Underground Strategy

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia is joined by award-winning historian and regimental historian for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Dr. Spencer Jones.
They discuss a few of his published works including Stemming the Tide: Officers and Leadership in the British Expeditionary Force 1914, and the most recent release Turning the Tide: The British Army on the Western Front 1918
Jones challenges the traditional view of BEF commanders as out-of-touch relics, arguing instead that their brutal experiences in the Boer War forged a cadre of leaders uniquely equipped with grit, initiative, and the ability to withstand extreme pressure.
The conversation explores the BEF's chaotic and fast-moving baptism of fire—from the retreat from Mons to the climactic battles on the Marne and the Aisne. Jones highlights how officers at all levels, from Sir John French to brigadier-generals in the line, made critical, rapid decisions to prevent disaster.
Finally, he draws compelling parallels between the small, professional BEF of 1914 and the modern British Army, offering sharp insights on the challenges of attrition and the value of elite forces in coalition warfare.
Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:
Stemming the Tide: Officers and Leadership in the British Expeditionary Force 1914
Turning the Tide: The British Army on the Western Front 1918
Podcast: Not So Quiet on the Western Front
Spencer's Website

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/
X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com
Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with retired U.S. Army infantry officer and Director for Strategic Innovation at US Space Command, Dr. Ben Zweibelson, about his new book, Bad War Stories.
Zweibelson, a veteran of multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, shuns both heroic myth and overt polemic to deliver a raw, philosophical memoir of modern conflict. He explores the chaos, tragic loss, and surreal bureaucracy of war through a series of vividly recounted personal experiences—from the sudden death of a local child to the absurdity of burying a shipping container to satisfy institutional folly.

The conversation traces Zweibelson’s journey from a son seeking to understand his silent war veteran father to a soldier-philosopher processing his own time at war.
He discusses the catharsis of writing, the importance of sharing these stories with the next generation, and how his academic work on reconceptualizing war frames these gritty narratives. Throughout, Zweibelson emphasizes neither glorifying nor condemning war, but instead capturing its complex reality to better inform policy, public understanding, and the profession of arms itself.
Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:
Bad War Stories
Ben on X

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks
X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com
Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with educator, archaeologist, and former World War I Centennial Commissioner Monique Brouillet Seefried, co-author of Général Louis Dio: The Wartime Epic of One of Free France's Greatest Soldiers, 1940-1946.
As the goddaughter of General Louis Dio, she brings a uniquely personal perspective to the life of one of Free France’s most remarkable — yet often overlooked — commanders.
Their conversation follows Dio’s extraordinary path from the Sahara to Normandy, exploring his legendary courage, humility, and lifelong devotion to service. Monique shares how her own background in archaeology and education ultimately led her to commemorate her godfather’s legacy, and how her collaboration with General Jean-Paul Michel and translator Colonel Jason Musteen brought Dio’s story into English for the first time.
She also reveals little-known aspects of Dio’s life, from his childhood trauma and wartime wounds to his deep sense of honor and refusal to seek recognition, even after decades of service across North Africa and Europe.
Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.
Links:
Général Louis Dio: The Wartime Epic of One of Free France's Greatest Soldiers, 1940-1946
Monique on LinkedIn

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/
X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com
Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with historian and former civil servant Phil McCarty about his new book Point of Failure: British Brigadiers in France and Norway, 1940.
Drawing on decades of government service and years of academic research, McCarty examines the careers, decisions, and battlefield experiences of the brigadiers who led the British Army through one of its most challenging early-war crises.
The conversation explores how McCarty identified and analyzed every brigadier who served in the 1940 campaigns, revealing a complex picture of middle-management command at a moment of strategic collapse.
He discusses why “failure” is an unavoidable part of the story, how interwar career structures shaped wartime performance, and why First World War service was far less of a predictor of success than commonly assumed.
McCarty also shares insights on the evolution of brigade-level command, the lessons drawn (and ignored) from the 1940 defeats, and the officers whose leadership in chaos left lasting impressions. From forgotten figures like Archibald Bowman to later luminaries such as Montague Stopford, the episode illuminates the human dimension behind operational history.
Finally, McCarty offers a look at his forthcoming projects—including a regimental history, a study of the Western Desert on film, and a monograph on the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War.
Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.
Links:
Point of Failure: British Brigadiers in France and Norway, 1940

Phil on LinkedIn

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/
X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com
Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with historian and author Alexander S. Burns about his book Infantry in Battle, 1733–1783.
Burns challenges the long-standing myth that 18th-century infantry were rigid automatons following rote drill. Instead, his work reveals a far more dynamic reality — one where soldiers and officers constantly negotiated tactics, adapted to terrain, and shaped the outcome of battles from the ground up.
The discussion spans from the battlefields of northern Italy to the American War of Independence, tracing how ordinary soldiers fought, took initiative, and learned within the chaos of war. Burns also shares insights from rare soldier letters uncovered in archives across Europe, illustrating how men thought, moved, and survived under fire.
Finally, he previews his upcoming projects, including new studies on George Washington’s army and the Duke of Cumberland’s campaigns.
Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.
Links:
Infantry in Battle 1733–1783
Blog: Kabinettskriege
X: https://x.com/kkriegeblog
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kabinettskriege.bsky.social
Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/
X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com
Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au