Pritzker Military Library Presents - Season 3 (2008)

Author Forrest Bryant Johnson discusses his biography of Medal of Honor recipient J.R. McKinney, "Phantom Warrior".

Ed Tracy interviews World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Walter D. Ehlers about his life and experiences on the beach at Normandy.

As we approach the 5th anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, where do America and her allies stand in the "Long War" in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world? Has "the surge" brought progress, as claimed by the military? Can the Iraqi leadership stabilize the country? How will the revised intelligence assessment affect our course with Iran and its nuclear program? Afghanistan is coping with a resurgent Taliban, and Pakistan is facing a volatile domestic situation. How do they play into the mix? Join John Callaway and his guests as they analyze the status of the War on...

Dr. Heidi Squier Kraft discusses her new book, "Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital", a first-hand account of seven months with a Marine Corps surgical company immersed in Iraq, earth-shaking artillery rounds, and the all-encompassing desert.

Ed Tracy interviews Stephen Coonts, author of "Flight of the Intruder" and other aerial and suspense fiction.

Ed Tracy interviews World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams about his life and experiences with the Marines on Iwo Jima.

What role should the US military have in over 3200 high schools across the United States? How does the City of Chicago maintain and support the largest and fastest growing JROTC program in the country, including five Military High School Academies? Can America teach students effectively and find people willing to serve in the military without JROTC? What does it cost, who really benefits, and what is the future of High Schools, Military Academies and JROTC? John's panel includes Michael McConnell, American Friends Service Committee; Rick Mills, Chicago Public Schools;...

The Pritzker Military Library welcomes back James "Maggie" Megellas for a special interview covering the second part of his celebrated World War II memoir All the Way to Berlin.

With his book "Desperate Engagement", Civil War historian Marc Leepson traces the complex interplay of possibilities and personalities before, during and after the Battle of Monocacy in 1864 - and how unforeseen events can change the course of history.

Ed Tracy interviews Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Brian M. Thacker.

Ed Tracy hosts a special retrospective for the Pritzker Military Library's 100th television episode.

With the Iraq war a key focal point in the presidential primaries, Israel garners few headlines. Yet the strategic interests of this long-time American partner are critical to the future of stability in the Middle East. How do the goals and ambitions of Israel mesh with U.S. policy and what are the main points of strategic difference? Join John Callaway and a panel including Barukh Binah, Consul General of Israel in Chicago, Raja Kamal from the University of Chicago, and Saeed Khan, Adjunct Professor in Islamic Studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy, for an ...

Renowned Civil War historian and 2007 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award recipient James M. McPherson presents a lecture based on his forthcoming book, "Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief".

North Korea recently threatened to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire", and reduce its neighbor to "ashes". After the apparent progress of last fall's six-nation talks, what does this return to nuclear rhetoric mean? The North is heavily dependent on China for food and fuel, while the South is one of America's strongest allies. John Callaway explores the Two Koreas with a panel including Prof. Bruce Cummings, Department Chair and specialist in Modern Korean History, University of Chicago; and Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez Jr., Assistant Division Commander, 2nd US ...

Howard Reich describes his mother's late-onset post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by her experiences as a nine year old Holocaust survivor in Poland.

Ed Tracy interviews Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston (Ret.) about his life and experiences with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam.

Bruce Chadwick discusses his new Civil War pre-history, "1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See".

Ed Tracy interviews Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke about his book, "End of Watch: Chicago Police Killed in the Line of Duty 1853-2006".

As the 2008 presidential election nears, all of the major candidates have taken steps to burnish their credentials on national security in the eyes of the electorate. But where do they stand on specific issues of intelligence and defense, and how would their respective administrations transform our nation's approach to homeland security?

Ed Tracy interviews Sir Max Hastings about his book, "Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45".

Ed Tracy interviews Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Bruce P. Crandall.

John Callaway interviews Todd DePastino, author of the new book "Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front" and general editor of the cartoon collection "Willie & Joe: The World War II Years".

Ed Tracy interviews Marcus Luttrell about his book, "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10".

Alex Kershaw discusses his new book about the U.S. Navy and the Silent Service during World War II, "Escape from the Deep: The Epic Story of a Legendary Submarine and Her Courageous Crew".

Author and West Point English Professor Elizabeth D. Samet discusses her new book, "Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point".

Lucinda Franks discusses her new book, "My Father's Secret War: A Memoir".

Ed Tracy interviews Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Thomas G. Kelley.

R. Alan King discusses his Colby Award-winning memoir, "Twice Armed: An American Soldier's Battle for Hearts and Minds in Iraq".

Martha Raddatz discusses her book about the Iraq War, "The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family".

Preservationist Steven M. Mayeux discusses his new Civil War book, "Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana, and the Defense of the Red River".

John Callaway interviews Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Noah Andre Trudeau discusses his new Civil War history, "Southern Storm: Sherman's March to the Sea".

Ed Tracy interviews Joe Galloway and Hal Moore about "We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam", the sequel to their best-selling Vietnam War memoir "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young".

Andrei Cherny discusses his new book, "The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour".

Ed Tracy interviews Allan R. Millett, recipient of the 2008 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.

They were America's first black military pilots, fighting Nazis in Europe and Jim Crow at home. On this special presentation of Front & Center, John Callaway sits down with Robert Martin, Dr. Quentin P. Smith, and Shelby Westbrook, three of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.

Lewis Sorley discusses his new book, "Honor Bright: History and Origins of the West Point Honor Code and System".

Ed Tracy interviews Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient and author of the new book, "If Not Now, When?"

Steve Coll discusses his new book, "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century".

The votes are cast, and the results are in - after eight years, the United States will have a new President, Barack Obama. But after all of the pomp and circumstance, what's next for our new Commander-in-Chief? What early challenges will he face abroad, and what foreign policy decisions will figure in his agenda? Join John Callaway and his panel, including John J. Mearsheimer, Celina B. Realuyo, and John E. Scully, for a look ahead at the new administration on Front & Center.

Joyce Hoffmann discusses her new book, "On Their Own: Women Journalists and the American Experience in Vietnam".

Carlo D'Este talks about his new book, "Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945".

The last several years have presented unprecedented challenges for the Reserve components of the U.S. Military and the National Guard. How are they handling the military, political, and economic realities of our involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere? What is their status, and how ready are they to face challenges yet to come? Join John Callaway and his panel of experts for an update on the Reserves of each branch of service and Guard, including an in-depth look at the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, on Front & Center.

Jonathan Brent discusses his new book, "Inside the Stalin Archives: Discovering the New Russia".

Ed Tracy interviews Medal of Honor recipient John F. Baker, U.S. Army, Vietnam.