Professional Military Education
46 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 57 ratingsThe Professional Military Education (PME) podcast is where great books on war and history are analyzed and discussed with the author. Through in depth conversations, the PME podcast seeks to promote great books that will interest serious military thinkers. For people that might be interested in military topics and history, the PME podcast will get you hooked on this awesome field of study. Through in depth reading and serious scholarship, the PME podcast is proud to bring a great history show to life.
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Episodes
Visiting the D-Day Beaches and Normandy Battlefields
February 02, 2024 11:15 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBVisiting Normandy and touring the beaches from D-Day, June 6, 1944, is a powerful experience. It is an experience that all American citizens should plan to do. There are incredible stories of American servicemembers that left their homes to serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves. It is important to remember and honor these heroes. Many people do this every year as there are approximately 1.7 million people who visit the Normandy American Cemetery annually. In this podcast ...
American Guerillas Part Three: The Old Wagoner’s Revenge
August 11, 2023 12:00 - 2 hours - 100 MBIn the year 1780, South Carolina was in the grip of violence and turmoil. On December 3, 1780, General Nathanael Greene assumed command of the southern department from General Horatio Gates. Gates, the hero of Saratoga, had struggled in the Carolinas most notably at the disastrous battle of Camden. The Continental Congress relented to General Washington’s preferred commander: Nathanael Greene. Thus, Greene left his post at West Point and traveled south. General Greene had a series of chall...
Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Marine Corps with General Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC)
July 17, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBGeneral Jason Q. Bohm (Maj. Gen., USMC) is the author of a recently published book entitled Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777. In this interview, we discuss why and how the Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775. General Bohm explains that General Washington did not initially support the Marines. However, the Marines played a pivotal role during the “Ten Crucial Days.” This was the period from December 25, 1776, through January 3, 17...
American Guerillas (Part II): The Sword of the Lord and Gideon
May 18, 2023 20:01 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBThe American Guerillas series continues with part two: “The Sword of the Lord and Gideon”. After the British invasion of South Carolina, American forces had their backs to the wall. But many Patriot militia units refused to give up. They fought valiantly using guerilla style tactics. In this episode, we discuss those tactics in depth. This episode will cover the following: The Battle of Musgrove’s Mill The Battle of Kings Mountain and the legend of the Over Mountain Men The Swamp Fox,...
American Guerillas (Part I): War in the Carolinas
May 18, 2023 20:00 - 56 minutes - 53.5 MBThis is the first episode in a series on the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas. The series is called “American Guerillas” and part one is titled “War in the Carolinas”. This episode will cover a lot of ground and begin with an overview of the American Revolution up until the British invasion of Charleston in 1780. After a summary of the major milestones of the Revolution, the episode will cover the following: Why the British shifted their strategy to the Carolinas Key leaders on the Bri...
When China Attacks: A Warning to America
April 18, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBCol. Grant Newsham (USMC-Ret.), has a warning for America: China is at war with us. It is time for Americans to understand that China does not believe war starts with the deployment of missiles, tanks, and infantry. From the perspective of the People's Republic of China (PRC), war has already begun. Furthermore, over the last several decades, China has used influence operations, economic policies, political warfare, and lawfare to cripple America. The results have left American communities j...
A Brutal Winter: George Washington’s Leadership at Valley Forge
February 22, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBOn December 19, 1777, George Washington led the Continental Army onto a high plateau twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After fighting the British at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, Washington entered camp with a little over 12,000 soldiers. By mid-February, that number had dropped in half. Disease ravaged camp. Soldiers starved. Many of them were down to their last shirt. Some walked into camp barefoot. As if the problems couldn’t get worse, most soldiers didn’t...
The Heroes of Wake Island: Remembering the Americans that fought 16 days against impossible odds
December 23, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 81.3 MBWake Island was the site of a famous battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. By December 7, 1941, it was a small (but growing) naval air station (NAS). The construction and development of the island began in January 1941. As Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Kimmel, recognized the vulnerability of the island, Marines were brought in to defend it in August 1941. On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Wake Island with a series of aerial bombardments. On December 11, the Japanese atte...
Is the U.S. military weak? Breaking down the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength
December 14, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBIs the United States Military weak? The Heritage Foundation has fired a shot across the bow with its “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength.” The Index concludes that the U.S. military in its current posture is “weak.” The Pentagon might not like the report. But, my guest, Dakota Wood, is calling things as they are rather than the way people would like them to be. “Nobody likes their baby being called ugly. But the facts are what they are.” -Dakota Wood The 2023 Index starts with an asse...
