Best Douglas MacArthur Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 208: Mike Doran on America’s Strikes in Iran 45:27

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1d ago45:27

45:27

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to break down America’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and what might come next. ▪️ Times • 01:00 Reactions • 08:00 Deception • 12:00 More to come • 17:00 Self-deception • 24:00 Next few days • 31:00 Esca…

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Ep 207: Mark Dubowitz on the Israel-Iran War and American Intervention 42:35

3d ago42:35

42:35

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on the Israel-Iran conflict, and the possibility of America’s intervention. ▪️ Times • 01:00 Achievements • 05:00 Retaliation • 09:00 Hard math • 16:00 Intervention • 24:00 Outcomes • 30:00 Ground operations • 32:00 Another Iraq? • 38:00 Resolve and stability • 42:00 “Iraq Syndrome” …

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Ep 206: Cleo Paskal on China’s Central Pacific Strategy 49:49

6d ago49:49

49:49

Cleo Paskal, non-resident senior fellow at FDD and author of Crossroads of Competition, joins the show to discuss China’s campaign for influence and control at the scene of America’s bloody island-hopping campaign in WW2. ▪️ Times • 01:35 Introduction • 04:03 Pacific desert • 07:45 Control • 13:48 Post 1945 • 22:43 Significance • 24:31 Yap • 29:43 …

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Ep 205: Mark Dubowitz on Israel’s Unfolding Campaign in Iran 31:16

10d ago31:16

31:16

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to breakdown last night’s spectacular Israeli strikes against the Iranian Regime and its nuclear program, and what comes next. ▪️ Times • 02:00 Deception • 06:00 Targets • 09:00 The Scientists • 11:00 Complacency • 14:00 Israeli goals • 19:00 Regime change • 23:00 Strikes and talks • 29:00 Drones • 31:00 Co…

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Ep 204: Annie Jacobsen on Nuclear War 55:26

14d ago55:26

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

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Ep 203: Stephen Rabe on the Invasion of Normandy 50:38

18d ago50:38

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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. ▪️ Times • 01:18 Introduction • 01:25 Marine • 02:50 Origins • 06:48 Normandy • 09:29 507th • 15:20 Training • 18:23 Overlord • 21…

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Ep 202: Fred Kagan on Ukraine’s Attack and the Future of War 42:48

21d ago42:48

42:48

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. ▪️ 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 pre…

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Colonel House - Part II 29:36

24d ago29:36

29:36

Edward Mandell House, better known as Colonel House, was a pivotal figure in American politics and diplomacy during World War I, serving as President Woodrow Wilson’s closest advisor and confidant from 1913 to 1919. A wealthy Texan, House was a skilled political operator who shunned public office but wielded immense influence behind the scenes. His…

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Ep 201: Zachary Griffiths & McKinsey Harb on the U.S. Army 45:59

25d ago45:59

45:59

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. ▪️ 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…

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Colonel House - Part I 28:06

25d ago28:06

28:06

Edward Mandell House, better known as Colonel House, was a pivotal figure in American politics and diplomacy during World War I, serving as President Woodrow Wilson’s closest advisor and confidant from 1913 to 1919. A wealthy Texan, House was a skilled political operator who shunned public office but wielded immense influence behind the scenes. His…

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Ep 200: Rick Atkinson on the American Revolution at 250 53:35

28d ago53:35

53:35

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. ▪️ Times • 02:08 Introduction • 02:21 Journalism • 04:30 Mogadishu • 09:30 Lessons • 12:49 Ideology • 16:36 Diplomacy • 20:21 Bos…

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Ep 199: Jonathan Hackett on Our Failures in Iraq & Afghanistan 41:00

1M ago41:00

41:00

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. ▪️ 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 militar…

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Bearing Witness: A Holocaust Survivor Speaks 49:33

1M ago49:33

49:33

On May 8, 2025, the MM in partnership with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Virginia Holocaust Museum, hosted Dr. Roger Loria, a holocaust survivor. The event was particularly poignant – it was held on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day – the day the Allies defeated Nazi Germany. A video of the presentation…

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Ep 198: Robert D. Kaplan on Crisis 38:10

1M ago38:10

38:10

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”. ▪️ Times • 01:40 Introduction • 02:00 Far Rockaway • 04:55 Balkan Ghosts • 08:20 Geography and technology • 10:55 Weimar…

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Ep 197: Mick Ryan on the Ukrainian Battlefield 41:55

