Just the Best Literature

By Philadelphia Church of God

What's Just the Best Literature about?

Just the Best Literature inspires you to not only read printed books, but to read only the best books. Besides books, host Dennis Leap will lead discussions on other current literature such as essays and important articles.

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Just the Best Literature episodes:

04.08.2024
#331: The British Empire’s Vast Responsibilities
Host Dennis Leap continues discussing Candice Millard’s book Hero of the Empire. Candice opens Chapter 1 with a review of Winston’s early love of 1,500 toy soldiers and make-believe battles and then gives an in-depth discussion of the extant and...
04.01.2024
#330: Hero of the Empire
Host Dennis Leap begins discussing a new book on the life of Winston Churchill by author Candice Millard. Hero of the Empire gives us details of Churchill’s daring escape from prison in Pretoria, South Africa (the capital of the Boer...
03.04.2024
#328: Winston’s Prestige Is Destroyed by Hostile Attitudes
After fighting the bloodthirsty Pathans and getting reassigned to leading a Punjabi infantry (none spoke English), Winston attempts to get attached to the Malakand Field Force permanently. This did not happen, and he was sent back to his home base...
02.19.2024
#327: Winston Becomes an Author
After fighting the bloodthirsty Pathans and getting reassigned to leading a Punjaubi infantry (where no one spoke English), Winston attempted to be attached to the Malakand Field Force permanently, but he was sent back to his home base at Bangalore....
01.29.2024
#326: Winston Faces Murderous Savages
Host Dennis Leap continues discussing the Pathan’s attack on the British in Chapter 11. The British adjutant had been shot. Four soldiers were carrying him to safety when, out from the edges of the village houses, rushed a half dozen...
01.15.2024
#325: Winston Gets His Wish to Fight at Mamund
01.01.2024
#324: Winston Praises Sir Bindon Blood but Not Britain’s India Government
Host Dennis Leap discusses Winston Churchill’s praise for Sir Bindon Blood’s talents as a military leader while working with the Bunerwal and Pathan tribes of Northern India, but then reveals the flaws in some of Britain’s political officers. Winston calls...
12.18.2023
#323: Winston Joins the Malakand Force, Part 1
At the end of Chapter 9: “Education at Bangalore,” Winston is offered a 3-month leave to return to England, which gives him a break from the sweltering heat of India. While in England, he reads in the newspapers that the...
12.04.2023
#322: There Is Always Time For Polo
Host Dennis Leap finishes his discussion of Chapter 9 “Education at Bangalore” with Winston’s treatise on polo’s popularity with the British troops and the Indian populace. Polo games in India were high cultural events with parades of elephants and British...
11.20.2023
#321: Winston Gets Educated at Bangalore, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap continues discussing My Early Life Chapter 9, “Education at Bangalore.” Winston comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t have a grasp on religion. He recognized that the British Empire had exposed him to many different religions full...
11.13.2023
#320: Winston Gets Educated at Bangalore, Part 1
Host Dennis Leap continues discussing My Early Life Chapter 9: “Education at Bangalore.” During the winter months of 1896, Winston came to the realization that he needed more education. He wrote, “I began to feel myself wanting in even the...
10.09.2023
#319: Young Winston Goes to India, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap moves into Chapter 9 “Education at Bangalore.” While being trained to utilize British fighting maneuvers to protect the Empire in India, Winston realized he was not truly educated: There was a lot of English vocabulary he did...
09.25.2023
#318: Young Winston Goes to India, Part 1
Host Dennis Leap wraps up his discussion of Chapter 8. Winston gives young readers advice on how to take care of their health, specifically warning them not to dislocate their shoulders. He also describes his life as a young soldier...
09.18.2023
#317: Young Winston Visits the Vanished World, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap finishes discussing key highlights from Chapter 7, “Hounslow.” Winston discusses the beauty of the Deepdene House and Gardens, where he mingled with the wealthy and elite members of the Army and Parliament. It was at Deepdene that...
09.11.2023
#316: Young Winston Visits the Vanished World, Part 1
Host Dennis Leap discusses key highlights from Chapter 7, “Hounslow,” from Winston Churchill’s memoir My Early Years 1874–1904. As this chapter opens, 21-year-old Winston has completed his calvary training and has 6 months leave before moving on to India where...
08.28.2023
#315: Young Winston Comes Under Gunfire
On Nov. 30, 1895, after joining the Spanish Army’s fight against the Cuban rebels, 21-year-old Winston Churchill finally got his wish. He was in the jungle gnawing on a skinny chicken leg for breakfast when a volley of gunfire rang...
08.07.2023
#314: Young Winston Wants to Go to War, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap discusses key highlights from Chapter 6 “Cuba” in Winston Churchill’s memoir My Early Years 1874–1904. Winston is 21 years old: Having now been trained as a soldier, he believes he needs a dress rehearsal of a real...
07.31.2023
#313: Young Winston Wants to Go to War, Part 1
Host Dennis Leap discusses key highlights from Chapter 5, “The Fourth Hussars,” in Winston Churchill’s memoir My Early Years 1874–1904. As this chapter opens, Winston is 21 years old. Having graduated from Sandhurst with honors, Winston is ready to take...
07.10.2023
#312: Winston’s Early Soldier Days
Host Dennis Leap with special guest Grant Turgeon discuss Chapters 4, 5 and 6 of My Early Life. Entering the Sandhurst military school gave Winston a new start in his young life. He wrote, “I was no longer handicapped by...
07.03.2023
#311: The Deep Thoughts of Young Winston
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon continue discussing Winston S. Churchill’s most charming memoir My Early Life 1874–1904. They focus on the first three chapters, which show how deeply Winston Churchill thought as a young boy. He definitely...
06.26.2023
#310: Child of the Victorian Age
Host Dennis Leap, with special guest Grant Turgeon, begin discussing Winston S. Churchill’s most charming memoir: My Early Life 1874–1904. They focus on William Manchester’s 1996 introduction to this book, which provides key additional insights behind the events Churchill recorded....
06.19.2023
#309: Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Writer, Reader
