Sapphire Planet

World War I pt. 2

On today’s Stool Pigeon Saturday, Anthony interviews Steve North, Old Idaho Penitentiary Volunteer and Commander of the Boise Chapter of the Forty and Eight. Steve dives into the captivating history of the Merci Train Boxcar, a symbol of gratitude from France to the United States after World War II. He shares insights about the enduring friendship between the two nations and the incredible stories of generosity and connection that emerged in the aftermath of war. 

For more information, pick up Boxcar Diplomacy by Jane Sweetland:
https://store.history.idaho.gov/GiftShopItem.aspx?I=1526

Steve North's Captivating Conversation:
https://youtu.be/kXa2hL_w9fw

Jane Sweetland's Captivating Conversation:
https://youtu.be/DhJmBsOO7y8

http://mercitrain.org/
https://www.fortyandeight.org


Oral History:
Truman, Harry S. "President Truman's Radio and Television Address Concluding a Program by the Citizens Food Committee." Delivered from the White House, Washington, D.C., October 5, 1947. National Archives Identifier (NAID) 325599790.

News coverage clip provided by Jane Sweetland.

Stool Pigeon Saturday - Steve North On The 75th Anniversary of the Merci Train Boxcar

This episode tells about the extraordinary life of Lt-Col Charles Alexander Young, from his beginnings, passing through his military career, his masonic life and his social engagements in the post-war era. It also tells about the life of some family members.

Podcast Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Alexander Young  A Life in Service

Title: From the Lautarchiv to Ennejma Ezzahra: Towards Historical Justice for North African Prisoners of World War I
Speakers: Alia Mossallam (Lautarchiv) / Michael Willenbeucher  (Lautarchiv)/ Mounir Hentati (Ennejma Ezzahra) / Salwa Ben Hafaiedh (Ennejma Ezzahra)
Wednesday, Jan. 08,  2025, 16:00 (GMT+1:00), Dar Ben-Gacem Kahia

From the Lautarchiv to Ennejma Ezzahra: Towards Historical Justice for North African Prisoners of World War I

My son Taliesin (b.2009) wrote The Blood of a Patriot in response to studying war poetry and talking about the war in Ukraine with his Ukrainian friend. He asked me to recite it for him and set it to music.

Trigger warning: war themes, graphic imagery

Words: Taliesin Williams
Reading and music: Patrick Williams
Image: AI generated

The Blood of a Patriot - Taliesin Williams

I stand, slumped close, to the cold, damp earth
I press my head, to the stock of my gun,
The blood in my ears, is thunder through the rush
Of bullets that continuously slam through the mud.

And then there it is, the whistle of fate,
The lych bell that calls me up into the fray.
One heave and I’m over, both feet beneath mud,
I unsling Winchester and start to see blood,

But then I look over, to the man on the left,
A father of three, with a wife and no head,
For the blood stains that stain my leather-bound chest,
Is the blood of a patriot, the blood of the dead.

He’s there for a second, just frozen in time.
His icy eyes judging, looking deep into mine,
And then he is gone, buried deep under foot,
I turn to face forwards; I raise up to shoot.

But he is still staring, though I don’t know from where,
I let lose one bullet, it rips through the air,
And it hits, dead on target; Between two blue cold eyes,
I watch them go glassy; I watch as he dies.

I watch as he’s buried, under mud, under foot,
He watches me charge, as I raise up to shoot.
But my trigger won’t move, though the gun isn’t jammed
The hammer not sprung; I can’t move my hand.

And I waited too long, too long to shoot,
The hole in my chest, leaking blood on my boots,
And then I fall forwards, my eyes rolling back
My friends keep on charging, they pursue and attack,

And leave me there, face down, buried in mud,
My eyes are both glassy and covered in blood,
Forgotten to all but the men that I killed,
Their bodies now rotting, in graves that I filled.

The Blood Of A Patriot (2025) Poem & Music

My son Taliesin (b.2009) wrote The Sounds of War in response to studying war poetry and talking about the war in Ukraine with his Ukrainian friend. He asked me to recite it for him and set it to music.

