Japanese bomb hits USS Enterprise (CV-6) flight deck during Battle of Eastern Solomons (August 24th, 1942)
Island Fighting
Pacific Blitz
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt on the morning after the Pearl Harbor attack
The Rising Red Tide: Fall of Berlin
Soviet soldier raises flag over Reichstag in May 1945
Arnhem / Ardennes
“A Pint of Sweat Will Save a Gallon of Blood.” -General Patton
Overlord: Normandy Campaign
Michael and David discuss Antony Beevor's book, D-Day: The Battle for Normandy after visiting The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana together. Description of book: Renowned historian Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad and The Battle of Arnhem, and the man who "single-handedly transformed the reputation of military history" (The Guardian) presents the first major... Continue Reading →
Not One Step Backwards
"Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" is a gripping book that offers a detailed and nuanced understanding of one of the most important battles of the 20th century.
Thucydides and Pericles: A Short Summary on Reason and War
Admittedly, I had only read a little of history and war before Michael and I began reading together. My first attempt at reading history “seriously” was Oswald Spengler’s two-volume set, Decline of the West. I mistakenly thought that history could be comprehended like a novel or short story. I was like a young boy who,... Continue Reading →
Caesar Comes to Gaul
"When the results of this year's campaign were reported in his dispatches, a thanksgiving of twenty days was celebrated in Rome."
Turning Pages II: A Review of Books from 2022
Cal and I discuss the books we took down in 2022 and reflect on our lives as our twenties draw to a close. We also discuss goals for 2023. Thank you to all who have supported us over the years, we look forward to another year and opportunity to learn. Cal Wilkerson and Michael McPhail... Continue Reading →
Omne Solum Forti Patria Est
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River to the Rockies, over the mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and back. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, made the first map of the trans-Mississippi West, provided invaluable scientific data on the flora and fauna of the Louisiana Purchase territory, and established the American claim to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Brains and Brawn 