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The Old Front Line

Paul Reed
First World War
World War I
Great War
Battle Of the Somme
Ypres
Trench Warfare
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
British Army
Royal Flying Corps
Western Front
Menin Gate
Hindenburg Line
Somme
Flanders
German Army
Passchendaele
American Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force
Gallipoli
Western Front Association

Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he interviewed, to when he spent more than a decade living on the Old Front Line in the heart of the Somme battlefields.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes314Founded7 years ago
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HistoryEducation

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Latest Episodes

Join us on the Somme battlefields as we explore the remarkable story of Hawthorn Ridge Crater, one of the most iconic and historically significant sites of the First World War. In this episode of The Old Front Line, we are joined by Terry Berry and R... more

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In this week's Question and Answer Episode we look at: why did German intelligence understand so much about the coming Battle of the Somme, yet the Allies were caught so badly off guard by the German Spring Offensive of 1918? 

We also examine the ch... more

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As the Battle of the Somme entered its final, bitter weeks, fighting continued across the ground between Thiepval, Grandcourt and Courcelette. In this episode of The Old Front Line, we explore the October and November 1916 battles as autumn turned to... more

YouTube

In this Old Front Line Q&A, we explore four fascinating questions from the First World War, taking us from the Ypres Salient to German-occupied France and Belgium, and from wartime prisoners to the fate of battlefield cemeteries during the Second Wor... more

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Recent Guests

Tom Isitt
Author, historian, photographer
Thunder in the Mountains; Riding in the Zone Rouge
Episode: Thunder in the Mountains with Tom Isitt
Donald Fraser
Private, 31st Battalion; Canadian infantryman and memoir author
Canadian Army (31st Battalion)
Episode: St Eloi Craters 1916
Harold McGill
Captain and Regimental Medical Officer, 31st Battalion
31st Battalion
Episode: St Eloi Craters 1916
Arthur Meek
New Zealand playwright and filmmaker, historian
Voices of Gallipoli Project
Episode: The Bad Luck Battalion
Mark Connelly
Professor of History, guest on the episode
[unconfirmed]
Episode: Chalk, Englishness and the Great War
Alex Sotheran
Archaeologist, historian, and war gamer
Storm of Steel YouTube channel
Episode: From The Battlefield to the Tabletop
Jon Gedling
Director of Estates for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Episode: Caring For The Silent Cities
Peter Doyle
Historian, Geologist, and Author
Episode: Battle of Loos with Peter Doyle
Josh Levine
Historian and author, frequent broadcaster
Episode: The Air War in WW1 - with Josh Levine

Host

Paul Reed
Host and military historian focusing on the Great War; long-term field researcher and interviewer with extensive work on battlefield archaeology, memory, and memorial culture.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.2k ratings
  • Magnificent

    As per the title.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GPez84
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Amazing

    This podcast really knows how to talk topics about war, go in depth, and all in a calm voice that is a relief from modern days Fast-Paced-Talking culture.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Itscoolbeatle64
    United States3 months ago
  • Superb

    Thanks Paul! Thank you for honoring the fallen and the veterans of the Great War. I have an endless fascination with the history, heritage and lessons of WWI.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bp12579
    United States7 months ago
  • High Quality WW1 Podcast

    A high-quality podcast. Highly recommended for people interested in the First World War.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    fwfam3
    United States9 months ago
  • Best podcast for the Great War around

    If you are looking for a podcast on the First World War look no further, Paul is so incredibly knowledgeable and has a way of delivering stories that will always keep you interested

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    harperslj
    United Kingdom9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Deep, respectful analysis and engaging storytelling about war memories.
Thoughtful episodes with clear, well-researched insights into WWI memory.
High production quality and thoughtful exploration of memorials and landscapes.
Calm, knowledgeable host with a strong sense of veterans' stories.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#94
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#114
Ireland/History
Apple Podcasts
#200
Netherlands/History
Apple Podcasts
#208
New Zealand/History
Apple Podcasts
#224
South Africa/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Questions and Answers Episode 62
Q: How did senior commanders reconcile pre-war cavalry doctrine with trench warfare, and why did they maintain substantial cavalry formations?
Cavalry had adapted to use rifles and fight dismounted as well as mounted. Its roles included reconnaissance and, especially, exploiting breakthroughs quickly; cavalry could also be used as infantry when manpower was short. Reed argues that keeping it was worthwhile because mobility and the ability to fight on foot remained valuable.
Questions and Answers Episode 62
Q: Why did German intelligence understand so much about the coming Battle of the Somme, yet the Allies were caught so badly off guard by the German Spring Offensive of 1918?
Both sides had some warning from observation, trench raids and captured information, but communications and intelligence networks were limited. In 1916, visible Allied preparations signaled an attack without giving the Germans a decisive advantage over the defenses. In 1918, the Allies knew an offensive was coming but could not identify its precise location or stop it, amid wider defensive and organizational problems.
Questions and Answers Episode 61
Q: Question number four asks about large-scale destruction of Great War cemeteries or memorials in Belgium and France during the Second World War. What happened to these sites in 1940 and later?
In 1940 many cemeteries and memorials were not destroyed on a systematic scale; some structures were damaged or destroyed in targeted acts, but most memorials were left intact, with notable exceptions where German operations or propaganda goals led to intentional destruction, while many sites were preserved and later restored after the war.
Questions and Answers Episode 61
Q: Question number three concerns what everyday life was like for civilians and whether there was resistance, including small acts of defiance in towns like Tournai and Lille. What is known about resistance and daily life?
There was limited organized resistance in those areas, but there were acts of defiance and underground activity; civilians continued daily life under occupation, with some towns showing pockets of resistance and risk, including a mayor in Tournai who paid with his life, illustrating the personal costs of opposition.
Questions and Answers Episode 61
Q: Question number two asks about the fate and status of French and Belgian civilians under German occupation, including schooling, currency, and movement controls. How did civilian life change during the occupation and what happened to those displaced?
Civilians were moved from frontline zones into safer towns, while many remained in occupied areas under German control; schooling tended to emphasize German perspectives, movement was tightly controlled, currencies and newspapers were regulated, and many communities faced displacement, with some civilians later returning or being resettled as the front lines shifted, and others becoming permanently altered by occupation and war.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Old Front Line

What is The Old Front Line about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful history podcast focused on the First World War, especially the Western Front and memory culture. It blends battlefield geography, veterans' recollections, and memorial landscapes with expert analysis from historians, researchers, and writers. Episodes often center on ground-level storytelling—walking battlefields, visiting cemeteries, and exploring how memory, place, and artifacts shape our understanding of the war. A distinctive trait is the host's long-term immersion in the subject, including battlefield fieldwork and interviews with authors and archivists, which yields a calm, deeply informed style and a strong emphasis on memory and place rather than just battles. Potential listeners include history enthusiasts, battlefield... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Old Front Line?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Old Front Line:

1. WW1: Not So Quiet On The Western Front!
2. WW2: Both Sides of The Wire
3. Footsteps of the fallen
4. WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
5. The WW2 Podcast

How many episodes of The Old Front Line are there?

The Old Front Line launched 7 years ago and published 314 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Old Front Line?

Recent guests on The Old Front Line include:

1. Tom Isitt
2. Donald Fraser
3. Harold McGill
4. Arthur Meek
5. Mark Connelly
6. Alex Sotheran
7. Jon Gedling
8. Peter Doyle

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