Epic Comeback in the Pacific! The events that led to Pearl Harbor and How the U.S. Navy won the Battle of Midway
December 04, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 53.4 MBHow did the U.S. recover from the devastation of Pearl Harbor and win one of the most epic battles in naval history? Was war in the Pacific inevitable or were there diplomatic off ramps? Why did Japan attack America on December 7, 1941? Did America really know in advance that an attack was coming? My guest Dale Jenkins helps answer these questions in his book, Diplomats and Admirals. We speak at length about these topics in our interview. I thought our deep dive into the Battle of Midway w...
Crisis of Command: A Marine officer’s call for accountability
November 06, 2022 19:00 - 53 minutes - 50.2 MBStuart Scheller served in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer for seventeen years. His five deployments included combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he was a Lieutenant Colonel, Scheller served as a battalion commander at the Marine Corps School of Infantry (SOI). In the summer of 2021, U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan. The withdrawal was poorly planned and hastily executed. The Taliban took over the entire country and surrounded Kabul airport. As Marines scrambled to secure ...
The Japanese Military and the Indo-Pacific region
November 01, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBIn this interview, Grant Newsham discusses the state of the Japanese military as well as current events in the Indo-Pacific theater. Grant has first-hand experience helping develop the Japan Self-Defense Force’s (JSDF) amphibious capabilities. In this interview, we cover the following: An overview of the JSDF and why it has been underfunded and underappreciated for years. Why the Japanese needed to improve their amphibious capabilities and improve their joint operations. Shifting attit...
The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy with Ian Easton
October 20, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBOn this episode of the PME podcast, I welcome back Ian Easton. Ian recently published a book called The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy. Topics of discussion include: The prospect of China invading Taiwan and an update from Ian’s first book, The Chinese Invasion Threat Is Xi Jinping on drugs? Hard to tell. But Ian does mention that his dad and sister were purged. He also spent seven years living in a cave. We discuss “Xi Jinping Thought” which is Marxism infused with Xi J...
Troubled Waters: The Crisis of the US Surface Navy
September 29, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBFormer Navy officer, Thibaut Delloue, has seen firsthand the problems that have plagued the US surface Navy for years. His book, The Wardroom, begins as a memoir. However, it turns into a straightforward assessment of issues that have led to several high-profile accidents, which included the collisions of the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald. Both warships crashed in 2017 and resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors. We discuss Thibaut’s experience as a surface warfare officer (SWO) to i...
Political Warfare: China’s Strategy to Win without Fighting
September 07, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBIn this interview with Professor Kerry Gershaneck, we discuss his book, Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s Plan to ‘Win without Fighting’. The book was published in 2020 by the Marine Corps University (MCU) press. Topics include: The history of “political warfare” and its roots going back to Vladimir Lenin and the Soviet Union United Front Work and its use as a political warfare tool Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ideology and the character of China’s regime China’s ov...
The Hardest Place: An Interview with Wesley Morgan
August 14, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 52.8 MBIn this episode of the PME Podcast, I interview Wesley Morgan. Wes is a journalist and author, who wrote a book called The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley. The book draws on hundreds of interviews and firsthand accounts from former commanding officers to the soldiers that spent months in the field. The Hardest Place provides a unique insight into many of the mistakes that drew the American military deeper into eastern Afghanistan as well as the countr...
To Provide and Maintain a Navy: An Interview with Dr. Hendrix
July 31, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBThis episode of the PME Podcast focuses on the U.S. Navy. My guest is Dr. Henry “Jerry” Hendrix, and he is the author of a book called To Provide and Maintain a Navy. In this interview, we discuss the many challenges that the U.S. Navy faces. Dr. Hendrix thinks that America needs to get serious about the threats from Russia and China in the maritime domain. He argues U.S. defense policy has been too land focused and neglected maritime strategy. Additional topics include the following: ...
Episode 29: To Provide and Maintain a Navy: An Interview with Dr. Hendrix
July 31, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBThis episode of the PME Podcast focuses on the U.S. Navy. My guest is Dr. Henry “Jerry” Hendrix, and he is the author of a book called To Provide and Maintain a Navy. In this interview, we discuss the many challenges that the U.S. Navy faces. Dr. Hendrix thinks that America needs to get serious about the threats from Russia and China in the maritime domain. He argues U.S. defense policy has been too land focused and neglected maritime strategy. Additional topics include the following: ...
Degrade and Destroy: An Interview with Michael Gordon
July 12, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBMichael Gordon is the author of Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State. He is currently a National Security Correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. He has covered wars and conflicts for over 35 years with The Wall Street Journal and previously with The New York Times. In this interview, we discus the last decade of conflict against the Islamic State in which the United States applied a “by, with and through” strategy. This strategy supported Iraqi S...
