This long-running series reaches the French Army in 1917 — Nivelle's rise, the offensive that destroyed his career, and the crucial question of whether what followed were mutinies or something more nuanced. At nearly 90 minutes, there's proper space to examine the gulf between the army's tactical competence and a senior leadership whose hubris under political and operational pressure proved catastrophic. The discussion of French indiscipline is handled with real care, distinguishing between the popular myth and what the evidence actually shows. Excellent stuff for anyone interested in the Western Front beyond the BEF.

Phil Watson — a British Army veteran and PhD candidate researching BEF doctrine — joins for nearly two hours on one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Great War: whether the British Army had a coherent doctrine, how it evolved under the pressure of industrial warfare, and why the 'lions led by donkeys' narrative misses what was actually happening with decentralised command and initiative. The questions Watson poses to listeners — why chateaus, and whether BEF officers were conditioned against initiative — are exactly the right ones. Superb companion piece to the French Army episode from the same feed this week.

Lions Led By Donkeys tackles the 1863 bombardment of Kagoshima — the bizarre little naval war between the Royal Navy and the Satsuma domain that grew out of the Namamugi Incident. At nearly 100 minutes, there's room for the political context of Bakumatsu Japan and the operational details of the bombardment itself. An excellent example of the show's strength: a conflict most listeners won't know, told with energy and an eye for the absurd command decisions on both sides.

Angus Wallace interviews William Hogan about his father Sam Hogan, who commanded a Sherman tank battalion from the Normandy bocage through the Bulge and into Germany — one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the US Army at 28. The episode covers the hedgerow fighting, the desperate encirclement during the Ardennes, and what it meant to lead armour at the sharp end of ETO. Good personal angle grounded in operational specifics.

Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall wrap up Season 5 with a two-hour-plus Q&A covering a wide range of Pacific War topics — Midway, Saipan, carrier operations, and more. The format means it's scattershot rather than focused, but two hours with Parshall is never wasted time.

Holland and Murray do their on-this-day format for April 14th across the war years — German coastal defence strategy in Norway, the engineering of HMS Belfast, and the collapse of Vichy's show trials. The Norwegian fortification discussion is the standout segment, and the Vichy material is entertaining on the farcical politics of collaboration.

Holland and Sandbrook conclude their samurai series with the climax of the Genpei War — the final Minamoto-Taira clashes and how the samurai class came to dominate Japan. Over an hour and genuinely engaged with the military dimension, including female warriors and decisive battles.

Tristan Hughes and Professor Elena Devecchi survey the Hittite empire — diplomacy, religion, royal intrigue, and the sack of Babylon. Military campaigns feature but share space with festivals, theology, and archives.