Host Dennis Leap introduces the new JBL series dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Sir Winston S. Churchill. During the British Black Lives Matter riots over the death of George Floyd, Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square was desecrated...
06.12.2023
#308: Understanding Melville's Use of the Bible
06.05.2023
#307: Why Read Moby Dick?
Host Dennis Leap introduces the JBL short series on Herman Melville’s classic American novel, Moby Dick or the Whale, using quotes from Nathaniel Philbrick’s small book, Why Read Moby Dick?
05.29.2023
#306: Ishmael’s Epilogue and Highlights From Moby Dick
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon finish this series with a discussion of Ishmael’s Epilogue of his survival from Moby Dick’s destruction of the Pequod Ahab and his crew. They also recount highlights from this incredible American classic...
05.22.2023
#305: The Three-Day Chase to Kill Moby Dick
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon discuss Chapters 133 through 135 titled “Chase Day 1,” “Chase Day 2” and “Chase Day 3.” Ahab awakes early one night and smells Moby Dick in the air like “a sagacious ship...
05.15.2023
#304: The Rachel, the Cabin, and the Hat
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon discuss Chapters 128, 129 and 130. Chapter 128 deals with the Pequod’s encounter with the Nantucket whaler named The Rachel. Manxman, and old sailor, warns Ahab that The Rachel is bringing bad...
05.01.2023
#303: Ahab Hates Queequeg’s Coffin (Chapters 110 and 127)
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon discuss the two chapters foreshadowing the destruction of the Pequod as Ahab continues his insane search to destroy Moby Dick. In Chapter 110, Queequeg suffers a near-fatal illness caused by removing casks...
04.17.2023
#302: Chapter 99: The Doubloon—a Mirror Into the Soul
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon discuss one of the most unique chapters in Moby Dick. Melville uses the gold doubloon as a mirror into Ahab’s soul and the souls of some of the crew. You’ll want to...
04.03.2023
#301: Chapter 93: The Castaway—Pip
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon discuss the the sad mishap of Pip, Ahab’s cabin boy. Stubb recruits Pip to be an oarsman on his whaling canoe. At his first lowering, Pip is frightened by a whale and...
03.20.2023
#300: The Pequod Meets the Virgin
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Mr. Grant Turgeon discuss Chapter 81 of Herman Melville’s American classic Moby Dick. The whale ship called the Virgin is actually a German whaler known as the Jungfrau in the German language. The Jungfrau...
03.06.2023
#299: The Jeroboam’s Story
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Mr. Grant Turgeon discuss Chapter 71 of Herman Melville’s American classic Moby Dick. Captain Ahab signals another Nantucket whale ship named the Jeroboam to have a meeting to gain information on Moby Dick. The...
02.20.2023
#298: Just the Best Literature Revived
02.13.2023
#297: Lessons From George Washington’s Life
Host Dennis Leap discusses several key leadership lessons from the life of George Washington.
02.06.2023
#296: The Final Days of George and Martha Washington
Host Dennis Leap with Deborah Leap discuss the final years of the Washingtons’ productive lives.
01.30.2023
#295: George Washington Faces Conflict Within His Cabinet
Host Dennis Leap and 60-plus panel member Deborah Leap discuss the problems George Washington faced with cabinet members’ desiring to establish a two-party system for America.
01.09.2023
#294: George and Martha Washington as First President and First Lady
Host Dennis Leap and 60-plus panel member Deborah Leap discuss Mrs. Barbara Bush, as well as George and Martha Washington’s lives as first president and first lady.
01.02.2023
#293: George and Martha Washington at Valley Forge
Host Dennis Leap and 60-plus panel member Deborah Leap discuss the funeral of George Herbert Walker Bush, followed by a discussion of George and Martha Washington’s support of the troops during America’s war with Britain.
12.26.2022
#292: George Washington: Architect and Builder
Host Dennis Leap discusses George Washington as a skilled architect and builder.
12.26.2022
#293: George Washington: Architect and Builder
Host Dennis Leap discusses George Washington as a skilled architect and builder.
12.19.2022
#291: George Washington: Agricultural Pioneer
Host Dennis Leap discusses George Washington as one of America’s first agricultural pioneers.
12.12.2022
#290: George Washington: Man of Noble Principles, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap continues discussing George Washington’s treatment of slaves and disgust for slavery.
12.05.2022
#289: George Washington: Man of Noble Principles
Host Dennis Leap discusses George Washington’s noble qualities of character in his physical appearance, manners and dress, and begins a discussion on Washington’s hatred of chattel slavery.
11.28.2022
#288: Introducing Martha Washington, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap, with 60-plus panel member Deborah Leap, discusses fascinating historical facts concerning Martha Washington’s family and her first husband, Daniel Custis.
11.21.2022
#287: Introducing Martha Washington
Host Dennis Leap, with 60 plus panel member Deborah Leap, discuss fascinating historical facts concerning George Washington’s wife Martha.
11.14.2022
#286: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father, Part 3
Host Dennis Leap continues to discuss the pertinent facts of George Washington’s life, including his marriage, family life and health.
11.07.2022
#285: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap continues to discuss the pertinent facts of George Washington’s life in the context of liberal leftists’ rage against “dead privileged white men.”
10.31.2022
#284: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father
Host Dennis Leap discusses the pertinent facts and towering moral character of George Washington in the context of liberal lefts’ handling Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.
10.24.2022
#283: Final Thoughts on George Orwell’s 1984
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Deborah Leap conclude the discussion of George Orwell’s classic 1984 by focusing on the emotional destruction of Winston Smith.
09.26.2022
#282: Winston Smith Reads Emanuel Goldstein’s Book, Part 2
Host Dennis Leap and special guest Grant Turgeon continue their discussion of the book within the book 1984, by George Orwell. Goldstein’s book is Orwell’s prescient way to explain the flaws of socialism. They discuss socialism as a religion, Big...

