"Buford's role in securing the high ground at Gettysburg was crucial. Bringing that to life on screen, especially in such a detailed and respectful manner, was a deeply moving experience"
Historical Fiction: The Civil War
Rage, Achilles
This year I decided to fill in a gaping gap in my liberal arts knowledge of antiquity by committing to sitting down and reading one of the most influential works in the Western cannon – Homer’s Iliad. The Iliad is a collection of books in the style of a poem; it contains 24 books arranged... Continue Reading →
His Terrible Swift Sword: Civil War Podcast #2
"It was imperative to strike before we were struck by this overwhelming force in a hand-to-hand fight, which we could not probably have withstood or survived. At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet. The word was enough. It ran like fire along the line, from man to man; and rose into a shout, with which they sprang forward upon the enemy, now not 30 yards away."
2023 Year Review
Michael, Cal and David discuss the books read over 2023.
You Cannot Get Away
"Boys, I may lead you into hell, but I'll get you out if you do exactly as I tell you to do. I'll never send you into a battle, I'll lead you. All I ask any man to do is follow me." -Leander McNelly
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 →
Wild Frontier: My Journey Through the 1800s in 2022
"The West is a story. It's not a place. It's a story we tell ourselves about where we've been and where we're going." - Ken Burns
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 →
About Face Discussion
Whether he was fifteen years old or forty, David Hackworth devoted his life to the US Army and quickly became a living legend. However, he appeared on TV in 1971 to decry the doomed war effort in Vietnam. From Korea to Berlin and the Cuban missile crisis to Vietnam, Hackworth’s story is that of an exemplary patriot, played against the backdrop of the changing fortunes of America and the US military. This memoir is the stunning indictment of the Pentagon’s fundamental misunderstanding of the Vietnam conflict and of the bureaucracy of self-interest that fueled the war. With About Face, Hackworth has written what many Vietnam veterans have called the most important book of their generation and presents a vivid and powerful portrait of patriotism.
A Good Café: Hemingway in Paris
Paris in the 1920s sounded like such a picturesque place with cafés scattered around, the Luxembourg Garden, wine by the bottle, various writers such as Scott Fitzgerald making it their home at the time and the historical buildings in the backdrop created an ecosphere of creativity for the young Mr. Hemingway.
Brains and Brawn 