Books to Battles

In this episode of Books to Battles, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon welcome Dr. Jared McKinney, Dr. Chris Colley, and Col. James Day to discuss their contributions to Strategy and Airpower in the East and South China Sea. Colley examines the gap between the announced U.S. pivot to Asia and changes in military force posture, including its effects on Chinese perceptions. McKinney explor...

The United States has publicly acknowledged on-orbit space control weapons for the first time. What does that announcement mean for deterrence, strategy, and the future of military competition in space? Dr. Derrick Frazier joins Books to Battles to unpack Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink’s remarks, explore the strategic logic behind space weapons, and consider how greater transparency about U...

In the latest installment of our fiction-a-month series, Books to Battles takes on Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity . Through the lens of SAASS’s Airpower in the Age of Total War course, we explore the novel’s portrayal of air warfare, intelligence, resistance, and sacrifice during World War II. The conversation considers how fiction illuminates the human dimensions of airpower and the complex re...

What happens when the mission arrives before the military is ready for it? In this episode of Books to Battles, Col. Cory Hollon speaks with Lt. Col. Ryan Hess and Maj. Elizabeth Townsend, thesis award winners from SAASS Class XXXV, about how military organizations adapt to unfamiliar demands. Townsend examines General Moorman’s role in integrating space capabilities into military operations and h...

Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb sits down with China scholar Lyle Morris to explore critical blind spots in the study of China’s military and strategic behavior. Drawing on his latest work, Morris examines the assumptions that shape Western analysis of China and identifies the political, military, economic, and international factors that could influence Beijing’s decision-making over Taiwan. The conversati...

General Mike Minihan, U.S. Air Force retired, joins Books to Battles for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, readiness, and the future of American airpower. Drawing on more than three decades of service—including command of Air Mobility Command and senior leadership roles in the Indo-Pacific—General Minihan reflects on preparing forces for great-power competition, building a warrior culture...

On this episode of Books to Battles , Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb sits down with General Adrian Spain, Commander of Air Combat Command, to discuss the challenges facing today’s Combat Air Forces. General Spain shares his perspectives on readiness, modernization, and preparing Airmen for future conflict, as well as the operational problems that demand greater attention. He also discusses the books and i...

In the second installment of our Fiction-a-Month series, Books to Battles turns to Robert Heinlein’s classic The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress . We explore the novel’s depiction of revolution, resistance, political organization, and the strategic challenges facing a weaker actor confronting a more powerful adversary. Along the way, we connect Heinlein’s lunar rebellion to key concepts from the SAASS Mi...

In this episode of Books to Battles , Tobias Bernard Switzer discusses his new RAND report, Air Power, Not Air Forces , and the lessons drawn from U.S. efforts to build partner aviation capabilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Switzer argues that future security force assistance should prioritize generating effective combat airpower over replicating Western-style air force institutions, emphasizing a...

Join co-editors Dr. Wes Hutto and Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb for a discussion of The Three-Body Problem and International Relations , a new edited volume exploring what Cixin Liu's acclaimed science fiction trilogy can teach us about international relations and strategy. They discuss the book's origins, the value of fiction as a teaching tool, and how themes such as deterrence, diplomacy, strategy, an...

In this episode of Books to Battles , Col. Cory Hollon speaks with Dr. Peter Layton, a retired Royal Australian Air Force officer and grand strategist, about his concept of heterogeneous air power . Layton argues that the rising cost and complexity of manned combat aircraft has created a resilience problem for middle-power air forces, particularly in a prolonged war of attrition. Drawing on the Ru...

In the first installment of our Fiction-a-Month miniseries, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb is joined by Lt Col Rachel Reynolds to explore Joe Abercrombie’s The Heroes . Together, they examine the novel’s insights on leadership, war, and strategy, connecting its themes to SAASS 601, Foundations of Strategy , and contemporary military thought. For more information on this podcast and the series, please visi...

