Al Murray read a chapter from The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat. This book tells the story of the lives of a group of Royal Navy sailors fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic.

James Holland and National Army Museum resident expert Peter Johnston examine the roles of Captain Alfred Rowe, a beach master on D-Day, and Lieutenant John Groom, who was awarded the Military Cross for covert reconnaissance of beach mines and obstacles

Merry Christmas from We Have Ways of Making You Talk. Over the next 12 days Al and James are reading extracts from some of their favourite books about the Second World War. Today Al is reading from Quartered Safe Here,

James Holland meets leading US historian Rob Citino to talk about the German approach to war.