Annie Jacobsen, journalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, joins the show to discuss nuclear weapons and their use.

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Times 

    •      01:20 Introduction

    •      02:50 Finding the music   

    •      07:02 Reporting 

    •      09:15 Hidden information

    •      11:22 The scenario      

    •      13:50 Launch on warning

    •      17:30 Villians      

    •      20:45 Annihilation    

    •      26:25 The Black Book 

    •      30:40 North Korea

    •      34:03 Interception      

    •      37:42 ICBMs  

    •      43:39 Deterrence

    •      49:29 Obama      

    •      52:50 Right to know      

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Stephen Rabe, historian and author of The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, joins the show to discuss one of the countless, incredible stories from D-Day. 

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Times 

    •      01:18 Introduction

    •      01:25 Marine   

    •      02:50 Origins 

    •      06:48 Normandy

    •      09:29 507th      

    •      15:20 Training

    •      18:23 Overlord      

    •      21:21 The Villagers   

    •      25:20 A change in plans 

    •      30:07 HQ Battalion

    •      36:17 Armageddon      

    •      39:00 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division  

    •      44:01 Staying behind

    •      46:37 Return      

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Fred Kagan, senior fellow and the director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss Ukraine’s drone operation targeting Russia’s strategic air assets. 

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Times 

    •      01:46 Introduction

    •      02:25 What just happened?   

    •      07:48 Escalation risk 

    •      10:20 Control

    •      12:39 Implications      

    •      21:10 Stratagems

    •      24:04 Effects      

    •      30:40 Economic pressure   

    •      37:20 Continuing operations 

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Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths & Maj. McKinsey Harb joined the show to discuss the U.S. Army’s new Field Manual 1, FM 1 -THE ARMY: A PRIMER TO OUR PROFESSION OF ARMS. 

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Times 

    •      01:22 Introduction

    •      01:51 West Point   

    •      05:43 Culture shift 

    •      08:50 FM 1

    •      12:00 Ben Salomon      

    •      18:06 Warrior

    •      24:04 Tensions      

    •      31:05 Recruiting  

    •      35:18 Leader/follower 

    •      42:19 Mission command      

Rick Atkinson, historian and author of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, joins the show to discuss the causes, conduct, and epic consequences of the American Revolution.  

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Times 

    •      02:08 Introduction

    •      02:21 Journalism   

    •      04:30 Mogadishu 

    •      09:30 Lessons

    •      12:49 Ideology      

    •      16:36 Diplomacy

    •      20:21 Boston      

    •      22:59 “Blows must decide”  

    •      28:05 British strategy 

    •      31:27 Washington     

    •      36:49 Franklin in Paris

    •      41:15 Friendless Britain      

    •      45:57 Legacy

    •      51:24 250th Celebration 

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Jonathan Hackett, former U.S. Marine Corps interrogator and author of Theory of Irregular War, joins the show to discuss America’s post-9/11 wars and how irregular warfare works. 

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Times 

    •      01:12 Introduction

    •      01:30 A good interrogator  

    •      03:26 Afghanistan

    •      06:15 In the interrogation room  

    •      12:10 The Reid Technique    

    •      14:27 Galula

    •      17:10 A military solution      

    •      23:32 Voluntary acceptance  

    •      25:34 Irregular War 

    •      28:20 The war we have     

    •      31:33 COIN

    •      36:10 Speaking the language      

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Robert D. Kaplan, Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, joins the show to discuss the world’s current state of “permanent crisis”. 

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Times 

    •      01:40 Introduction

    •      02:00 Far Rockaway 

    •      04:55 Balkan Ghosts

    •      08:20 Geography and technology  

    •      10:55 Weimar    

    •      13:43 Mediocrities

    •      17:44 Reading deeply      

    •      20:30 Shakespeare  

    •      23:20 Where to watch 

    •      26:59 Xi and Taiwan     

    •      28:39 Sacred honor

    •      31:22 Post-modern cities   

    •      33:28 AI and atrophy    

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Mick Ryan, retired major general in the Australian Army and author of 

The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire, joins the show to discuss the evolving battlefield and cycles of change and innovation going on in Ukraine. 

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Times 

    •      01:35 Introduction

    •      02:17 Touring the front 

    •      05:11 No place safe

    •      07:01 Change  

    •      11:24 Wire guided drones   

    •      15:31 Task organization   

    •      20:38 Drone defense     

    •      22:49 Is artillery dead?

    •      26:39 Rethinking procurement 

    •      30:34 2014     

    •      33:07 Putin’s objectives

    •      36:05 Formula for ceasefire   

    •      38:02 A just solution   

    •      39:41 Surprise is alive and well     

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Thomas Bruscino, professor at the U.S. Army War College, and Mitchell G. Klingenberg, assistant professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, join the show to discuss their article "Making War Upon the Map" The U.S. Army’s Forgotten Map Problem, Meade’s Gettysburg Campaign, and Depicting Operational Art. 

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Times 

    •      02:05 Introduction

    •      03:12 What’s missing? 

    •      06:17 A modern problem

    •      09:27 Meade takes command  

    •      11:29 Seeing both sides   

    •      15:41 South Mountain   

    •      22:54 Lee’s mistakes      

    •      30:11 Meade’s good choices 

    •      36:32 Mapping in 2025

    •      41:51 Visualization     

    •      47:37 Developing doctrine

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John Hillen, James C. Wheat Professor in Leadership at Hampden-Sydney College and author of The Strategy Dialogues: A Primer on Business Strategy and Strategic Management, joins the show to talk about how to think strategically in war, business, and life.

▪️

Times 

    •      01:55 Introduction

    •      02:31 An Army start 

    •      05:17 Cold War ends

    •      10:14 The Gulf    

    •      13:15 Changing styles   

    •      18:00 73 Easting  

    •      22:59 Policy and business      

    •      26:09 Strategos 

    •      29:04 In the doing

    •      32:17 Inside out & outside in    

    •      36:41 Seeking horizons 

    •      42:22 Goals are not strategy

    •      43:42 Call of Duty     

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