Book Talks

Combat Historian: Collecting and Writing Army Special-Operations History from Desert Storm to Afghanistan

by Richard W. Stewart

Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 7 p.m. (ET) | Virtual

Join retired U.S. Army Col. Richard W. Stewart, Ph.D. for a look at the history of Army special operations and their missions from Desert Storm (1991) to the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2002), and a first-person account of experiencing conflict through the lens of a combat historian.

Richard W. Stewart retired as Chief Historian of the US Army in October 2015, after 40 years of combined service both as a civilian, in the Army Reserve, and on active duty. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1986. His historical works include “War in the Persian Gulf: Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, August 1990–March 1991;” “The United States Army in Somalia, 1992–1994;” and “The U.S. Army in Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom, October 2001 to March 2002.”

Register for the July 16 Book Talk here

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The Airborne Mafia: The Paratroopers Who Shaped America’s Cold War Army

by Robert F. Williams

Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 7 p.m. (ET) | Virtual

“The Airborne Mafia” explores how a small group of World War II airborne officers took control of the US Army after World War II. This powerful cadre cemented a unique airborne culture that had an unprecedented impact on the Cold War US Army and beyond. With a deft touch, deep research, and an unwavering eye for the human stories behind organizational change, Robert Williams helps explain the existence and importance of the paratrooper mystique that remains within the military still today.

Robert F. Williams is a historian with the Army University Press and Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A former airborne infantry non-commissioned officer, he has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Register here for the 8/20/26 virtual book talk.

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Winning the Ten Crucial Days: The Keys to Victory in George Washington’s Legendary Winter Campaign

by David Price

Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 7 p.m. (ET) | Virtual

Historian David Price examines a pivotal moment in the American War of Independence through an interpretive framework that focuses on five key factors: leadership, geography, weather, artillery, and contingency. Price argues that Washington’s winter victories at Trenton and Princeton were made possible by these factors, and propelled the Revolutionary cause into a lengthy war of attrition that eventuated in American independence.

David is a recipient of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Bronze Good Citizenship Medal in recognition of his work as an author, speaker, and historical interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania and Princeton Battlefield State Park in New Jersey. He is the author f several books about the Revolutionary War, including “The Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776” (2023).

Register for the September 17 virtual Book Talk

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