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PODCAST

Battleground

A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points, and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop, Saul David, and Roger Moorhouse turn their attention every Friday to the war in Ukraine, and every Wednesday look back at the significant wars, events, and figures from conflicts around the world. Goalhanger Podcasts

history

All Episodes

33:45

376. The SAS and the Iranian Embassy Siege: Part 1

Battleground ·

2026/03/04

In 1980, the SAS was a shadowy unit few had heard of. Six days at the Iranian Embassy changed that forever.In the spring of that year, the eyes of the world turned to a quiet corner of South Kensington, London. Six armed gunmen had stormed the Iranian Embassy, taking 26 hostages and sparking a high-stakes standoff that would change the face of counter-terrorism forever. In the first of a special two-part series, hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop trace the origins of the crisis, exploring the

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35:33

375. Ukraine’s Spring Surge

Battleground ·

2026/02/27

As we pass the fourth anniversary of Putin’s full-scale invasion, Patrick Bishop and Saul David explore whether the tide of the war is finally turning in Ukraine's favour. Following a winter of stasis, Ukrainian forces have reclaimed 400 square kilometres in mere weeks—outpacing Russia’s entire December gains.In this episode, we dive into the factors driving this sudden shift: The Starlink Effect: How Elon Musk’s decision to block Russian access has been exploited to the maximum by Ukrainian

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37:53

374. Operation Eagle Claw: Disaster in the Desert

Battleground ·

2026/02/25

In the latest instalment of our Battleground: Special Forces series, Saul David and Patrick Bishop deconstruct one of the most ambitious and ill-fated missions in modern military history: Operation Eagle Claw.In April 1980, with 53 American diplomats held captive in the US Embassy in Tehran and President Jimmy Carter’s political future hanging by a thread, the newly formed Delta Force was called upon for its first-ever mission. The plan was a daring, multi-stage rescue involving clandestine desert

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39:03

373. Battlefield Gains, Geneva Stalemates, and the...

Battleground ·

2026/02/20

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Roger Moorhouse break down a week of high-stakes diplomacy and unexpected battlefield shifts as the war approaches its four-year anniversary.The duo discusses the rapid collapse of the latest trilateral peace talks in Geneva, which ended in acrimony after just two hours as Russian negotiators refused to budge on territorial demands. Meanwhile, Kyiv sees a "gleam of sunshine" on the ground: Ukrainian forces have retaken 78 square miles of

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43:41

372. The Cockleshell Heroes: Twelve Men, Two Survivors

Battleground ·

2026/02/18

In this gripping episode of Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Saul David explore one of World War II's most daring commando raids: Operation Frankton, better known as the Cockleshell Heroes mission. In December 1942, twelve Royal Marines volunteers led by Major "Blondie" Hasler embarked on a near-impossible mission to paddle canoes 60 miles up the Gironde estuary to sabotage German blockade runners in the port of Bordeaux.Against brutal Atlantic conditions, freezing temperatures, and constant

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33:16

371. Assassinations, Attrition, and the Telegram...

Battleground ·

2026/02/13

In our weekly round up of the latest news from Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop examine a week of "salient moments" that may signal a turning point in the war. They discuss the Kremlin’s risky move to throttle Telegram, the deepening recession across 21 sectors of the Russian economy, and the high-profile assassination attempt on Lieutenant-general Vladimir Alexeyev. The duo also breaks down the latest friction in the Abu Dhabi peace talks and the mounting pressure on President

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36:58

370. Battleground: Spetsnaz – Russia’s Elite Shadow

Battleground ·

2026/02/11

In this episode of Battleground: Special Forces, Saul David is joined by Julius Strauss to dive into the brutal history and mixed legacy of one of Russia’s elite units: Spetsnaz.Julius provides a unique reporter’s perspective on the ground, reflecting on his own experiences embedded with these units during some of their most controversial deployments. The episode focuses on two of the most infamous and tragic missions in Spetsnaz history, both of which Julius was present at: the 2002 Nord-Ost

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40:45

369. Trump’s "Truce" and Russia's waning influence in...

Battleground ·

2026/02/06

This week Patrick Bishop and Saul David examine a the latest news in week of deadly limbo in Ukraine as Donald Trump’s promised "energy truce" is shattered by a record-breaking Russian bombardment in -20°C temperatures. We analyse why Moscow’s advances are now slower than the Battle of the Somme and discuss Elon Musk’s latest move to block Starlink from Russian drones. Later in the episode, we are joined by friend of the pod Julius Strauss, who discusses the crumbling of the post-imperial space

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38:32

368. Operation Cauldron: The Perfect Raid Amidst the...

Battleground ·

2026/02/04

While the 1942 Dieppe Raid was a catastrophic failure for the Allies, one unit achieved a flawless tactical victory against the odds. In part one of this special series, Patrick Bishop and Saul David explore the origins of the British Commandos—Winston Churchill’s "hunter class" of soldiers.From the brutal training bogs of the Scottish Highlands to the clifftops of Varengeville, we follow No. 4 Commando’s mission to silence the Hess Battery. Led by the legendary Lord Lovat, this operation became a

