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

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with writer and historian Gabriel Neville, author of The Last Men Standing: The 8th Virginia Regiment in the American Revolution.

Gabriel shares the remarkable story of one of Virginia’s most distinctive regiments — a force shaped by frontier experience, cultural diversity, and the harsh realities of early American warfare.

Drawing on two decades of research, Neville discusses how he pieced together a narrative many believed impossible to write, uncovering forgotten diaries, service records, and pension accounts to tell the full story of the 8th Virginia.

From brutal frontier battles and disease-ravaged campaigns to the human cost of revolution, the conversation brings to light a side of the war rarely seen — one defined not by founding fathers, but by the ordinary soldiers who endured it.

Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:

The Last Men Standing: The 8th Virginia Regiment in the American Revolution

Gabriel Neville — 8thVirginia.com

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