago

—

Stan’s guest is historian Jane Calvert, author of Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson, published in October by Oxford University Press. Dickinson was at the forefront of the Revolutionary movement but refused to sign the Declaration of Independence and has been largely forgotten. Calvert argues in her new book that without John Di…

1
Surveillance and shortages: A British teacher in 1960s Cold War Communist Romania (377) 1:03:48

2M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

In 1967 a young British professor found himself in Bucharest, Romania, under the most intriguing circumstances. Ron Mackay shares his fascinating experiences as he navigated life and teaching in a communist country. When he set foot on Romanian soil, he was met with challenges and intrigue. The stark realities of life under a communist regime paint…

1
Mission Iran: Special Forces Berlin & Operation Eagle Claw, JTF 1-79 (376) 49:06

2M ago49:06

49:06

Few operations in Cold War history capture the imagination quite like Operation Eagle Claw. I have the privilege of welcoming back James Stejskal, a Special Forces veteran, to delve into the intricacies of this audacious mission. Operation Eagle Claw, was conceived as a daring rescue mission to free 52 US embassy staff being held hostage held in Ir…

1
S8E8 Podcast: John Lewis: A Life

2M ago

—

Stan’s guest this week is historian and journalist David Greenberg of Rutgers University, talking about his new tour-de-force biography of Civil Rights icon and longtime Georgia Congressman, John Lewis: A Life, published by Simon & Schuster. Greenberg interviewed Lewis and 275 others, including Presidents Clinton and Obama, about Lewis’s rise from …

1
Peter Mason on Sir Clyde Walcott 52:15

2M ago52:15

52:15

Join Podcast host & editor Max Portman as he interviews Peter Mason, Journalist with the Guardian Newspaper & author of several books on music, food, carnival culture and sport, as they discuss Peter's latest book on the West Indian Cricketing Legend, Sir Clyde Walcott. In an engaging 50-minute conversation, Max and Peter cover a lot of ground, dis…

1
Den of Spies: The October Surprise - A Covert Cold War Operation (375) 43:56

2M ago43:56

43:56

In the late 1970s, the United States found itself at the centre of a crisis where 52 US Embassy staff were held hostage in Iran. Our latest episode takes you on a journey through the tumultuous events of 1980, exploring the covert operation known as the “October Surprise” that allegedly influenced the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Will…

1
#094 Wireless Manhunts on the BBC - in 1923 and 2023 46:03

2M ago46:03

46:03

Episode 94 finds us hunting presenters on the run... in 1923 and in 2023. But first, the tale of July 1923 in British broadcasting, which includes a pop-up non-BBC station in Plymouth (5DJ), the first BBC film critic G.A. Atkinson, a comedian asks an orchestra to laugh for him, the BBC's first Sunday afternoon radio concert, new nicknames for 'list…

1
Surrounded and captured in the Korean War (374) 1:25:17

2M ago1:25:17

1:25:17

Today is Veterans Day in the US and Armistice Day in the UK and to commemorate I’ve gone back into the archive to remember and share vivid testimony from Korean War veteran Tommy Clough who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. The Korean War was among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era, and one of the few times when the Cold War t…

1
Interview with an East German Border Guard (373) 1:14:34

2M ago1:14:34

1:14:34

Today is the 35th anniversary of the Berlin Wall and East German border opening in the autumn of 1989. In this riveting episode, I speak with Dietmar Schultke, a member of the Grenztruppen, the East German Border Guards and delve into the life of those responsible for preventing escapes over the Berlin Wall and the East German Border. Dietmar opens…

1
Episode #57 Waffle | What on earth is going on at Porsche?! Mick joins for a classic, certified, waffle 45:27

2M ago45:27

45:27

Mick jumps back on the good ship Renngineering. It's always fun us two getting together to rattle through what's going on in our lives but when Porsche release a do not drive statement just in time for a Waffle, it was always going to be good. We also gave our thoughts on the GT3 992.2 and the 911 Carrera T. A cabrio... really?! I hope you're all d…

1
S8E7 Podcast: A Southern Underground Railroad

2M ago

—

Stan’s guest this week is historian Paul Pressly, discussing his new book, A Southern Underground Railroad: Black Georgians and the Promise of Spanish Florida and Indian Country, published by the University of Georgia Press. It’s a tale of how enslaved men and women found freedom and human dignity outside the expanding boundaries of the United Stat…

1
From Vulcan to Gannet: A Cold War career in the Royal Air Force 58:54

2M ago58:54

58:54

This episode is brought to you by the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford near Manchester where I am a volunteer. Trevor Jackson is also one of the volunteers, but unlike me he’s a former Vulcan pilot who shares with me his extraordinary career. From his early days with the Royal Air Force Cadet Force to flying iconic aircraft like the BAC Jet Provost…

1
Episode #56 Heritage | What to do when you don't want to build a Singer 911 but that's kind of what you're starting with!?? 1:21:32