Steel Rain: How A Marine Artillery Battery Beat ISIS
November 02, 2021 13:00 - 2 hours - 113 MBIn this interview, I speak with Dave Palka. Dave is an artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps. When he was a Captain, he commanded Echo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, NC. In March 2016, Echo Battery was inserted into northern Iraq. They formed Task Force Spartan and were given the mission of providing artillery fires to support Iraqi Security Forces preparing for the Battle of Mosul. Over the course of 67 days, Echo Battery endured indirect fire from...
Twenty Years of War in Afghanistan: An After Action
September 20, 2021 13:41 - 1 hour - 78.7 MBAfter 20 years of war in Afghanistan, the United States has pulled out all military forces. The pullout was a debacle. Thirteen Americans tragically lost their lives due to improper planning. There is no proper way to describe the withdrawal from Afghanistan other than one of the worst foreign policy failures in American history. But there were many years of groundwork leading up to the failure. Now lessons must be learned from our experience in Afghanistan. America needs to study them quic...
Clausewitz’s Theory of the Combat
July 09, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBThis interview was a discussion with Olivia Garard. Olivia annotated and edited Carl von Clausewitz’s Theory of the Combat. This is a lesser-known work by the great Prussian military writer, who is best known for his book On War. In this work, we see where Clausewitz’s theories about tactics and combat took shape. Olivia’s Annotated Guide is meant to provide military thinkers with a useful tool to work through Clausewitz’s theories. She says reading Clausewitz is like a “mental field exercis...
On Combat Marksmanship: An Interview with Master Sergeant Joel Reilly
April 25, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBMy guest today is an infantry Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He has led Marine infantry units on multiple combat deployments. Since he was a young Marine, he has been working on marksmanship and striving for weapons proficiency. We talk about his career from Marine Corps Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico, Virginia to Infantry Unit Leader’s Course (IULC) in Camp Pendleton, CA. Throughout his time in the operational forces and Marine Corps schoolhouses, MSgt Reilly has...
Interview with Dr. Victor Davis Hanson
March 28, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBDr. Victor Davis Hanson joins me to discuss the state of military education. Throughout the interview, we touch on a lot of issues from the current state of military readiness to the lack of military education in colleges and universities. Dr. Hanson is a military historian, classicist, and author of numerous books on military history. It was good to let him speak his mind on a variety of important topics. I appreciate his candor and willingness to share his insight that comes from a lifetim...
Treasury’s War: An Interview with Juan Zarate
March 07, 2021 13:00 - 41 minutes - 39.7 MBIn this interview, I spoke with The Honorable Juan Zarate. The topic: Money! Juan was the first-ever assistant secretary of the treasury for terrorist financing and financial crimes. We speak about his work at the Treasury Department in the post-9/11 period. During this time, Juan played a critical role in using the Treasury’s resources to go after terrorist financing. Additionally, the Treasury assisted in tracking down money that Saddam Hussein and his cronies had moved and hid outside ...
Stealth War: An Interview with General Robert Spalding
February 07, 2021 12:00 - 53 minutes - 50.5 MBIn this episode of the PME Podcast, I speak with General Robert Spalding (USAF- Ret.). General Spalding wrote a book called Stealth War: How China Took Over While America’s Elite Slept. General Spalding’s knowledge of China stretches back to his early years as a Major in the Air Force when he lived and studied in China. In recent years, he served in the National Security Council (NSC) where he was the Senior Director for Strategy. His work at the NSC included crafting the 2017 National Se...
The Chinese Invasion Threat: An Interview with Ian Easton
January 17, 2021 06:30 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBWhat are the chances that China invades Taiwan? Do they plan on invading soon? If so, how would they do it? My guest is Ian Easton, the author of The Chinese Invasion Threat. In the interview, we talk at length about the possibility of a Chinese invasion. Ian is well-versed in the issue having spent many years living and studying in Taiwan. He possesses a wealth of knowledge. In his book, he dives deep into the details of what an invasion would look like. Among the many topics we cover ar...
On Fieldcraft: An Interview with Marine Staff Sergeant Chad Skaggs
October 25, 2020 16:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MB“Marine, get packed. You’re going to the field,” the Gunny says. The Marine shudders. The last time he went to the field his gear got wet and he spent days soaked and cold. When the rain stopped, the wind picked up, and he spent the night shivering so hard that he thought his teeth would fall out. On the final movement back to civilization, his pack dug into his shoulders and caused him to fall behind and the Company Gunnery Sergeant screamed at him to keep up or else... Back in the barracks...