Trigger warning: war themes, graphic imagery

Words: Taliesin Williams
Reading and music: Patrick Williams
Image: AI generated

The Sounds of War

I don’t know if you have ever heard the sounds of war
The screeching, screaming sirens, that pound against your door
And even when the raid is done the threat will never be,
For the silent sounds are louder than any artillery 

And even in the dead of night, when everything is calm
The silent sounds hang over you, a perpetual alarm.
A constant ring of warning that is called out by the dark
A heavy threat that pummels you, “will this day be my last?”

But the sounds of war reach further than the radius of bombs
They echo in your children, in your wife, your dad, your mom
They thunder through the cities through the cries of all you love
They’re carried all across the world in the mouth of Satan’s dove.

I don’t know if you have ever heard the sounds of war 
The cries and shrieks of children and the weeps of those who mourn 
And even when the battle's won the war will never be
For the sounds of war will stay with you for all eternity.

The Sounds Of War (2025) Poem & Music

Source materials detail the experiences of the British 2nd Division during World War I. The provided excerpts chronicle various battles and campaigns, including the Battles of the Somme and Ypres, offering a detailed account of the Division's actions, casualties, and the challenging conditions faced by its soldiers. One source specifically commemorates Private William Keane of the Middlesex Regiment, who died in 1917. Another source uses a map to show Keane's gravesite near Miraumont. The overall narrative focuses on the Division's operational history, tactical decisions, and the human cost of war.

Liam Keane 12th Middlesex Battalion 17 February 1917

This song embraces those who fought and saved lives during the second and first World War, and are heroes beyond us, let this hard-hitting song be the fuel to your day!

Spiritiger - God of War

'Beautiful…Tessa Harris has made me appreciate historical novels in a way that I haven't in quite some time' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Oh my goodness…this book was so unputdownable…will never be forgotten' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A suspenseful novel of bravery and determination…highly recommended' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*** 

 A war-torn city. A stolen masterpiece. Two lives in the balance…
Italy, 1940. With Florence on the cusp of war, Il Scorpione, the no-nonsense Englishwomen of the city, find their genteel livelihoods under grave threat by the approach of the Nazis. Tea rooms and bookshops are closed by the Fascists, and the women are forced to join the war effort.

Desperate to help in any way that she can, Angelina Leone, expert art-historian and the half-Italian niece of Il Scorpione’s founder makes a deal with the devil. To guarantee her beloved Aunt Agatha, the only family she has, safe passage across the city, Lina must authenticate the art ruthlessly stolen from Jewish families. But when she comes across a priceless portrait – one that she cannot bear to see seized by the Germans – Lina declares the masterpiece a fake. But in doing so, will she set off a chain of events with consequences more deadly than she could ever imagine …

Readers have been swept away by Tessa Harris:

'Richly told … a must for all fans of WW2 fiction' MANDY ROBOTHAM

‘A really well researched novel with a dramatic ending' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An absolute masterpiece' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A thrilling chase across war-torn Florence' SARAH STEELE

‘An amazing and sentimental look at one Englishwoman's war in Italy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A thrilling story, full of heart in mouth moments' THERESA HOWES

The Florence Sisters, By Tessa Harris, Read by Lucy Walker-Evans

🎖️ AXAXC – Spymaster Garbo 🎖️
(From the upcoming album: The Great Wars)

A symphonic metal war-cry forged from the shadows of World War II.
"Spymaster Garbo" tells the true story of deception, courage, and unseen heroism.
Militant drums march alongside haunting orchestration, as we drag the secrets of a dying empire into the light.

⚔️ Have Fun:
“Mastermind pulling every string, deceiving darkness, forging light.”

This is just the beginning of The Great Wars.
Distort. Distrust. Destroy. 🕯️🗡️

💬 Comment your favorite line.
📲 Share this with the soldiers who fight in silence.
🔗 Save it to your arsenal — war is coming.

#AXAXC #SpymasterGarbo #TheGreatWars #SymphonicMetal #OrchestralMetal #WWII #EspionageMetal #MilitantMetal #Metalcore #SabatonVibes #NewMusic #RiseOfEvil
#symphonicmetal #orchestral #metal #militant drums #WWII #espionage #secret #intelligence #deathcore #AXAXC #cinematicmetal #undergroundwar #epicchoirs #melodicscreamo #historicalmetal #emotionalmetal


Spymaster Garbo

🔥 AXAXC – The Great Wars (Full Album SoundCloud Drop)

"The Great Wars” is AXAXC’s most powerful and cinematic project to date — a brutal, orchestral metal odyssey through the true stories, ghosts, and iron of World War I and II.

