In this, our 250th episode of Preble Hall, the United States Naval Academy Museum's own Education Specialist Sondra Duplantis interviews Mike Fink, author of Intrepid's Fighting Squadron 18 Flying High With Harris' Hellcats . Join us for an exciting journey as Fink takes us into the ready rooms, cockpits and battle spaces of the "Two-a-Day 18" and the USS Intrepid. This experience navigates the incredible human experiences and unsurmounted heroism of Harris' Hellcats.
Jul 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 250
In this episode of Preble Hall, Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews Will Wright, USNA Class of 1995, and a member of the offshore sailing team. They discuss the U. S. Postal Service stamp issued for the U.S. Naval Academy's 150th Anniversary that depicted Swift , one of the Academy's offshore sailing boats with Will and other midshipmen in Swift' s crew.
Jul 21, 2025•25 min•Ep. 249
In this episode, Marc Leepson discusses his book The Unlikely War Hero, A Vietnam War POW's Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton. This book is a biography of Doug Hegdahl, a Sailor that fell off of USS Canberra (CA 2) into the Gulf of Tonkin. Hegdahl was captured by the North Vietnamese and landed in the Hanoi Hilton with other American prisoners of war (POW). While in captivity, he memorized 254 names of his fellow prisoners. Hegdahl was ordered to accept early release. Once back...
May 05, 2025•44 min•Ep. 248
Admiral James Stavridis discusses his latest book, The Admiral's Bookshelf. Published by the Naval Institute Press, it is third in a series following The Leader's Bookshelf and The Sailor's Bookshelf. He and host Stephen Phillips discuss works from Stavridis' collection that inspire, each connected to a theme. The books discussed include The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Nimitz at War by Craig Symonds, and Elements of Style , which suggests “Write with simplicity and precision” by Wil...
Apr 23, 2025•36 min•Ep. 247
John Quarstein and Robert Worden join Dr. Stephen Phillips to discuss their book, From Ironclads to Admiral: John Lorimer Worden and Naval Leadership. This important work is a detailed biography with emphasis on Worden's service on USS Monitor and other ironclads during the Civil War. Equally interesting is Worden's time as Superintendent at the U.S. Naval Academy and as a founding member, with membership number 1, of the U.S. Naval Institute.
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 246
Brian Dickinson joins Dr. Stephen Phillips on Preble Hall to discuss Brian's book, Calm in the Chaos, True Tales from Elite U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers and the Navy’s SAR Swimmer community to include the history of its development and some historical examples of this important mission. Listeners can follow Brian at: Https://briandickinson.net Https://calminthechaospodcast.com @briancdickinson on all socials...
Jan 13, 2025•58 min•Ep. 245
On the 20th anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami, Dr. Stephen Phillips discusses the U.S. Navy's humanitarian response, Operation Unified Assistance, with Dr. John Sherwood. This and other humanitarian responses are discussed in great detail in Sherwood's book, A Global Force for Good: Sea Services Humanitarian Operations in the Twenty-First Century.
Dec 26, 2024•55 min•Ep. 244
To start Army-Navy week of 2024, Dr. Stephen Phillips discusses the Army-Navy Game with Christopher Havern, a historian at the Naval History and Heritage Command, but also an Army veteran and fan.
Dec 09, 2024•38 min•Ep. 243
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews David Gendell to discuss his book, The Last Days of the Schooner America . Gendell's book tells the story of the racing yacht for which the America's Cup is named, its service as a Confederate blockade runner, Naval Academy training vessel, and the plans to restore it at the Annapolis Yacht Yard during World War II as the yard built motor torpedo boats and submarine chasers for the Lend-Lease program.
Nov 19, 2024•54 min•Ep. 242
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews LtCol Tom Williams, USMC-Ret, to discuss his book Doorsteps of Hell , the first in his memoir series entitled Heart of a Marine . Doorsteps of Hell relays Tom's stories from childhood, life as a cadet a North Georgia College, becoming an Officer of Marines, and his service as an infantry officer in Vietnam. LtCol Williams' website is: https://www.heartofamarineseries.com/
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 241
John Sherwood interviews former Navy SEAL Sniper Brandon Webb about his naval career and his novel, Steel Fear . Webb is the author of 12 books. He served in the Navy for 13 years as a rescue swimmer and SEAL. Steel Fear is a murder mystery that takes place on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Oct 13, 2024•53 min•Ep. 240
John Sherwood interviews General Kenneth F. “Frank” McKenzie Jr., USMC Ret. about his new book The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century . General McKenzie served as the commander of CENTCOM from March 2019 to April 2022. In that role, he oversaw the 2020 strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Quds Force; and America’s final withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Aug 25, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 239
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews Dr. David Winkler to discuss his book, Witness to Neptune's Inferno : The Pacific War Diary of Lieutenant Commander Lloyd Mustin, USS Atlanta (CL 51).
Aug 04, 2024•39 min•Ep. 238
Dr. John Sherwood interviews Dr. Edward J. Marolda about his new book Admirals Under Fire: The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War . Dr. Marolda is the author of nine books on the Navy in Vietnam and worked as a civilian historian for the U.S. Navy for 40 years. This is Part 2 of a two-part episode on this important contribution to the historiography of the Vietnam War.
