Episodes
Mussolini
August 4, 1976
AJP Taylor describes the careers of the 'war lords' who dominated the Second World War. This episode looks at Mussolini.
Hitler
August 11, 1976
AJP Taylor describes the careers of the 'war lords' who dominated the Second World War. This episode looks at Hitler.
Winston Churchill
August 18, 1976
AJP Taylor tells the story of Winston Churchill's wartime career and analyses his character and achievements. He is controversially outspoken about some of Churchill's failings and equally frank in his assessments of Churchill's heroic successes.
Stalin
August 25, 1976
AJP Taylor, the renowned British historian, appraises the performance of World War II leaders, delivering his lectures to camera and without an autocue. In this episode, Taylor evaluates Stalin's role in the conflict.
Franklin D Roosevelt
September 1, 1976
AJP Taylor examines Franklin Delano Roosevelt's role in the Second World War, explaining how personal decisions he made changed the course of the conflict, assessing his relationship with other Allied leaders and revealing the president's secret life.
War Lords Anonymous
September 6, 1976
Unlike the subjects of AJP Taylor's other lectures, Japan had no single figure to direct the war effort. Taylor considers Japan's reasons for entering the Second World War and examines the causes of their eventual defeat.