National Museum of the United States Army

The Battle of Manila: Poisoned Victory in the Pacific War

by Nicholas Sarantakes

Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 7 p.m. (ET) | Virtual

In “The Battle of Manila,” Nicholas Sarantakes offers the first in-depth account of this crucial campaign from the American, Japanese, and Filipino perspectives. Fighting was building by building, with both sides forced to adapt to the new combat environment. None of the U.S. units that entered Manila had any previous training in urban warfare—yet, as Sarantakes shows, they learned on the fly how to use tanks, flamethrowers, and air and artillery assets in support of infantry assaults. Their effective use of these weapons was an important factor in limiting U.S. casualties, even as it may also have contributed to a catastrophic loss of civilian lives.

Nicholas Evan Sarantakes, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the strategy and policy department at the U.S. Naval War College. He is the author of four books, including “Dropping the Torch: Jimmy Carter, the Olympic Boycott, and the Cold War.”

Retreat From Victory: The Battle of Malvern Hill and the End of the Seven Days, July 1, 1862,

by Frank A. O’Reilly

Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 7 p.m. (ET) | Virtual

The Battle of Malvern Hill in 1862 marked the climax of the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond, Virginia. For the first time since the Civil War began, the full might of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s Union Army of the Potomac and Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met. McClellan’s army emerged victorious, yet McClellan retreated from victory to establish a safe base. Learn about this remarkable battle from Frank O’Reilly, whose new study is the first book-length treatment of this critical and pivotal battle.

Francis A. “Frank” O’Reilly, the author of the award-winning “The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock” (2003), which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He has been a professional battlefield guide for 40 years and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University.