🎖️ Top tracks to begin with:

- “Spymaster Garbo” – Espionage in fire
- "Blitzkrieg Skies" – Cold, brutal domination (feat. Art of War - Upcoming Album)
- “Normandy Dawn” – Anthem of liberation
- “Atomic Ashes (Hiroshima)” – The haunting aftermath
- “The War to End All Wars” – Our closing vow of peace through pain

This album is a war chronicle told through sound: each track is a battlefield, each scream a fallen soldier, each chorus a resurrection of courage, betrayal, and resilience.

With melodic deathcore breakdowns, symphonic fire, and haunting ambience, we honor the past while holding a mirror to the present. This is not just history — this is testimony.

🎧 Tracklist:
- Spymaster Garbo – Espionage, dual identity, deception
- Trenches of Somme – Brutality and brotherhood in WWI
- Blitzkrieg Skies – Chaos of aerial warfare and Nazi firestorms
- Operation Barbarossa – Hitler’s betrayal of Stalin and the brutal Eastern Front
- Stalingrad (Frozen Blood) – Siege, survival, and frozen resolve
- Normandy Dawn – The anthem of D-Day, courage on the beaches
- Kamikaze Winds – Desperation, honor, and the fall from the skies
- Battle of the Bulge – Final German assault, American defiance
- Atomic Ashes (Hiroshima) – Aftermath and moral reckoning in Japan
- The War to End All Wars – A vow of remembrance, irony, and hope

✍️Collective!
💬 Which track hit you the hardest?
🔥 Drop a comment with your favorite line or moment.
🖤 Repost this if you believe in music with a message.
📲 Tag us @AxAxCOfficial and let us know your war cry.

📌 Tags:
#symphonicmetal #orchestralmetal #WWII #WWI #cinematicmetal #militantdrums #epicchoir #gothic #industrial #deathcore #melodicmetal #historicalmetal #war #conceptalbum #trenchmetal #bombasticorchestration #screamo

Operation Barbarossa

🔥 AXAXC – The Great Wars

"The Great Wars” is AXAXC’s most powerful and cinematic project to date — a brutal, orchestral metal odyssey through the true stories, ghosts, and iron of World War I and II.

🎖️ Top tracks to begin with:

- “Spymaster Garbo” – Espionage in fire
- "Blitzkrieg Skies" – Cold, brutal domination (feat. Art of War - Upcoming Album)
- “Normandy Dawn” – Anthem of liberation
- “Atomic Ashes (Hiroshima)” – The haunting aftermath
- “The War to End All Wars” – Our closing vow of peace through pain

This album is a war chronicle told through sound: each track is a battlefield, each scream a fallen soldier, each chorus a resurrection of courage, betrayal, and resilience.

With melodic deathcore breakdowns, symphonic fire, and haunting ambience, we honor the past while holding a mirror to the present. This is not just history — this is testimony.

🎧 Tracklist:
- Spymaster Garbo – Espionage, dual identity, deception
- Trenches of Somme – Brutality and brotherhood in WWI
- Blitzkrieg Skies – Chaos of aerial warfare and Nazi firestorms
- Operation Barbarossa – Hitler’s betrayal of Stalin and the brutal Eastern Front
- Stalingrad (Frozen Blood) – Siege, survival, and frozen resolve
- Normandy Dawn – The anthem of D-Day, courage on the beaches
- Kamikaze Winds – Desperation, honor, and the fall from the skies
- Battle of the Bulge – Final German assault, American defiance
- Atomic Ashes (Hiroshima) – Aftermath and moral reckoning in Japan
- The War to End All Wars – A vow of remembrance, irony, and hope

✍️Collective!
💬 Which track hit you the hardest?
🔥 Drop a comment with your favorite line or moment.
🖤 Repost this if you believe in music with a message.
📲 Tag us @AxAxCOfficial and let us know your war cry.

📌 Tags:
#symphonicmetal #orchestralmetal #WWII #WWI #cinematicmetal #militantdrums #epicchoir #gothic #industrial #deathcore #melodicmetal #historicalmetal #war #conceptalbum #trenchmetal #bombasticorchestration #screamo

Atomic Ashes (Hiroshima)

Battle of the Bulge

PRE-ORDER NOW
'Taut, compelling and beautifully written – I loved it!’ DAISY WOOD

'Tense and thought-provoking' CATHERINE LAW

'A fascinating and original read' CATHERINE HOKIN 

 1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive.