1M ago41:55

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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. ▪️ Times • 01:35 Introduction • 02:17 Touring the front • 05:11 No place safe • 07:01 Change • 11:24 Wire guided dr…

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Ep 196: Thomas Bruscino and Mitchell G. Klingenberg on Mapping Warfare 50:46

2M ago50:46

50:46

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. ▪️ Times • 02:05 Introductio…

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Ep 195: John Hillen on Strategic Thinking 46:32

2M ago46:32

46:32

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 • 1…

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Ep 194: Mark Moyar on the Vietnam War 54:27

2M ago54:27

54:27

Mark Moyar, William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College and author of Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968, joins the show to explain the major inflection points of the Vietnam War. ▪️ Times • 01:58 Introduction • 02:47 The “orthodox view” • 05:51 Dominos • 08:41 A Maoist vision • 12:42 1963 • 15:30 Henry Cabot Lodge • …

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Ep 193: Douglas Murray on Israel’s War and its Global Consequences 55:47

2M ago55:47

55:47

Douglas Murray, journalist and author of On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization, joins the show for a wide ranging conversation that covers Death Cults, anti-Semitism, and recent shifts in the Right. ▪️ Times • 01:42 Introduction • 03:00 9/11 origins • 09:50 It’s not 1939 • 13:45 Death cults • 19:16 “I’m not a fascist…

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Ep 192: Raymond Jonas on Europe’s War on the Monroe Doctrine (~165 years ago) 48:20

2M ago48:20

48:20

Raymond Jonas, Jon Bridgman Endowed Professor in History at the University of Washington and author of Habsburgs on the Rio Grande: The Rise and Fall of the Second Mexican Empire, joins the show to discuss a failed-but-spectacular 19th Century attempt by European powers to undermine the Monroe Doctrine. ▪️ Times • 01:42 Introduction • 03:31 Transat…

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Ep 191: Mark Dubowitz on Iran and the Trump Administration 45:56

2M ago45:56

45:56

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and host of The Iran Breakdown podcast, joins the show to discuss the Iranian nuclear program, where things stand with the Trump administration’s pursuit of a deal, and the prospects of an Israeli attack. ▪️ Times • 01:33 Introduction • 02:04 Beginnings • 04:25 A weapon is the purpose …

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Ep 190: Michael Doran on “Restraint” and the Middle East 54:59

2M ago54:59

54:59

Michael Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute, joins the show to discuss “restraintism” as a factor in Trump’s choices in the Middle East. ▪️ Times • 01:46 Introduction • 02:20 What is it? • 05:01 Left, right, center • 06:56 Syria ’07 • 11:47 Iraq Study Group • 17:21 Populist e…

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California and World War I 39:48

2M ago39:48

39:48

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, all 48 states played a role in war mobilization and made unique contributions shaped by their histories, their politics, their natural resources and industries, and their military manpower. Previous episodes have explored the experiences of eastern, southern, and midwestern states. In this l…

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Ep 189: Andrew Roberts on October 7th and Antisemitism 31:33

2M ago31:33

31:33

Lord Andrew Roberts, the Bonnie and Tom McCloskey Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and chair of the 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report, joins the show to discuss October 7th revisionism, the potency of antisemitism, and the strange effort to reinterpret World War II. ▪️ Times • 01:56 Introduction • 02:35 Why? • 03:48 N…

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Relieved of Duty: MacArthur Reacts + Bonus Q&A 29:21

2M ago29:21

29:21

On April 11, 1951, at 1:00AM ET, President Harry S. Truman announced General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of command. Millions of people heard the news on the radio before MacArthur himself heard. How did he find out? MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss this and his reaction to the news. A bonus Q&A of listener que…

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Ep 188: Jonathan Horn on MacArthur and the Battle for the Philippines 53:18

3M ago53:18

53:18

Jonathan Horn, former White House speechwriter and author of The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines, joins the show to discuss the defeats, victories, and legacies of Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, the highest-ranking American POW of WWII. ▪️ Times • 01:56 Introduction • 04:36 Arthur Mac…

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Ep 187: Richard Fontaine on the “Reverse Kissinger” 46:53

3M ago46:53

46:53

Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and co-author of No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy, joins the show to discuss Beijing-Moscow cooperation and the prospects of the U.S. driving a wedge between them. ▪️ Times • 02:05 Introduction • 02:21 Sino-Soviet split • 06:20 Spheres of influenc…

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MacArthur's Heroes + Bonus Q & A 45:37

