The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 serves as a poignant, even if occasionally fictionalized, example of human connection amid the horrors of the First World War.

“So, it's the informal truce between British and German soldiers in no man's land on Christmas Day 1914. And I think we always imagine it as this sort of precious oasis, this moment of peace amid the slaughter, hope amid the horror, the very best of humanity, Tom, in the grimmst circumstances”

The Christmas Truce of 1914 has become an overly sentimentalized symbol of war's futility in the modern era, contrasting with the soldiers' own continued commitment to their war aims.

“So the Christmas truce often appears in popular culture. So for younger listeners in Britain there was a very celebrated ad an advert for sainsburries the supermarket in 2014 which a lot of people may remember”