Thunder in the Mountains with Tom Isitt

Thunder in the Mountains with Tom Isitt

Author: Paul Reed May 23, 2026 Duration: 1:00:21
In this special edition of the podcast we explore a lesser-known theatre of conflict from the First World War in Northern Italy with historian Tom Isitt. Tom's new book - Thunder in the Mountains - follows a journey he made across those battlefields and with him we discover the unique challenges of mountain warfare, the diverse nations involved, and personal stories from the battlefield. We examine the Battlefields on the Izonzo, discuss some of the highest points of the Great War in the Dolo...

Imagine standing on a quiet French field, the same earth that once shook with the fury of the First World War. The Old Front Line is your guide to that landscape, hosted by military historian Paul Reed. This isn't a dry lecture from a distant studio; it's an audio journey built on a lifetime of dedication. Paul draws from more than forty years of research, weaving together the poignant first-hand accounts of veterans he met with his own unique perspective gained from living for over a decade right in the heart of the Somme battlefields. Each episode of this podcast feels like walking alongside him, tracing the contours of history that are still etched into the land. You'll hear the human stories behind the maps and monuments, understanding the conflict through the very ground where it was fought. It’s a deeply personal and evocative exploration, connecting the peaceful present with the tumultuous past. For anyone fascinated by history, landscape, or the powerful echoes of the Great War, this series offers an unparalleled, grounded perspective that only someone with Paul Reed's intimate experience can provide.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

The Old Front Line
Podcast Episodes
Bonus Episode: A Divisional Memorial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:10
In the first of three Bonus Episodes of the podcast to end Season 8, we travel to Fricourt on the Somme and examine the journey to unveil a memorial to the 17th (Northern) Division in the church there in July 1938, just…
RFC/RAF: Where They Flew & Fell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:44
In the final episode of our Air War series we travel across the landscape of the First World War and discover what we can find that connects us to the story of the Royal Flying Corps and RAF in WW1, from memorials to cem…
Questions & Answers: RFC/RAF Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
In this special and extended QnA Episode we look at Parachutes in the Air Services in WW1, the Ground Crew who kept the planes in the air, what are the best RFC/RAF memoirs of WW1, how the filming of the Red Baron's fune…
The Air War in WW1 - with Josh Levine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:28
In the second of our special interviews for the War in the Air series, we are joined by historian and broadcaster Josh Levine to discuss the war in the air in WW1, based on his best-selling book On A Wing and A Prayer. J…
The Search for Mick Mannock with Andy Saunders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
For our 250th episode of the podcast, and as part of our continuing Air War series, we are joined by aviation historian and author Andy Saunders to look at the life, and death, of Edward 'Mick' Mannock VC DSO & Two Bars,…
Above the Battlefield: Royal Flying Corps & RAF in WW1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:24
For the start of our War in the Air Month, we begin with a look at the real story of the 'Twenty Minuters', the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force in the First World War. We look at its history from formation in 1912…
Questions and Answers Episode 34 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:13
For our latest questions submitted by podcast listeners, we examine what my first visit to the battlefields of the Great War with my school meant to me, ask what the Wiltshire Regiment did in the First World War, what so…
Questions and Answers Episode 33 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:52
Our latest questions from podcast listeners discuss what role German steel helmets, Stahlhelm, had on the First Day of the Somme, how did Great War veterans feel about WW2, how were women who fell pregnant from British s…
Return to the Somme [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:38
As the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme approaches, we walk part of the battlefield across the iconic Mash Valley, visit Ovillers Military Cemetery and walk through Ovillers village to the far end of the valley fac…
Questions and Answers Episode 32 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:51
Our latest questions from listeners range from could Britain have stood back from conflict in 1914 and not been part of the Great War, how accurate was the final dugout scene in the film 1917, what duties did Royal Field…