3M ago45:37

45:37

Douglas MacArthur drew inspiration from mentors, role models, and a personal "pantheon" of historical figures throughout his life. On March 7, 2025, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discussed who was included in this "pantheon" and solicited questions from the audience about this topic. This Q&A, recorded on March 12, 202…

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To Photograph is to Learn How to Live | Ulrich Baer 1:30:57

3M ago1:30:57

1:30:57

Ulrich Baer is an author, editor, and a professor of photography at NYU. I wanted to chat with someone about photography in the “iPhone” age (along with a bunch of other things!), and Uli was kind enough to indulge me. I was dazzled by his breadth of learning and the expertise he has in so many different fields (poetry, philosophy, and literature, …

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Ep 186: Walter Russell Mead on Trump, Strategy, and Mercantilism 53:58

3M ago53:58

53:58

Walter Russell Mead, Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Florida's Hamilton Center and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, joins the show to talk about the role of economic issues in Trump’s strategic views. ▪️ Times • 01:34 Introduction • 04:09 Mercantilism & physiocracy • 08:50 Silicon Valley • 14:01 Co…

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Art, Wonder, and Oscar Wilde | Joseph Pearce 40:18

3M ago40:18

40:18

Joseph Pearce is an educator, essayist, and author of over two dozen books. I reached out to Joseph because I wanted to learn more about the great Irish playwright and wit, Oscar Wilde, about whom he has written extensively. Joseph’s excellent biography of Wilde, “Unmasking Oscar Wilde” is linked below. Using Wilde as a springboard, Joseph and I le…

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Ep 185: Lara Burns on the Hamas Threat in America 56:53

3M ago56:53

56:53

Lara Burns, retired FBI Special Agent and head of terrorism research at the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University, joins the show to talk about how Islamist groups operate in the United States. ▪️ Watch the interview on YouTube - Ep 185: Lara Burns on the Hamas Threat in America ▪️ Times • 01:32 Introduction • 01:48 Terrorism squ…

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Ep 184: Alexander Burns on the Dawn of the Modern Battlefield 43:17

3M ago43:17

43:17

Alexander Burns, Assistant Professor of History at Franciscan University and author of Infantry in Battle 1733-1783 (From Reason to Revolution), joins the show to talk about how combat evolved in the decades between Marlborough and Napoleon. ▪️ Times • 01:45 Introduction • 02:19 1733 • 06:20 Infantry in battle • 10:54 Achieving results • 14:19 Tact…

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John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur 35:11

3M ago35:11

35:11

John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur are both towering figures in American military history—Pershing as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I, and MacArthur as a key leader in World War II and the Korean War. In terms of age, they were separated by about 20 years, but they were both First Captains at West Point, …

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Ep 183: Tom Cotton on China 36:14

3M ago36:14

36:14

Tom Cotton, U.S. senator from Arkansas and author of Seven Things You Can't Say About China, joins the show to talk about the CCP’s global designs. ▪️ Times • 01:48 Introduction • 02:30 Paying attention • 05:38 Bipartisan • 08:38 Early days • 13:54 Strategic delays • 16:13 An evil empire • 18:45 “What’s it to us?” • 22:04 Lynchpin • 25:24 Splitting…

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Ep 182: Sean McMeekin on Communism 47:58

4M ago47:58

47:58

Sean McMeekin, Professor of European History and Culture at Bard College and author of To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism, joins the show to talk about Communist approaches to foreign policy and war. ▪️ Times • 01:35 Introduction • 02:39 Communism and war • 11:02 Giving history a shove • 16:41 Lenin’s vision • 20:55 A u…

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Ep 181: Michael Cook on the Islamic Conquests 46:20

4M ago46:20

46:20

Michael Cook, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and author of A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity, joins the show to discuss the sudden, explosive Arab expansion of the 7th century. ▪️ Times • 01:46 Introduction • 03:05 Sources • 04:42 War and politics • 07:32 Grass and sand • 09:30 Self-…

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Ep 180: Stephen Kotkin on Endgames in Ukraine 53:44

4M ago53:44

53:44

Stephen Kotkin, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins the show to discuss how both sides have lost the Ukraine War, and the risks of various routes to peace. ▪️ Times • 02:47 Pressuring Putin • 12:50 A new path • 17:07 Avoiding a debacle • 32:43 Friends • 38:30 Realignment • 46:58 Articulating strategy Follow along on Instagram,…

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Ep 179: Phillips O’Brien on Grand Strategy in WW2 53:42

