The Lancaster: Fire, Steel, and Survival at 20,000 Feet

High above Nazi-occupied Europe, hundreds of Avro Lancasters tear through the darkness. No lights, no margin for error, and no guarantee of coming home. In this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by filmmaker David Fairhead to break down the brutal reality of flying Britain’s most feared bomber in World War II. From its origins as a flawed aircraft to becoming the backbone of the RAF’s bombing campaign, the Lancaster wasn’t built for comfort, it was built to carry destruction. Seven-man crews packed into a freezing metal tube faced flak, night fighters, and a nearly 50% casualty rate, all while navigating pitch-black skies in tight formation. But this isn’t just a story about a machine - it’s about the men inside it. The young crews who flew mission after mission knowing each one could be their last. The daring raids - from the Dam Busters to the destruction of the Tirpitz - that pushed the limits of what was possible. And the haunting reality of a war fought from 20,000 feet, where survival often came down to luck. It’s a story of fear, firepower, and endurance - of the aircraft that became the RAF’s sledgehammer, and the crews who swung it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Canute the Great: England’s Viking Nightmare

Most people know Canute the Great from the famous story of him ordering the tide to stop. The problem? That’s not what actually happened. This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Patricia Larash dive into the...

3 Kesä 1h 1min

Max Hardberger: The Repo Man of the High Seas

Most repo men tow away Hondas in the middle of the night. Max Hardberger stole back multi-million dollar cargo ships from dictators, corrupt governments, and the Russian mafia. This week, Ben Thompson...

27 Touko 46min

The 442nd: The Purple Heart Battalion

This week, Ben Thompson and special guest Shana Steinberg dive into the unbelievable true story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team — the Japanese American soldiers who became the most decorated unit ...

21 Touko 1h 15min

Hughie Jennings: The Last Baseball Lunatic

Before baseball had billion-dollar contracts, concussion protocols, or even outfield walls… it had Hughie Jennings. This week, Ben Thompson is joined by baseball historian and comedian Jon Franklin to...

13 Touko 55min

Babur: The Gunpowder King

This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Patricia Larash tell the story of Babur — the warrior poet who went from homeless teenage fugitive sleeping in the mountains under a shared cloak… to the founder of one...

6 Touko 1h 6min

Roald Amundsen: The Ice-Cold Genius Who Outsmarted Antarctica

Before anyone had ever stood at the bottom of the world, one man decided he wasn’t going to discover the South Pole - he was going to win it. This week, Ben Thompson and guest Erik Slader of Epic Fail...

28 Huhti 1h 16min

Isabella of France: The She-Wolf Who Toppled a King

They called her the “She-Wolf” - and not as a compliment. This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat tell the story of Isabella of France, a queen who got sidelined, shut out, and underestimated… and respond...

16 Huhti 1h 12min