A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it.

Pursued across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racing to expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her mission before time runs out?

Readers love Last Train to Freedom:
'An epic journey across the Siberian wilderness that will keep you guessing until the end. Readers interested in the less well known events of World War II will find this book captivating and unforgettable' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Ms Swift is a talented writer… Captivating and compulsive reading' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'What a fantastic read this was' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Another stunning achievement in historical fiction from Deborah Swift' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Grips you from the beginning and does not let go until the end' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last Train to Freedom, By Deborah Swift, Read by Lizzie Schenk

Matías Bombal's Hollywood
Capsule Current Cinema Review
THE KISS
As heard on:
KCEA-FM, Atherton, California
89.1 FM
www.KCEA.org
Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m., Noon and 4 p.m.

KAHI Radio, Auburn, California
104.5 FM / 950 AM
www.kahi.com
Friday and the following Monday-Thursday during the noon news broadcast.

WERF/ PLAY-FM, Gainesville, Florida
105.7 FM
www.playfmonline.com/
Friday 3 non-specific times per day, Saturday 2 times per day and Sunday 2 times per day.

KYA-FM Sportsbook 101.9, Olympia. Washington
101.9 FM
www.olyradio.com
Part of the VSiN- The Sports Betting Network.
Capsule Current Cinema Review airs once an hour every hour.

KUTZ LP FM Sacramento, California
103.1 FM SACTO FREE FORM
www.kutzfm.org
Friday nights at 6 p.m.
Saturday 12 noon

That 70's Channel, powered by Live 365 and on iHeart Media
www.that70schannel.com/
Daily 12 noon/9 a.m. Eastern and Midnight/9 p.m. Eastern

Boss Radio Network:
BossBossRadio
www.bossbossradio.com/
Friday in the 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. hours

Boss Country Radio
www.bosscountryradio.com/
Friday in the 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. hours

That 90's Channel
www.that90schannel.com/
Friday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern

Syndicated radio version Capsule Current Cinema Review
Length 90 seconds- Music in and out.
Music Theme: BOMBALINO by Charles William Midgley
c. 1985 Matias Antonio Bombal
Performed by Jim Jordan at the San Francisco FOX Theatre Moller lobby organ.
www.mabhollywood.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MABHollywood

Matías Bombal's Hollywood- THE KISS- 051625

This extensive text examines the complex origins of World War I, tracing the intricate web of secret alliances, military buildups, and nationalistic tensions that characterized pre-war Europe. It analyzes key diplomatic crises such as the Morocco affairs and the Balkan Wars, highlighting how these events fueled mutual distrust and solidified opposing blocs. The sources also scrutinize the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, exploring its immediate aftermath, the Serbian government's controversial actions, and how Austria-Hungary, with Germany's backing, utilized the crisis to justify war against Serbia. Ultimately, the text reveals the interplay of political maneuvering, military strategies, and public opinion that culminated in the global conflict.

Origins of the World War Volume I & II by Sidney Bradshaw

"Friendly Fire - the secret war between the allies," explores the complex and often contentious relationship between the Allied powers, particularly Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, during and leading up to World War II. The text challenges conventional narratives by revealing secret intelligence operations, political manipulations, and underlying strategic disagreements that impacted the war's trajectory and the post-war global order. It highlights Franklin D. Roosevelt's controversial actions, including his attempts to dismantle the British Empire and his complex relationship with Soviet figures like Harry Hopkins, alongside Winston Churchill's efforts to secure American support while navigating Britain's dwindling resources. Furthermore, the sources discuss the political machinations behind major wartime decisions, such as the timing of the Second Front and the policy of unconditional surrender, suggesting these were influenced by hidden agendas and intelligence efforts.Stalin

Friendly Fire - The Secret War Between the Allies

This book, Lord Milner's Second War (https://amzn.to/3ZGCDQR), argues that a secret society, initially known as the Rhodes-Milner secret society and later as the Milner Group and Anglo-American Establishment, played a pivotal role in instigating the First World War and subsequently influencing global affairs. The author supports this conspiracy theory by citing Carroll Quigley's revelations and focusing on historical incoherencies, suggesting that significant events were manipulated and history edited to conceal the group's actions. The text details the group's origins, their involvement in the Boer War and the lead-up to World War I through figures like Lord Milner, Sir Edward Grey, and Richard Haldane, emphasizing their covert diplomatic maneuvers, press manipulation, and military preparations. Ultimately, the source posits that this unseen hand continues to orchestrate crises for its own ends, striving for a "New World Order."

