Today's guest is the USAF Air Command and Staff College's Paul "PJ" Springer. PJ has a great story - from the farm fields of Iowa to Aggieland to Maxwell AFB, Paul had dreams of being a physicist, but the end of the Cold War and a couple of good experiences in history courses at Texas A&M put him on the righteous path. Paul has written widely on Civil War POWs, military technology, among many other subjects. Versatile in his research interests and committed to the professional development of military officers through the use of history, PJ is one of a kind. Join us for a fun chat with PJ Springer - we'll talk growing up in Iowa, getting shot, robots and military technology, the serendipity of research, call signs, and making your own bacon. Get your favorite beverage and settle in - enjoy!

Shoutout to Fat Man's Smokehouse BBQ in Montgomery, Alabama, and check out Mad Science Bacon Lab!

Rec.: 09/04/2025

We're back! Our summer hiatus is over, and it's good to get back to recording. And Season 6, no less! Our opening episode is a fun chat with Jack Bowsher, a historian of the Burma Campaign in the Second World War. Jack is Head of History at the Katherine Warington School in Hertfordshire, UK. Jack's books include Forgotten Armour: Tank Warfare in Burma, and Thunder Run Meiktila 1945: The Greatest Combined Arms Manoeuvre Battle of World War II . He is the co-host (with Robert Lyman) of The Forgotten War Podcast, and speaks widely on the Burma Campaign. You'll not find many more passionate about teaching history and knowledgeable about the Burma Campaign than Jack Bowsher. Join us for deep dives on tanks, watching war movies as a kid, Spike Milligan, Newcastle FC, building dioramas during Covid, and even working for the NHS!

Thanks as always for listening!

Rec.: 08/28/2025

We wrap up Season 5 with the gentleman historian Sebastian Cox. Seb just retired from we won't say how many years as Head of the Royal Air Force's Air Historical Branch. Long active in the UK, European, and American official history communities as well as rarely missing a Society for Military History conference over the past 30+ years, Seb came to airpower history by happenstance after doing a thesis on the Vietnam War at King's College, London. A random job application to the RAF Museum at Hendon began what would become an over forty-year career with RAF history. We've wanted to get Seb on for a while now, so we're glad to finally chat with him.

Join us for our delightful chat with Seb Cox - we'll talk having a grandfather who was a concientious objector in the First World War, a father who served in Europe during the Second World War, growing up building Airfix kits and watching 633 Squadron on telly, establishing the Bomber Command Memorial in London, RAF casualty reports from WW2, PG Tips tea, seeing The Who at Wembley Stadium, and receiving an O.B.E. at Buckingham Palace. Stories abound!

Thanks for the support - We'll start recording Season 6 later this summer!

Rec.: 04/15/2025