Martin leads the guys through a consideration of the cinematic genre of Film Noir and what it says about the duality and desolation of the human soul, justice and redemption. Yeah, it gets that deep. Robert and Francis provide some optimism for humanity though. Martin figures, eh, why bother?

While there are literally tons of books on the subject of film noir, the guys recommend starting with The Film Noir Encyclopedia by Alain Silver and others from 2010.

Also they highly endorse watching Double Indemnity from 1944 starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck . . . featuring the uncredited but amazing cameo appearance of Barbara's Stanwyck's towel.

Conan, what is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!

We take on the life and career of one of our heroes, the rugged individualist and Zen anarchist, John Milius. And Martin loves the smell of napalm in the morning.

And for further reading (although it is a little pricey) the guys recommend The Cinema of John Milius by Alfio Leotta from 2018 which goes deep into Milius' many contributions to modern American Cinema.

Martin captains an episode examining the life and reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II's father, Frederick III. He reigned only 99 days, but if he had lived, could he have transformed the nascent German empire from Prussian militarism to a model constitutional monarchy? Would that have transformed Europe and prevented (or mitigated) the cataclysm of World War I? 

Although they don't mention it in the episode, the guys highly recommend Our Fritz: Emperor Frederick III and the Political Culture of Imperial Germany by Frank Lorenz Muller from 2011 as an excellent source not only about Frederick's life, but also about all of the many cultural considerations that they guys discuss here as well.

Francis wants us to consider Christina Croft's The Innocence of Kaiser Wilhelm II: and the First World War and exonerate the Kaiser of his exclusive historical blame for WWI. Martin says "well the damn Russians were to blame anyway". Robert reminds us that history is always complicated. 

Martin reaches back to our Voltaire discussion to highlight another key figure, James Madison. We talk through Madison's formation and career as an Enlightenment figure and a giant among the Founding Fathers. 

Although the guys didn't mention a particular book about James Madison in the episode proper, they all agree that perhaps the newest book on him, The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President by Noah Feldman from 2017 is well worth reading. Martin further recommends Richard Brookhiser's James Madison. He has an extra copy in fact if anyone is interested in purchasing it. 

Francis leads the guys through a personal reflection on the life of St. Thomas More and why he's a hero worth emulating. Get out some tissues everybody. 

And while there are tons and tons of works out there, both about and by Thomas More, Francis recommends grabbing first A Thomas More Source Book by renowned More scholar Gerard Wegemer from the University of Dallas, written in 2004.

Martin challenges the guys to think beyond the politics and explore the strategic options for British intervention in the American Civil War in 1862. Robert's up to the challenge and gives Martin all the argument he can handle. 

For a good resource on the Civil War Battle of Hampton Roads and all the related materials that the guys discuss in this episode, check out Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack by James L. Nelson from 2004. 

The Snakes & Otters guys dive into an appreciation of the life of Queen Elizabeth II. All you tabloid types out there, be warned, Martin wants you to ease up. And Martin likes to get his way.

There are tons and tons of books about Queen Elizabeth II, but the guys really loved watching the Netflix series The Crown, which has three seasons available as of November 2019. It's really worth checking out and Claire Foys won a well-deserved Best Actress Emmy Award for her work in Season 2.

Robert suggests a new kind of discussion for us, an "alternative history". We wrestle with the question: what if Robert Kennedy isn't killed in June 1968? Does that alter America's trajectory through the 1970s and 1980s? Bonus feature, we have to edit out our first "f bomb". Francis, watch your mouth next time. 

Once again, the guys did not mention it here, but still one of the better biographies of Robert Kennedy is one of the earliest, Robert Kennedy and His Times by Arthur M. Schlesinger and Michael Beschloss, originally written in 1979 but recently reissued in 2012.

Also if you really want to read some great "alternate history" novels, the guys suggest anything by Harry Turtledove, perhaps one of the acknowledged masters of the genre.

We mean, it is obviously our favorite pastime, but what makes for a good read in history?

Martin needs to get over his disappointment in Juliet Barker's Agincourt: Henry V and the Battle That Made England so Francis advocates for a fictionalized approach such as Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt to help.

Unsatisfied, Robert gets existential on both their asses.