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51:35

367. The Screaming Banshee and the Ukrainian 'Dad’s...

Battleground ·

2026/01/30

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Roger Morehouse explore the terrifying reality of modern warfare and the unexpected heroes of the resistance. Journalist and friend of the show Askold Krushelnycky recounts his harrowing experience surviving a drone strike in Odesa, describing the "screaming banshee" sound of a Shahed drone on its final approach. We also hear from Boldizsár Győri about a "peculiar unit" in Zaporizhzhia—a Ukrainian "dad’s army" made up of men over the age of

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32:06

366. Blunders, Bullets, and the Black Mercedes:...

Battleground ·

2026/01/28

In the dramatic conclusion of this two-part special, Saul David and Patrick Bishop deconstruct the chaotic 99 minutes on the ground at Entebbe. The episode tracks the high-stakes assault from the moment the first Hercules landed in a tropical storm to the black Mercedes decoy and the controversial firefight that followed. Together they examine the tactical blunders and friendly fire tragedies that nearly jeopardised the mission, while featuring rare eyewitness accounts—including a startling claim

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43:16

365. Darkness in Kyiv and the Duel for Greenland

Battleground ·

2026/01/23

In this episode, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse explore a week of geopolitical upheaval that marks a potential "1938 moment" for the modern world. One year into Donald Trump’s imperial presidency, the duo discusses the stunning ultimatum issued to eight European NATO allies: accept a massive tariff hike or facilitate the American purchase of Greenland. Roger weighs in on whether NATO can survive this direct threat to member sovereignty and the unprecedented refusal of the U.S. to rule out

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58:44

364. The Impossible Mission: Entebbe Part 1

Battleground ·

2026/01/21

On June 27, 1976, Air France Flight 139 was diverted to Uganda, sparking a crisis that would redefine special operations forever. In the first of a two-part special, hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down the lead-up to Operation Thunderbolt.Saul provides a first-hand look at the "Unit"—the elite Sayeret Matkal—and the internal friction between legendary commanders like Yoni Netanyahu and Muki Betser. We dive into the chilling logistics of the hijacking, the "selektzia" that echoed the

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34:16

363. Oreshnik Over Lviv: Winter Strikes and the...

Battleground ·

2026/01/16

As Ukraine slips from the international headlines in favour of turmoil in Venezuela and Iran, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David examine a week of "curious" developments and renewed escalation. With temperatures plunging to -14°C, Russia has intensified its campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, launching a rare Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile at Lviv—a strike less than 50 miles from the Polish border that the Kremlin frames as a "false flag" retaliation.The hosts also dive

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33:06

362. Introducing - Battleground: Special Forces

Battleground ·

2026/01/14

In the premiere of a new series from Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Saul David dive into the high-stakes world of Special Forces to explore why these small bands of elite warriors have captured the global imagination. From the SAS and Delta Force to Sayeret Matkal, the duo strips away the Hollywood veneer to define the "SF type," debating whether it is superior fitness, a specific mental edge, or a carefully cultivated mystique that sets these operators apart. They also examine the massive

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48:05

361. The Donroe Doctrine: From Caracas to Kyiv

Battleground ·

2026/01/09

In this momentous episode, Patrick Bishop and Saul David analyze the global shockwaves following the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and its profound implications for the war in Ukraine. They explore the rise of the "Donroe Doctrine"—a new American focus on the Western Hemisphere—and how the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera marks a direct humiliation for Vladimir Putin. The duo also discusses the groundbreaking commitment from Britain and France to deploy troops for

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39:53

360. Hero or Villain: Episode 6 - Douglas Haig

Battleground ·

2026/01/07

In our final episode of our Hero or Villain series Patrick and Roger go all the way back to the first part of the twentieth century and take a look at perhaps Britain's most famous soldier from the First World War - Field Marshall Douglas Haig. They take a dive into the arguments for and against Haig and give their judgement. They also take a look at the results from the listener votes on our previously discussed characters of the series. What do you think? Is he a hero or a villain? Cast Your

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45:31

359. The Mar-a-Lago Charade & The "Dark Side of the...

Battleground ·

2026/01/02

In the first episode of 2026, Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop look back on a bizarre and momentous year of conflict. The hosts begin by reflecting on the breakdown of international cooperation, noting how Russia has moved from sensitive joint enterprises, like decommissioning nuclear power submarines, to living on the "dark side of the moon" diplomatically and economically.The centre of this week’s discussion is the surreal meeting between President Zelensky and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago

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41:59

358. Hero or Villain: Episode 5 - Josip Tito

Battleground ·

2025/12/31

In this episode of Hero or Villain, Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop evaluate the military career of Josip Broz Tito, the "titan of Central Europe" who led the Yugoslav partisans during World War II and served as President until 1980. The discussion traces his journey from a decorated Austro-Hungarian sergeant major to a revolutionary swayed by communism while a POW in Russia. The hosts highlight his strategic brilliance in liberating Yugoslavia largely through indigenous guerrilla efforts and

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27:03

357. Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns

Battleground ·

2025/12/26

With the Battleground: Ukraine team taking a Christmas break, we have a special interview for you this episode.Saul is joined by Journalist, writer and pacifist turned volunteer soldier Artem Chapeye, who tells his story plus his thoughts and reflections on the war in Ukraine. Artem recently wrote the book: Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns. Join us next week for an update on the latest news from Ukraine. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to -

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