In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with historian Glenn Price, author of Soldiers and Civilians, Transport and Provisions: Early Modern Military Logistics and Supply Systems during the British Civil Wars 1638–1653.

Glenn discusses the often-overlooked world of logistics and supply during the British Civil Wars, exploring how armies were fed, equipped, and kept moving amid the chaos of seventeenth-century warfare.

The conversation sheds light on the human and operational realities behind campaigns — from food shortages and transport systems to regional supply variations and the civilian toll of sustaining armies in the field. Glenn also explains why the Royalists’ logistical struggles may have been overstated and how supply lines, local productivity, and coastal transport shaped the outcome of these conflicts.

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

Links:

Soldiers and Civilians, Transport and Provisions: Early Modern Military Logistics and Supply Systems during the British Civil Wars 1638–1653

Glenn Price on X

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 Karen Horn, author of Bold in Battle: South African Stories from the Second World War. Karen shares how her work brings to life the overlooked experiences of South African volunteers who served across Africa and Europe — men and women whose stories have long remained in the margins of military history.

Drawing on personal diaries, letters, and firsthand accounts, Karen discusses the human side of war — from the courage of ordinary soldiers and POWs to the quiet sacrifices of families back home. She also reflects on South Africa’s complex culture of remembrance, the challenges of commemoration, and the importance of preserving these voices for future generations.

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

Links:

Bold in Battle: South African Stories from the Second World War

Karen Horn on Instagram

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 Michael Fredholm von Essen about his new two-volume series Whiskey on the Rocks — an in-depth exploration of a tense Cold War standoff between the Soviet Union and Sweden.

Michael recounts the extraordinary events of October 1981, when a Soviet Whiskey-class submarine ran aground near a major Swedish naval base, sparking a ten-day diplomatic and military crisis. He explains how misunderstandings, high-stakes decisions, and Cold War paranoia shaped the incident — and how newly declassified documents reveal what really happened beneath the surface.

The conversation also looks ahead to his sequel volume, which follows the continuing confrontation and near-miss moments that could have drawn both sides into open conflict. Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring discussions with leading military historians and authors.

Links:

Whiskey on the Rocks Vol. 1 – A Soviet Submarine Stranded in Swedish Waters (1981)

Whiskey on the Rocks Vol. 2 – The Swedish–Soviet Confrontation (1981)

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 inaugural episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia sits down with Helion & Company founder and CEO Duncan Rogers to explore the origins of one of the world’s leading military history publishers. Duncan shares how his lifelong passion for military history evolved into the founding of Helion in 1996, and how that passion continues to drive the company today.

They discuss the evolution of Helion’s hallmark series — from Century of the Soldier to At War — and how these collections have built a global readership across eras and regions. Duncan also talks about Helion’s commitment to giving voice to overlooked stories, from South Africa to Sweden, and fostering international collaboration through partnerships like the new Underground Strategy series.

Helion Talks will release new episodes once a month, featuring conversations with authors and historians from around the world.

Links:

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

A small state, big pressures—Botswana built its army late and cautiously.

In this season finale, we sit down with Bafumiki Mocheregwa, a historian and academic at the University of Southern Mississippi who studies the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) and Southern African military history.

The conversation explores how Botswana built its armed forces late—only in 1977—after relying for years on the Police Mobile Unit. We cover how the BDF grew under financial and political constraints, its complicated role during the Rhodesian Bush War and apartheid, and its later peacekeeping deployments to Somalia, Mozambique, and Lesotho.

This isn’t a neat story. It’s a patchwork of half-forgotten history, regional pressures, and unanswered questions about how a small, cautious state tried to manage the chaos around it.

Recommended Reading

The BDF in the Struggle for an African Environment - https://amzn.to/3IAvkor

More from Underground Strategy

Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com

Discover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7

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In this episode, we’re joined by John Gordon Sennett, a U.S. Marine veteran, writer, and co-author of Accidental Ukrainians, a personal chronicle of war, survival, and adaptation from inside Ukraine.

John and his wife Natasha Sennett moved to Kiev just before the invasion began. What started as a family decision quickly turned into a frontline life. From volunteering in the early days of war to chronicling daily reality, they’ve written two powerful books that bridge cultures, challenge narratives, and offer something rarely seen—honest, unfiltered civilian-military experience from inside a war zone.

We talk about writing as survival, advocating for POWs, the culture clash between glory-seekers and those who stayed, and how narrative itself can become a tool for recovery.

John also shares an exclusive preview of their third book and a bold new mental health project with Ukrainian universities aimed at helping veterans and civilians process trauma through storytelling.

This is not just another perspective. It’s a voice from the inside—and it matters.

Accidental Ukrainians – Books by John & Natasha Sennett

Part One – https://amzn.to/3H9GrUb

Part Two – https://amzn.to/3ZyJH1J

Connect with John & Natasha Sennett

Medium – https://jgsennett-78059.medium.com/

Substack – https://johngordonsennettsr.substack.com/

LinkedIn – https://ua.linkedin.com/in/john-g-sennett-sr

Project & Updates – https://accidentalukrainians.com/

More from Underground Strategy

Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com

Discover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7

In this episode, we’re joined again by Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Jean-Pierre Scherman of the South African National Defence Force—a returning guest with deep operational experience and a sharp eye for military history. This time, we turn to Operation Boleas: the 1998 intervention in Lesotho that tested the SANDF just four years after its formation.

We get into the real story behind the headlines—why the mission was launched, how it rapidly escalated, and what it exposed about South Africa’s new defense force. From unexpected combat to political constraints and mission creep, Boleas became a crash course in regional military operations.

More than two decades later, the mission remains misunderstood. We unpack why it faded from public view—and what its legacy reveals about South Africa’s approach to hard power.

Jean-Pierre Scherman’s links

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/schermanjeanpierre/

X – https://x.com/schermanjp74

LinkedIn – https://za.linkedin.com/in/jean-pierre-scherman

More from Underground Strategy

Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com

Discover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7

This week on the Underground Strategy Podcast, Max Lauker continues the conversation with Andy Balaam, former Selous Scout and veteran of some of the Bush War’s most daring missions.

In Part 2, Balaam walks us through the attack on Nyadzonya itself — from the buildup on the parade ground to the destruction of the camp, the clearing of huts, and the tense withdrawal across the border. He also reflects on the aftermath, the claims of controversy, and how he saw the operation at the time.

Stay tuned for future episodes with Balaam, where we’ll continue exploring his experiences in the Scouts and beyond.

Warning: this episode contains graphic combat detail.

Andy's Work

pseudobalaam.com

Instagram – instagram.com/pseudobalaam

More from Underground Strategy

Discover Number 788 - https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7

Join the mission - https://undergroundstrategy.com

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