The History Podcast: "Two Nottingham Lads" (Trailer)

BBC Radio 4 | Aired: December 11, 2025
Host: Paul Kenyon

Overview

In this gripping trailer for the new series "Two Nottingham Lads," reporter and author Paul Kenyon introduces a true story of two British men from Nottingham who wind up on opposite sides of the Ukraine war. The episode promises a narrative that explores survival, moral contradictions, and the personal motivations that propel ordinary people into extraordinary conflict—while also wrestling with the modern battle between truth and disinformation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Series & Its Central Theme

• Purpose: The podcast examines how and why two men from the same British city ended up fighting for opposing sides in Ukraine, asking urgent questions about allegiance, survival, and propaganda.
• Modern Context: Paul Kenyon underscores the contemporary relevance of the story:

  "This is a history series for the present moment. Urgent, unfolding, and uncomfortably close. And a war that's still shaping the lives of our two men from Nottingham."
  (01:32)

2. The Dramatic Encounter in Donetsk

• Background: In April 2022, just after Russia’s full invasion, the two Nottingham natives meet in a Donetsk prison.

• Conflict of Sides:

  • Aidan Aslan, a British-born contracted soldier for Ukraine since 2018, is now a POW.
  • Graham Phillips, another Nottingham native, interviews him.
    • Phillips positions himself as an independent journalist but is described as sympathetic to Russia.

  "We're talking about Ukrainian soldiers and I'm going to use a few choice words... Animals, scumbags, barbarians, your comrades. Aiden, what are we talking about here? How is it ended up that you're on that side?"
  —Graham Phillips to Aidan Aslan (02:20)

  "I made [a] stupid choice. I easily misread the information and joined the wrong side."
  —Aidan Aslan (02:29)

3. The Journalist’s Perspective

• Personal Connection: Kenyon shares his emotional response upon seeing the prison interview, reflecting on risks he has witnessed as a conflict reporter:

  "I've been to many conflict zones in my career, but seeing Aiden in that prison in Donetsk was like watching my worst nightmare play out in real time. Being captured, humiliated, tortured."
  (03:40)

• Investigative Drive:
  • Kenyon expresses his need to understand what led both men to that moment:

    "I needed to know their backstory. What motivated these two men to throw themselves into such danger and peril?"
    (03:49)

4. Exploring Origins & Motivations

• The series promises to trace both men’s journeys from the UK to Donetsk to uncover what drove their decisions.
• Underlying Questions:
  • Why fight in a war that isn’t your own?
  • How do backgrounds and beliefs push people into conflict?

5. Moments of Dark Irony

• Chance Encounter:

  "Out of all the places in the world where I meet someone from Nottingham, it's in captivity on two sides of the conflict."
  —Aidan Aslan (04:20)

6. Personal Stakes and Uncertainty

• Prison Message:

  "If you're watching this, it means that we've surrendered. Hopefully, you'll see something from me in the future."
  —Aidan Aslan (04:35)

• Kenyon’s Closing:

  "It's a story about how and why you pick a side in a war that's not your own. Listen to Two Nottingham Lads first on BBC Sounds."
  (04:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | 01:32 | "This is a history series for the present moment. Urgent, unfolding, and uncomfortably close." | Paul Kenyon | | 02:20 | "We're talking about Ukrainian soldiers... Animals, scumbags, barbarians, your comrades. Aiden, what are we talking about here?" | Graham Phillips | | 02:29 | "I made [a] stupid choice. I easily misread the information and joined the wrong side." | Aidan Aslan | | 03:40 | "I've been to many conflict zones in my career, but seeing Aiden in that prison in Donetsk was like watching my worst nightmare play out in real time." | Paul Kenyon | | 04:20 | "Out of all the places in the world where I meet someone from Nottingham, it's in captivity..." | Aidan Aslan | | 04:35 | "If you're watching this, it means that we've surrendered. Hopefully, you'll see something from me in the future." | Aidan Aslan | | 04:41 | "It's a story about how and why you pick a side in a war that's not your own." | Paul Kenyon |

Important Timestamps

• 01:09 — Paul Kenyon introduces "Two Nottingham Lads" and its central theme.
• 02:03–02:45 — The Donetsk prison interview between Aidan Aslan and Graham Phillips.
• 03:27–04:20 — Kenyon recounts his emotional reaction and investigative drive; Aidan’s reflection on fate.
• 04:35–04:41 — Aidan’s message from captivity and Paul Kenyon’s series invitation.

Final Thoughts

"Two Nottingham Lads" poses urgent, profound questions about identity, allegiance, and the consequences of war, all anchored in a deeply human story of chance and conflict. With first-person accounts and probing journalism, the series promises to unspool not only how two men’s lives intersected in a Ukrainian war prison but also how such choices ripple through our collective history. As Kenyon invites, this is a history “urgent, unfolding and uncomfortably close”—a must-listen for understanding our times.