Lord Milner's Second War

33 minutes ago
Read article here => https://excurstrip.blogspot.in/London-attractions/Stonehenge/d737-a113

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Patrick is singer & composer, voice actor and multimedia producer.
He studied Music at the University of Bristol, followed by a Masters in Composition for Film and TV.
Stylistically, Patrick's classical music stems from a blend of 20th century Russian and English styles, while his electronic music ranges from acousmatic soundscapes to tracks influenced by a variety of world music styles. He often draws on Jazz influences in his music.

Nadwa Seminar: Tunisia, Mediterranean and Beyond is an independent academic and scientific space aimed at creating a prominent environment for the exchange of ideas and knowledge among researchers from different geographical areas and research fields. The primary goal is to build a network among researchers from Tunisia and around the world.
The focus is on issues related to Tunisia, both in its Mediterranean dimension and in other aspects, but the seminar is open to various fields and issues.

🔥 HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT
Latest Album: Track 400 – The Collective Ascends
We have officially hit 400 TRACKS on SoundCloud.
This milestone is a tribute to perseverance, pain, and power.
We invite you to be part of it — tag us on Instagram with your favourite AXAXC track and become part of the movement.

🎧 For fans of:
Lorna Shore, Sleep Token, Bring Me the Horizon, Spiritbox, Slaughter to Prevail, Within Temptation

⚠️ If your soul burns for something real,
If your pain needs an anthem,
If you crave distortion, distrust, and destruction…
You belong here.

🔗 Join the Collective:
📷 Instagram: @axaxcband
🎵 SoundCloud: @axaxcofficial
📺 YouTube: AxAxCBand
🎧 Spotify: AxAxC

🩸 Welcome to AXAXC
A sonic revolution forged in chaos, carved by pain, and crowned in raw emotion.
We are the sound of the misfits, the rebels, the broken, and the dreamers.
🎭 Music for those who’ve bled in silence, screamed into the void, and still chose to rise.

Blending deathcore, nu-metal, ambient metal, screamo, drill, and cinematic storytelling —
AXAXC delivers guttural breakdowns, whispered despair, and orchestral warzones.
Every track is a battlefield between rage and rebirth, brutality and beauty.

From war-torn screams to melodic sirens, distorted basslines to ghost-drenched ambience —
our sound is a cinematic descent into the darker corners of the soul.

🔥 Latest Releases:
👑 Track 400: The Collective Ascends
The ultimate statement of artistic willpower. Every scar, every scream, every soul — all 400 tracks.

🎖️ THE GREAT WARS
A battlefield in sound.
Orchestral hits. Doom choirs.
Nu-metal rage wrapped in apocalyptic beauty.

🕊️ IMMORTALISED
28-track odyssey of legacy, pain, lust, power, and rebirth.
This is AXAXC's empire. Our monument. Our myth.

🖤 You won’t just hear us.
You’ll feel us.
We are AXAXC.
Distort. Distrust. Destroy.

📛
#AXAXC #TheCollectiveAscends #400TracksDeep #Immortalised #TheGreatWars #Deathcore #Metalcore #NuMetal #CinematicMetal #Screamo #SleepToken #SlaughterToPrevail #AmbientMetal #DistortDistrustDestroy #HauntingMelodies #AXAXCforever

Publishers of award-winning fiction and non-fiction audiobooks for adults and children. Listen to exclusive clips from our books and free audioook extracts here on Soundcloud.

“Behind Gray Walls” is a podcast featuring stories from the men and women who lived and worked at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. Each week, Anthony, Samuel, and Skye explore prisoners whose crimes led them to serve time at the "Old Pen." Their history is explored in depth and compared to corrections topics faced in communities today.

To support this podcast, visit: https://history.idaho.gov/donate/donation-payment/

There's always a path leading somewhere divine or not.

I make music.

New tracks tagged #WWI