3M ago1:21:32

1:21:32

Picture this... you've found a car that sounds like a scam, but it's a Singer style shell, sat at Tuthill Porsche. It's reasonable money but you're taking it on, basically on trust. You then don't want to build a Singer tribute and go about building something yourself. That's what Paul Leyton did with this 911! Some people have a natural way about …

1
The treatment of sports injuries in the Republic of Ireland, 1950-2010: A History 48:08

3M ago48:08

48:08

This paper examines the provision of sports injury treatment in the Republic of Ireland during the period from 1950 until 2010. By the late 1960s, talks on the prevention and treatment of sports injuries were being held sporadically. How initial centres for the specialised treatment of sports injuries were developed in the 1970s is assessed. Sports…

1
Doorsteps of Hell - a US Marine platoon commander in the Vietnam War (371) 1:23:44

3M ago1:23:44

1:23:44

As Tom Williams fought the enemy, every day, without fail, he would record the day’s events in his diary. It is these diaries (which Tom has to this day), that enable him to tell the story of Vietnam in the late sixties/early seventies, like it really was. I talk with Tom about his book “Doorsteps of Hell” where he offers an honest, unembellished a…

1
S8E6 Podcast: “That’s Not Who We Are”—Or is it? An Interview with Pulitzer Prize Winner Steven Hahn

3M ago

—

Stan interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Steven Hahn about his latest book, Illiberal America: A History, which argues that what happened on January 6, 2021, was not an aberration but has deep roots in the American past. https://www.deatonpath.georgiahistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10-24-24.mp3…

1
Matt McDowell on Surfing & Modernity in the North of Scotland 1:04:19

3M ago1:04:19

1:04:19

New podcast host and Editor Max Portman talks to Dr Matthew L McDowell about Dr McDowell's new book 'Surfing and modernity in the North of Scotland', published in September 2024 with Cambridge Scholars Publishing. The book discusses the existence and evolution of surfing in the region, from the 1960s to the present day. It does not, however, focus …

1
How the Cold War almost destroyed European Football (370) 44:17

3M ago44:17

44:17

In the late 1960s European club football competitions were thriving However unexpected events in 1968 threatened its survival. I delve into the fascinating world of European football during the Cold War era with Craig McCracken, a self-described peddler and purveyor of quasi obscure retro football nostalgia via the 'Beyond The Last Man' blog. We ex…

1
#093 On-Air Symphonies and 'Seeing By Wireless' in June 1923 - and Stuart Prebble 39:59

3M ago39:59

39:59

June 1923 at the BBC saw the first symphony concerts on-air (with an 'augmented orchestra'), musical criticism from Percy Scholes, 2,500 voices broadcast at once, and new staff led by Admiral Charles Carpendale as Reith's deputy. Plus Scot John Logie Baird advertises for help with his 'Seeing By Wireless' invention. You may know it as television...…

1
Episode #55 Tech Talk | Wrightune! Aircooled engines and choosing an engine for the RENN550 53:10

3M ago53:10

53:10

A big personality from a big man! Some episodes you listen back to and find yourself smiling a big dumb smile. That's what this episode did. Partly because it was so useful for me to learn about air-cooled Porsche engines, or at least start that journey but also because he's such a good laugh to be around. You'll hear us talk about Chris and his da…

1
Abhinava Srivastava on Enacting ‘speed’ as Samman (honour): Fast bowling and sporting masculinity in Contemporary India 40:42

3M ago40:42

40:42

In this seminar paper, the enabling potential of ‘speed’ is theorized to study how bowling fast on cricket field has increasingly allowed a section of working-class and lower-middle class young Indian males to assert their claim over the metropolitan and cosmopolitan world of the game in contemporary India. The argument developed in this paper is h…

1
BEATLEMANIA: First-Hand Experiences Presented by Something About The Beatles 1:35:34

3M ago1:35:34

1:35:34

My guests are three very special ladies whom have all appeared on the show before, but this time, all three have memoirs out. Debbie Gendler was the first to appear on SATB (121: New York Stories) and her story as the 1st US fan (as far as I’m concerned) was initially laid out there. But now HER memoir has been published, I Saw Them Standing There:…

1
Nuclear Missions - a Canadian CF104 Starfighter Pilot's Story (369) 1:11:06

3M ago1:11:06

1:11:06

Flying at high speed and low level, RCAF pilot Allen French was at the sharp end of potential nuclear bombing missions during the Cold War. Born at the dawn of the baby boomer era, Allen delves into his early inspirations, his father's service in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the pivotal moments that led him to join the Air Force. From training…

1
S8E5 Podcast: The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

3M ago

—

Stan’s guest this week is historian Evan Friss, author of the bestselling new release, The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, which has been getting rave reviews in national publications. The story begins with Benjamin Franklin’s first bookstore in Philadelphia and takes us to a range of booksellers including the Strand in New York, Chi…