What's Just the Best Literature about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Just the Best Literature episodes:

#331: The British Empire’s Vast Responsibilities

#330: Hero of the Empire

#328: Winston’s Prestige Is Destroyed by Hostile Attitudes

#327: Winston Becomes an Author

#326: Winston Faces Murderous Savages

#325: Winston Gets His Wish to Fight at Mamund

#324: Winston Praises Sir Bindon Blood but Not Britain’s India Government

#323: Winston Joins the Malakand Force, Part 1

#322: There Is Always Time For Polo

#321: Winston Gets Educated at Bangalore, Part 2

#320: Winston Gets Educated at Bangalore, Part 1

#319: Young Winston Goes to India, Part 2

#318: Young Winston Goes to India, Part 1

#317: Young Winston Visits the Vanished World, Part 2

#316: Young Winston Visits the Vanished World, Part 1

#315: Young Winston Comes Under Gunfire

#314: Young Winston Wants to Go to War, Part 2

#313: Young Winston Wants to Go to War, Part 1

#312: Winston’s Early Soldier Days

#311: The Deep Thoughts of Young Winston

#310: Child of the Victorian Age

#309: Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Writer, Reader

#308: Understanding Melville's Use of the Bible

#307: Why Read Moby Dick?

#306: Ishmael’s Epilogue and Highlights From Moby Dick

#305: The Three-Day Chase to Kill Moby Dick

#304: The Rachel, the Cabin, and the Hat

#303: Ahab Hates Queequeg’s Coffin (Chapters 110 and 127)

#302: Chapter 99: The Doubloon—a Mirror Into the Soul

#301: Chapter 93: The Castaway—Pip

#300: The Pequod Meets the Virgin

#299: The Jeroboam’s Story

#298: Just the Best Literature Revived

#297: Lessons From George Washington’s Life

#296: The Final Days of George and Martha Washington

#295: George Washington Faces Conflict Within His Cabinet

#294: George and Martha Washington as First President and First Lady

#293: George and Martha Washington at Valley Forge

#292: George Washington: Architect and Builder

#293: George Washington: Architect and Builder

#291: George Washington: Agricultural Pioneer

#290: George Washington: Man of Noble Principles, Part 2

#289: George Washington: Man of Noble Principles

#288: Introducing Martha Washington, Part 2

#287: Introducing Martha Washington

#286: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father, Part 3

#285: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father, Part 2

#284: Introduction to Paul Johnson’s Biography George Washington: Founding Father

#283: Final Thoughts on George Orwell’s 1984

#282: Winston Smith Reads Emanuel Goldstein’s Book, Part 2