Furious Lives

Paddy Mayne, the second CO of 1 SAS, taking over from David Stirling at the conclusion of the Northern Africa campaign. He was an enigma of a man.  On one hand he was a ruthless killer, an awful bully, and a hopeless alcoholic who was able to lead his men fearlessly into combat over and over again. 

On the other, he was a shy, awkward, depressed guy that loved James Joyce novels and tending his rose garden. 

This episode is about the origins of the SAS in the African theatre of WW2. It's a two parter, with the first section featuring the founder of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling. Stirling was a privileged, quasi aristocratic young man that managed to get himself in command of one of the roughest units in the British armed forces.  Episode marked as explicit due to violence.

Episode notes: I made a boo boo that I didn't pick up until I finished editing. In British English 'lieutenant'  is pronounced LEFFtenant not LOOtenant. Completely forgot that until I'd finished.

Main Sources for this episode are:

The Regiment - Michael Asher

Rogue Warrior of the SAS - Roy Bradford & Martin Dillon

The Phantom Major - Virginia Cowles

Tecumseh was a great pan tribal Native American chief that led an armed resistance to the United States invasion of his lands. He was a warrior, a general, a community leader and allegedly one of the greatest orators that ever lived.

My primary source for this episode was Tecumseh by John Sugden. Special thanks to various tribal community websites and organisations as well. Music at the top of the pod can be found on :

Spiritual Songs And Dances Of The Native American Indians  ℗ 2003 Grammercy Records

Note: The picture uploaded here is not historically accurate. No portrait of Tecumseh was created while he was alive. This painting was created long after his death, and is based on descriptions of him. He typically avoided wearing the European clothing he is depicted wearing here.

Che Guevara - the famed Latin American revolutionary of many a college arts students t shirt, was a complex, unusual man. Shaped into a brutally effective guerrilla leader by the political circumstances of his early life, he was also a loving son, skilled doctor, severe asthmatic, and father of 5.

Sources for this episode were:

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee

The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara

The Story of Che Guevara by Lucia Alvarez De Toledo

Lenny Bruce was a giant of 60s counterculture. His trailblazing comic style, which brought him unending legal trouble, is still having a profound impact on pop culture today. But he was a seriously damaged man, bedevilled by drug addiction and depression that fueled the often disgraceful antics of his personal life.

Stede Bonnet is derided as the worst pirate that ever lived. He was totally ill suited to the job and should have just stayed on his plantation. Yet he survived a mutiny or two, raided up and down the Us Coast, got into several major fights with the navy, and received something of a mentorship from Blackbeard.

Prowling the NASCAR pits with a corncob pipe, cowboy hat and decked head to toe in white overalls, Smokey Yunick and his very southern manner of speaking left a huge impact on American motorsport. Not content with being a brilliant engineer, he was a racer, an aviator, a war hero, a smuggler, an inventor, and possibly the greatest cheat in the history of organized sport.

Sutton was the most prolific bank robber in the history of the United States. He robbed over 100 banks, his creativity and flair earning him the nickname 'The Actor'. He was also number 1 on the FBI most wanted list, escaped prison several times, and did it all without shooting at anyone.