“A Pint of Sweat Will Save a Gallon of Blood.” -General Patton
Arnhem / Ardennes
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 →
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 →
Et In Arcadia Ego
"It makes no difference what men think of war, he said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way."
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.
Games to Take the Throne
Our culture is fascinated with scandal in current times: perhaps a shady alliance with a long time geopolitical rival, rising powers in the east and the fear of immigrants altering long standing cultural norms. These words could also be written of Rome in 146 B.C. Mike Duncan's The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the... Continue Reading →
Searching for a Tribe
I was familiar with Sebastian Junger's documentary Restrepo and I saw that he was speaking about his book Tribe at a university near where I live. I made arrangements to attend and I read the book in one sitting, granted it was only 167 pages. The talk was just as insightful as the book and being able to... Continue Reading →
Our God From Ages Past
"Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy is the American epic in its' truest form. McCarthy's prose style has been called biblical by many critics. He is an author that must be read by young men, especially his book Blood Meridian. No words are wasted in this powerful yet poignant novel about mankind. I find McCarthy's direct... Continue Reading →
Brains and Brawn 