Not Yet Openly at War, But Still Mostly at Peace: An Interview with LtCol Scott Cuomo (USMC)
September 29, 2019 05:30 - 2 hours - 114 MBIn this two-part episode, I speak with LtCol Scott Cuomo (USMC). He is the author of an article that appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette called, Not Yet Openly at War, But Still Mostly at Peace. He wrote the article with a team of Marines that include: Captain Olivia Garard, Major Jeff Cummings, and LtCol Noah Spataro. The purpose of the article was to re-think what the Marine Corps should be doing in 2019 and beyond. The co-author team suggests that the Marine Corps needs to implement ...
American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day with Robert Coram
September 08, 2019 05:30 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRobert Coram is the author of an excellent biography called American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day. Colonel Day is a larger than life figure. He is one of the most decorated veterans in American military history. This interview with Mr. Coram spans the course of Colonel Day’s life from his small-town upbringing in Iowa to his service as an Air Force pilot and prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam. Colonel Day is best known for his time during the Vietnam War because he ...
4th Generation Warfare: An Interview with Lt. Col Thiele (USMC-Ret.)
July 28, 2019 13:58 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBToday’s guest is Lt. Col Thiele (USMC-Ret.). He is the co-author of 4th Generation Warfare Handbook, which he wrote with William (“Bill”) Lind. In the interview, Lt. Col Thiele explains that while he was working as an instructor at the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Warfighting School (EWS), he met Bill Lind, who introduced him to some of the ideas of 4th Generation Warfare. Together they began to collaborate on the 4th Generation Warfare Handbook. Lt. Col Thiele mentions that he was moti...
On Desperate Ground: An Interview with Hampton Sides
June 30, 2019 05:30 - 33 minutes - 31 MBToday’s guest is Hampton Sides. He is the author of On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle. The topic is the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. This battle took place in the Fall and Winter of 1950 during the Korean War. Marines were surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir by over 100,000 of Mao’s Red Army forces. With their backs to the wall and facing total annihilation, they fought back with tenacity and determination. The fighting took place in sub...
Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession with Dr. Leonard Wong
June 03, 2018 07:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBMy guest is Dr. Leonard Wong a research professor at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. In February 2015, he co-authored a paper with Stephen Gerras called “Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession.” The interview explores how a culture of “ethical laziness” has spread throughout military branches like the U.S. Army. The essential question is whether the Army system has eroded virtues like integrity. Dr. Wong argues that through overtasking and too many tra...
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging with Sebastian Junger
May 20, 2018 07:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBIn this interview, I talk to Sebastian Junger. Sebastian wrote Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. Sebastian is also the author of The Perfect Storm, which was made into a major film. His films include the award-winning documentaries Restrepo and Korengal. Sebastian Junger began his career as a journalist in war town countries such as Bosnia and Afghanistan. Through his own struggles with PTSD and his study of units on the battlefield, Sebastian dives deep into what it is like for someone ...
John Boyd, Maneuver Warfare, and MCDP-1 (Part 2) with Major Ian Brown
April 29, 2018 15:13 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBMCDP1: Warfighting is four chapters, and the total length is around 100 pages. The book is affectionately termed a "two crapper", which means that a person can finish it in two-bathroom trips. Warfighting describes a way of thinking about war. It is not a checklist or a technical manual. It gives a mental framework that provides the basis for the Marine Corps’ conception of war. More importantly it is a launching point for future studies. Warfighting should be the starting point for further ...
John Boyd, Maneuver Warfare, and MCDP-1 (Part 1) with Major Ian Brown
April 22, 2018 13:48 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBWhat is “maneuver warfare”? Who is Air Force Colonel John Boyd, who throughout the late 1970s and 1980s found a captive audience in the Marine Corps leadership? In Episode 11, Major Ian Brown discusses the evolution of the Marine Corps' doctrinal publication, MCDP-1: Warfighting. Furthermore, he focuses on the contribution of Air Force Colonel John Boyd, who developed a brief called “Patterns of Conflict.” This brief combined Boyd’s study of military history with his earlier technical deve...
On Tactics: An Interview with B.A. Friedman
September 17, 2017 07:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBIn episode 10 of the Professional Military Education podcast, we talk to B.A. Friedman, author of On Tactics: A Theory of Victory in Battle. The conversation focuses on tactics and its relationship to strategy. Mr. Friedman discusses what he calls the three tactical tenets- physical, mental, and moral. He discusses how he developed his theory of tactics, and how that theory can be applied by military thinkers. Be sure to follow Mr. Friedman on Twitter @BA_Friedman Like On Tactics on Fac...
