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 James is reading from Brave Men, by

Robin Rowland was an officer in Slim’s Fourteenth Army, fighting at the Battle of the Admin Box and at the Battle of Kohima. Here he is in conversation with James Holland. In this first part of their discussion Robin describes

Part two of our conversation with aviation writer Roland White, as he explains the challenges of flying off carriers in the South Atlantic. Roland tells Al Murray and James Holland about the role played by birds around the islands and

Were airborne operations actually a complete waste of time and men? Al Murray and James Holland question the merit of dropping paratroopers into battle. Also discussed is the vital contribution of women to the British war effort.