Jul 28, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 237
Dr. John Sherwood interviews Dr. Edward J. Marolda about his new book Admirals Under Fire: The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War. Dr. Marolda is the author of nine books on the Navy in Vietnam and worked as a civilian historian for the U.S. Navy for 40 years. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode on this important contribution to the historiography of the Vietnam War.
Jul 14, 2024•47 min•Ep. 236
Dr. Abby Mullen discusses her forthcoming book To Fix a National Character: The United States in the First Barbary War, 1800-1805 with Tyler Pitrof. A periodic host of Preble Hall herself, Dr. Mullen is currently serving as an assistant professor in the History Department at the United States Naval Academy.
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 235
Dr. Sam Limneos discusses his recent Ph.D. dissertation, “More Nobility of Soul: Honor at the United States Naval Academy, 1845-1875,” with John Sherwood. Dr. Limneos served for four years as an archivist at the U.S. Naval Academy before joining the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2023 as the Deputy Branch Head of the Navy Archives.
Jun 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 234
Dr. John Sherwood interviews General David H. Petraeus about his new book, co-authored with Andrew Roberts, entitled Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine . Topics covered include the characteristics of strategic leadership in war; and how technology has changed war since World War II. He also offers some career advice to midshipmen and cadets drawn from his life experiences, which include command of the surge in Iraq, U.S. CENTCOM, and the International Security Assistance For...
Jun 09, 2024•52 min•Ep. 233
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews author Charles Lachman to discuss his book, Codename Nemo: The Hunt for a Nazi U-Boat and the Elusive Enigma Machine, which tells the story of the U.S. Navy's capture of the German U-boat, U-505 on June 4, 1944.
May 26, 2024•50 min•Ep. 232
Ronald H. Spector sits down with John Sherwood and guest host Randy Papadopoulos to discuss his book, A Continent Erupts: Decolonization, Civil War, and Massacre in Postwar Asia, 1945-1955
May 19, 2024•53 min•Ep. 231
Dr. Anselm van der Peet of the Netherlands Institute for Military History discusses the history of the Royal Netherlands Navy from the end of World War II to the present with John Sherwood.
May 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 230
Dr. John Sherwood interviews Dr. Jeremy Stöhs about his new book, European Naval Power: From Cold War to Hybrid Wars . Stöhs is the co-head of the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda, and Security Studies at the University of Graz.
Apr 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 229
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews CDR Randy Gogen, USN-Ret, PhD, to discuss her book "From Yeomanettes to Fighter Jets: A Century of Women in the U.S. Navy."
Apr 21, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 228
John Sherwood sits down with Johannes Peters and Sebastian Bruns of the Institute for Security Policy Kiel (ISPK) to discuss all things Kiel: the history of Kiel, Kiel Week, the Kiel International Seapower Seminar (KISS), and the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University.
Apr 14, 2024•51 min•Ep. 227
Part II of John Sherwood’s interview with China expert Sarah Kirchberger offers a contemporary “tour of China’s waterfront,” looking at China’s perceived maritime threats as well as the capabilities and characteristics of its contemporary Navy. Dr. Kirchberger also examines the current state of China’s shipbuilding and naval technology industries. For an overview of the history of the PLA Navy, please listen to Part I of this interview. Dr. Sherwood conducted these interviews at the offices of t...
Apr 07, 2024•47 min•Ep. 226
Dr. John Sherwood interviews Germany’s leading expert on the Chinese Navy, Dr. Sarah Kirchberger. In part one of a two-part interview, Dr. Kirchberger discusses the history of the PLA Navy and how it has evolved from a coastal and riverine force to one whose ambition is to dominate the Western Pacific . Part Two will focus on the PLA’s current capabilities . Dr. Sherwood conducted these interviews at the offices of the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK), where Dr. Kirchberge...
Mar 31, 2024•40 min•Ep. 225
Dr. Stephen Phillips interviews Captain Brett Crozier, USN-Ret, to discuss his book, Surf While You Can, to include reviewing the COVID outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in March of 2020 while he was in command. Team Step: http://www.teamstepusa.org/
Mar 24, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 224
Dr. John Sherwood of the Naval History and Heritage Command continues his interview with Dr. Cameron McCoy, the author of the new book, Contested Valor: African American Marines in the Age of Power, Protest, and Tokenism. In Part I of this interview, Dr. McCoy discussed the history of African American Marines during World War II and Korea. Today in Part II, he will focus on the Post Korean War period and Vietnam.
Feb 18, 2024•54 min•Ep. 223
Dr. John Sherwood of the Naval History and Heritage Command interviews Dr. Cameron McCoy. Dr. McCoy is the author of the new book, Contested Valor: African American Marines in the Age of Power, Protest, and Tokenism (2023). He holds a Ph.D. In history from the University of Texas at Austin. He’s also Marine Lieutenant Colonel and a student in the Advanced Strategist Program here at the Naval War College. Part I of this interview will explore the history of African American Marines during World W...
Feb 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 222
Dr. John Sherwood of Naval History and Heritage Command interviews former Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly. A 1983 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Modly is the author of the new book, Vectors: Heroes, Villains, and Heartbreak on the Bridge of the U.S. Navy (2023). In this episode, Sherwood and Modly discuss the COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in early 2020, Modly's decision to relieve the ship’s commanding officer, and his trip to Guam to visit the ship’s ...
Dec 31, 2023•51 min•Ep. 221