In this episode, Dr. Whitman Cobb and Col. Hollon sit down with Lt Gen Jason Armagost, Deputy Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and the Class XXXV graduation speaker. They discuss strategic thinking, military leadership, and the enduring value of intellectual curiosity. Drawing on his experiences as a commander, Stanford fellow, and lifelong reader, Lt Gen Armagost reflects on the role...

In this special episode of Books to Battles , members of SAASS Class XXXV take over the podcast to reflect on their experiences at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies as they prepare to graduate. The students discuss why they chose SAASS, their impressions of the program, the challenges of the reading and thesis process, and the intellectual growth they experienced throughout the year. Th...

This week, we bring you a special preview of Space Power Discussions, a podcast series with episodes produced by our SAASS students. Find out more by searching "Space Power Discussions" on your preferred podcast platform. This episode of Space Power Discussions examines Test Gods , exploring the culture of experimental test pilots and risk in advancing aerospace capabilities. SAASS students connec...

This week, we bring you a special preview of Space Power Discussions, a podcast series with episodes produced by our SAASS students. Find out more by searching "Space Power Discussions" on your preferred podcast platform. This episode of Space Power Discussions explores The Power of the Space Club , examining how exclusive access to space capabilities shapes international politics. SAASS students...

In this episode, Dr. Whitman Cobb and Col. Hollon are joined by members of the SAASS 660 teaching team to discuss the course on Technology and Innovation and its role as the final course of the curriculum. The conversation examines how military innovation occurs, emphasizing the bureaucratic, organizational, and political challenges that shape the adoption of new ideas and technologies. The guests...

In this episode of Books to Battles , hosts Dr. Whitman Cobb and Col Hollon interview the Chief of Space Operations, the senior uniformed leader of the U.S. Space Force, General Chance Saltzman, Gen. Saltzman traces his career from missile operations to leading a new military service and reflects on how the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies shaped his approach to critical thinking, communic...

In this episode, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon interview Lt Gen (Ret.) David Deptula about the role of air and space power in modern warfare and national security. Deptula discusses the mission of the Mitchell Institute, emphasizing the need to better educate policymakers and the public on the strategic importance of air and space capabilities. The conversation addresses contemporary...

We’re pulling an episode out of the vault this week. We’ll be revisiting the June 2025 attacks on Iran in Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER. And while this week is a re-run, we’ve got a couple of exciting guests lined up for the next couple of weeks. Keep watching this space! And if you could, like, subscribe, comment, and/or tell a friend - it all helps us reach a broad audience of national security and...

On this episode of Books to Battles, we explore NASA’s Artemis program and the upcoming Artemis II mission. We discuss its strategic significance, technological milestones, and implications for sustainable lunar return and great power competition, highlighting how Artemis shapes the future of human spaceflight and international partnerships beyond Earth orbit.

On this episode of Books to Battles, we explore SAASS 665, Space Power, with Dr. Jim Tucci and Dr. Derrick Frazier. The episode examines how the course bridges theory and practice, tracing the evolution of military space thought, key strategic debates, and the role of space in modern warfare.

In this episode of Books to Battles, Dr. Whitman Cobb and Col Hollon welcome Dr. Paige Reid to discuss the SAASS thesis process and where students currently stand in the project timeline. The conversation explains how students move from an initial research puzzle to a refined strategic argument through research, writing, and faculty mentorship. The hosts explore common challenges in the thesis pro...

In this episode of Books to Battles , hosts Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon speak with Air University Press editors Michael Tate and Megan Hohen about the role of military academic journals in shaping professional debate within the Air Force and Space Force. The discussion explores how the Air University journals support warfighter education by publishing research on airpower, spacepow...

In this episode of Books to Battles , Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon examine the 2026 National Defense Strategy through the lens of international relations theory and contemporary events. They discuss the document’s emphasis on realism, homeland defense, deterrence of China, increased burden-sharing with allies, and revitalization of the defense industrial base. The hosts analyze nota...