(Buy tickets for Jane's talk at the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln, on 5 March 2026 here )

In this episode, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by historian Professor Alan Allport for a wide-ranging discussion of his new book, Advance Britannia, which re-examines Britain’s war effort from 1942 onwards — a period when the nation moved from survival to sustained, large-scale offensive operations.

From the rapid expansion of RAF Bomber Command to the mounting moral, political, and human questions surrounding the bombing war, Advance Britannia offers a fresh perspective on how Britain fought, endured, and understood the later years of the Second World War.

Alan Allport brings his characteristic clarity and depth to topics including:

Why 1942 marks a turning point in Britain’s war effort
Bomber Command at the height of its power and controversy
How the bombing campaign was understood by the British public at the time
Moral debate, doubt, and dissent within wartime Britain
Britain’s changing role within the Allied coalition alongside the USAAF
How victory shaped post-war memory and reckoning
What Advance Britannia adds to our understanding of Britain’s wartime experience

This episode situates Bomber Command within a broader social, political, and cultural history, offering listeners a deeper understanding of how the air war was fought — and how it has been remembered.

Advance Britannia is available as a hardback book, an ebook, and on Audible. See Links here

About the Guest

Professor Alan Allport is a historian of modern Britain and a frequent guest on Never Mind the Dambusters. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Demobbed, Browned Off and Bloody-Minded, and Britain at Bay. His work focuses on the social and cultural history of war, with particular attention to morale, memory, and lived experience.

Coming Up Next

In the next episode, Jane will be joined by Mike Peters from the Mighty Eighth Podcast to discuss the USAAF daylight bombing raids on Schweinfurt, examining their objectives, their cost, and what they reveal about the American approach to the air war.

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