4M ago53:42

53:42

Phillips O’Brien, chair of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews and author of The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini, and Hitler--How War Made Them and How They Made War, joins the show to discuss the nature of strategic decision making in World War II and beyond. ▪️ Times • 01:50 Introduction • 02:48 Germany 1st deb…

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Ep 178: Mark Montgomery on Cyber War 52:48

4M ago52:48

52:48

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at FDD and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, joins the show to discuss how prepared (or ill-prepared) the U.S. is for cyber warfare. ▪️ Times • 03:24 Introduction • 04:20 America: A Target Rich Environment • 05:59 Cyber and mobilization • 08:35 What actually happens? • …

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Ep 177: Christopher Kolakowski on Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. 52:18

4M ago52:18

52:18

Christopher Kolakowski, director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and editor of Tenth Army Commander: The World War II Diary of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., joins the show to discuss the most senior U.S. officer killed by enemy action in WWII, Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. ▪️ Times • 01:44 Introduction • 02:15 In the shadows • 03:53 Fathers and sons • 06…

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General MacArthur's Iconic Cap 17:18

4M ago17:18

17:18

General Douglas MacArthur’s iconic cap, one of the most amazing artifacts in our museum, is a finalist for a conservation prize from VAM – the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM). Currently the cap is on VAM’s Virginia Top 10 Endangered List. The list helps raise public awareness of amazing artifacts in Virginia museums and the importance of pres…

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Ep 176: David Betz on Modern Fortification 51:51

4M ago51:51

51:51

David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London and author of The Guarded Age: Fortification in the Twenty-First Century, joins the show to discuss how fortification is alive, well, and everywhere. ▪️ Times • 01:22 Introduction • 01:53 A default condition • 13:20 Why is that there? • 22:13 Alexandrian foundations • 28:50 S…

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The 1945 Battle of Manila + Bonus Q&A 38:59

5M ago38:59

38:59

To date, the 1945 Battle of Manila remains the US military's largest and most intense experience of urban warfare. It resulted in 6500 American military casualties, 16000 Japanese military KIA, and a staggering number of civilians were killed and wounded. Manila, the Pearl of the Orient was destroyed. Even against the general WWII backdrop of treme…

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Ep 175: Mick Ryan on War & Fiction 38:01

5M ago38:01

38:01

Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian Army and author of War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict, joins the show to discuss future-war fiction and the possible futures of current wars. ▪️ Times • 01:23 Introduction • 02:10 Tom Clancy • 05:40 Accessibility • 07:14 The Battle of Dorking …

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Thomas Neibaur: WWI Medal of Honor Recipient 40:35

5M ago40:35

40:35

There are 125 WWI recipients of the Medal of Honor. One of those recipients was Private Thomas Croft Neibaur of the 167th Infantry Regiment, 42nd “Rainbow” Division who received the award for heroism at the Cote de Chatillon in 1918. Neibaur was the first Mormon and the first soldier from Idaho to receive the Medal of Honor. His actions led General…

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Keju: The Ancient Test of China’s Strength | Yasheng Huang 1:50:45

5M ago1:50:45

1:50:45

Yasheng Huang is a professor at MIT and the author of many books, including his most recent work, “The Rise and Fall of the EAST”. I reached out to Professor Huang because, after reading his book, I wanted to learn more about Chinese history. In this episode, Yasheng and I discuss: Imperial China v. The Roman Empire; Keju; The origin of Civil Servi…

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Ep 174: Hal Brands on the Long Struggle for Eurasia 38:09

5M ago38:09

38:09

Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, joins the show to discuss the continued relevance of geopolitics. ▪️ Times • 01:29 Introduction • 01:54 Twentieth century …

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Ep 173: Tom Karako on America’s Iron Dome 30:30

5M ago30:30

30:30

Tom Karako, Senior Fellow and Director of the Missile Defense Project at CSIS, joins the show to discuss what President Trump’s executive order on missile defense portends. ▪️ Times • 01:15 Introduction • 02:08 Dawn of missile defense • 05:50 Ups and downs • 10:40 Arguments against • 14:50 Capabilities • 18:45 A layered defense • 22:20 Cost • 26:42…

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Run like a Philosopher | Sabrina Little 1:01:29

5M ago1:01:29

1:01:29

Sabrina Little is an author, ultramarathoner, and a professor of philosophy. Her latest book, “The Examined Run” is suitable not only for competitive athletes, but for anyone who wants to: Strengthen his body, discipline his mind, learn the basics of philosophy, and, most importantly, cultivate long-lasting virtues. In this episode, Sabrina and I d…