The North Korea Threat: An Interview with Dr. Bruce Bechtol
August 18, 2017 21:29 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBIn the following interview, Dr. Bruce Bechtol discusses the threat of North Korea. North Korea has made headlines for their ICBM tests and nuclear tests. We discuss the threat that they pose as well as dive into the details of their regime, their current leader, past provocations, weapons systems, and options that the U.S. and its allies have to deal with them. Dr. Bechtol is Associate Professor of political science at Angelo State University in Texas. He is a retired U.S. Marine, and wrot...
Blueprint for America: “Restoring our National Security”
July 16, 2017 07:00 - 1 hour - 70 MBDr. Kori Schake co-authored, "Restoring Our National Security", with Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis and James O. Ellis Jr. The chapter appeared in the book, Blueprint for America, which was published by Stanford Universities Hoover Institute. Dr. Schake is a professor of history at Stanford, and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institute. She also co-edited a book with Secretary Mattis called, Warriors and Citizens: American Views of our Military. Key Takeaways: Schake describes...
On Strategy: An Interview with Sir Lawrence Freedman
May 28, 2017 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBSir Lawrence Freedman is Professor of War Studies at King’s College and the author of numerous books and publications to include Strategy: A History. In Episode 7 of the PME podcast, we talk about strategy. What is strategy and what it is not? We trace its historical roots, and discuss how traditional views of strategy still apply or do not apply to today’s conflicts and future conflicts. Additionally, Sir Lawrence Freedman was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1995 and awarded the ...
The Iran Wars with Jay Solomon
April 30, 2017 08:00 - 2 hours - 117 MBJay Solomon is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The Iran Wars: Spy Games, Bank Battles, and the Secret Deals That Reshaped the Middle East. In Episode 6 of the PME podcast, the history of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran is covered along with the events and negotiations that led to the nuclear agreement of July 2015. Mr. Solomon talks about how pressure was exerted on Iran to bring them to negotiate, and observes how the model of economic sanctions might be used...
Steven Lee Myers on The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin
April 02, 2017 08:00 - 2 hours - 126 MBSteven Lee Myers is a columnist for the New York Times and the author of The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin. Myers talks about the life and career of Vladimir Putin from his time as a KGB foreign intelligence officer to his current role as Russian president. The interview covers a wide range of Russian history from World War II to the current conflict in Ukraine. Key Takeaways: What is a Tsar? Myers explains the historical role of a Tsar in Russia. Vladimir Putin’s u...
S. C. Gwynne on The Intricate Strategies of Stonewall Jackson
March 12, 2017 08:00 - 2 hours - 124 MBS.C. Gwynne is a New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning Historian. His book, Rebel Yell, focuses on the Civil War general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Jackson was a brilliant leader and was consider a real ‘rock ‘n’ roll star,’ during the era where his bold strategic maneuvers became famous on an international level. Find out more about this fascinating man in this week’s episode! Key Takeaways: [4:35] What was Gwynne’s inspiration to writing the book? [6:05] Who was T...
Patrick O’Donnell on The Forgotten Story of The Maryland Heroes
February 26, 2017 06:00 - 2 hours - 119 MBPatrick K. O’Donnell is a combat historian, bestselling author, and public speaker. O’Donnell has written ten critically acclaimed books that recount epic, and untold, stories of American war. His most recent book, Washington’s Immortals, recounts the story of the forgotten Maryland Heroes who helped push the war onto America’s winning side and defeat the British. Key Takeaways: [4:00] Much like the rest of O’Donnell’s books, this one found him. [6:35] Green-Wood Cemetery is a fasc...
Joby Warrick on Zarqawi and ISIS
February 05, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 75.5 MBJoby Warrick is an American Journalist who has won two Pulitzer Prizes. His work at The Washington Post covers topics on the Middle East, diplomacy, and national security. On today’s discussion, Warrick discusses his book, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, in greater detail, and gives some history on how ISIS began. Key Takeaways: [2:55] Even though we’re not under attack, the American people are still affected by ISIS. [6:10] Who is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, really? [9:25] Warrick disc...
Gideon Rose on How Wars End
January 12, 2017 03:45 - 2 hours - 121 MBGideon Rose is the editor of Foreign Affairs, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of the book How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle. In this week’s episode, Mr. Rose discusses why, no matter the war, we see the same mistakes occur throughout U.S. history. The truth be told, the end state in war is often too broad. The lack of planning by civilian decision-makers based on these broad and vague terms, leads to a longer-than-necessary war that cou...