The Old Man and the Sea with Admiral James Stavridis

Old School with Shilo Brooks

Oct 09, 2025•59 min

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Episode description

Admiral James Stavridis once commanded fleets as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Now he commands a collection of 5,000 rare books. Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea changed Stavridis’ life. In this episode, the admiral sits down with Shilo Brooks to discuss the themes of hardship, pride, and resilience that appear in Santiago’s epic struggle at sea. Stavridis, who stuck out in the military for his love of books, and stuck out as a law school dean for his love of the military, explains how reading books has made him a more effective leader.

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