1
Episode #54 Waffle | The Comeback Kid! 14:57

3M ago14:57

14:57

The comeback kid What a strange couple of weeks! With an episode that was difficult to record, difficult to edit, and difficult to put out, you couldn't make up the u-turn that came after. With that pause and reflection in the bank, and the need to buy a new daily runabout, particularly for the winter, it was looking more and more like buying a VX2…

1
The KGB Spies Next Door (368) 1:04:21

3M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

In the sleepy suburb of Ruislip in London during the late 1950s, life was anything but exciting for Gay Search, a 15-year-old girl. Little did she know, her mundane existence was about to be shattered by a shocking revelation that would turn her world upside down. This is the gripping tale of suburban espionage, the story begins with the seemingly …

1
Episode #53 Waffle | The honest episode. 42:23

4M ago42:23

42:23

The honest episode. I remember listening to Porsche Cooled with Michael Bath just before Renngineering started and hearing him talk about being tired and it being a pretty labour intensive thing to do, putting out a podcast weekly. Blindly positive, I thought how hard can it be!? Turns out there are two answers to that. If you have a team around yo…

1
ELVIS PRESLEY: His Last Moments Presented by History Shorts 12:34

4M ago12:34

12:34

Please enjoy this bonus episode from the History Shorts podcast! Who has not heard at least one of Elvis Presley’s songs or knows exactly who they are looking at when they see his image? But did you know that the details surrounding the king of rock and roll’s untimely death are just as big of a part of pop culture as his life and music? Learn more…

1
From Sydney to the Vietnam War: An Australian Soldier's Cold War Journey (367) 1:19:55

4M ago1:19:55

1:19:55

In this gripping episode of Cold War Conversations, we hear the remarkable first-hand account of John Brooker, an Australian veteran who takes us on a journey from the streets of Sydney to the battlefields of Vietnam. John shares his experiences from joining the Citizens Military Force (CMF) to his deployment with the Royal New South Wales Lancers …

1
S8E4 Podcast: New York Times Reporter Adam Nagourney

4M ago

—

Stan interviews veteran New York Times reporter Adam Nagourney about his recent book, The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism, a sweeping behind-the-scenes look at the last four turbulent decades of “the paper of record,” as it confronted world-changing events, internal scandals, and the …

1
#092 The First Sports Broadcasts: from 'Yachts Slowly Drifting' to MCR21 39:57

4M ago39:57

39:57

Episode 92 The First Sports Broadcasts: from 'Yachts Slowly Drifting' to MCR21 Our moment-by-moment origin story of British broadcasting reaches 6th June 1923 - and what's sometimes thought to be the BBC's first sports broadcast: author Edgar Wallace giving his 'reflections on the Derby'... ...The trouble is, it wasn't the BBC's first sports broadc…

1
Unveiling Cold War Secrets: Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker museum (366) 1:22:00

4M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

It's 40 years since the film Threads was shown on British TV. It portrayed the effects of a nuclear attack on the city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization. It therefore seems apt to publish a tour I had of the Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker museum. Nestled in the heart of Cheshire, …

1
Episode #52 Waffle | Mick IS a co-host, Porsche coming down hard on companies and what 100k Porsche? 31:24

4M ago31:24

31:24

This week is a break in the big episodes and I grab Mick for some good old fashioned Waffle. With absolutely no planned conversation, we surprised ourselves and found that there was quite a bit to talk through. We start by trying to figure out what Porsche is trying to achieve by forcing brands that are woven in to the brand to no longer market the…

1
CHARLES DE GAULLE: Interview with Pierre Azou on The French History Podcast 36:19

4M ago36:19

36:19

Please enjoy this bonus episode from The French History Podcast! Is it better to be a hero or great? What is the difference? What makes someone a hero or great in France? Pierre talks all about that and how to get into the Panthéon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Crowd Network

1
The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama with Ben Macintyre (365) 1:11:37

4M ago1:11:37

1:11:37

On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. I talk with Britain’s bestselling historian Ben Macintyre who has written a new book called “The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the G…

1
Podcast S8E3: How the British Empire Ended in Georgia: Governor James Wright

4M ago

—

Stan’s guest this week is historian Greg Brooking, discussing his new book From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia, published on July 15 by the University of Georgia Press. https://www.deatonpath.georgiahistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/9-13-24.mp3By Stan Deaton

1
Episode #51 Tech Talk | The GOAT of Porsche interior trimmers - Dave The Trimmer 34:34

4M ago34:34

34:34

I agonised over who to use for interior trimming. With any company I choose to use for my Outlaw Cayman, the hope is that I'll have a great experience so that when it comes to building the RENN550, I've got the relationships and trust in place to know the product at the end is what I'm looking for. I'm frustratingly difficult as a customer. I have …

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British Society Of Sports History Podcasts

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