Josh tries to build the ultimate 'Guy book' based on his Instagram habits. Also, he makes fun of old Bantam dime novels, because ads in books is hilarious. PLUS the books you should read if you want to get into literary fiction!

Join the book club: https://www.patreon.com/c/JoshReadsBooks

Timestamps:

0:00 - What I've Been Reading

4:39 - Building the ultimate Dude Book

20:10 - Gateway Books

Josh dissects which books are truly read and which are just for show. Find out what he thinks about popular titles like "Fahrenheit 451," "Dune," and "Lonesome Dove," and stick around for the Q&A that reveals the quirks of being a book influencer. 

Also, because he can't help himself, thoughts about the Civil War.

Join the book club: https://www.patreon.com/c/JoshReadsBooks

Timestamps:

0:00 - What I've been reading

8:50 - "Pretending I read it" list

21:09 - Mailbag

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://compendiumshow.substack.com/

You might think writing like Cormac McCarthy is impossible. He may seem unapproachable or unreachable. But there are a few practical 'structural' techniques he uses in his writing that we can emulate.

The practice of strategy today is a history-adjacent discipline, but it is one that history informs and one that shapes history. John Gaddis is one of the United States' foremost strategy thinkers, and he joins me on the show to talk about Venezuela, the war in Ukraine, how democracies and autocracies differ with regard to strategy, and much more.

Support the show (and listen early) on Substack

There's a lot to love in this episode. That is, if you love discussions about nationalism, slavery, and pre-Civil War politics.

Notes:

Impending Crisis by David Potter

Apostles of Disunion by Charles Dew

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson

Historian Barry Strauss joins me to talk about his new book, Jews Vs Rome! We also look at some of the greatest commanders in history, what they did well and what they struggled with, as well as why YOU should read history.

Support the show (and join the book club) on Substack

Did Alexander beat Darius because he was a better field commander, or because he was a greater gravitational force? Josh wonders if perhaps his secret weapon was something a bit more mundane?

Support the show on Substack

What happens when a 90-day war goes longer than 90 days? You get a soupy melange of nerves, avarice, and confusion. Nobody at the time is equipped to deal with it, least of all the men in charge.

Support the show on Substack 

Check out the Distant Guns series Bibliography

Political violence is becoming a disturbing norm. The partisan divide grows wider. Can we close the gap? Can we resolve our disagreements through reason? For whatever they are worth, Josh shares a few thoughts.

The Founding Era is fascinating in many ways; it marks the beginning of our American history and laid the foundation for the democratic republic we know today. But it's a more complicated period than what you learn in school. Infighting and partisan factionalism nearly strangled the American infant in her cradle. I talk with Chris Dougherty about the founding era, about Alexander Hamilton, and the great democratic experiment.

Follow Chris on Instagram

Support the show on Patreon

Support the show & subscribe to the Compendium newsletter on Substack