2009 Events
01.22.09
H.W. Brands
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life & Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Over the idyllic days and nights they shared as children, the prep schools and pursuits of leisure, he gave no sign that he would, one day, betray them. Like them ...
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life & Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Over the idyllic days and nights they shared as children, the prep schools and pursuits of leisure, he gave no sign that he would, one day, betray them. Like them ...
01.29.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Thomas R Norris
U.S. Navy, Vietnam
For three years, it was a secret that Tom Norris had participated in one of the most difficult and dangerous rescues ever attempted in the Vietnam War. Since...
Thomas R Norris
U.S. Navy, Vietnam
For three years, it was a secret that Tom Norris had participated in one of the most difficult and dangerous rescues ever attempted in the Vietnam War. Since...
02.05.09
Front & Center with John Callaway
The First 100 Days:
What Challenges Face the New Commander-in-Cheif?
President Barack Obama has laid out a bold domestic agenda to address the economy and other challenges at home, but what kind of impact is he looking to ...
The First 100 Days:
What Challenges Face the New Commander-in-Cheif?
President Barack Obama has laid out a bold domestic agenda to address the economy and other challenges at home, but what kind of impact is he looking to ...
02.06.09
Kay Smith
Kay Smith Lecture
In celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, you are cordially invited to a tour in watercolors of the places that shaped him and the America he knew...
Kay Smith Lecture
In celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, you are cordially invited to a tour in watercolors of the places that shaped him and the America he knew...
02.10.09
Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.)
Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier & Public Servant
Generations of soldiers, Colin Powell among them, count him as a mentor. Our nation counts Julius W. Becton as a trailblazer, a leader, and one of its most dedicated ...
Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier & Public Servant
Generations of soldiers, Colin Powell among them, count him as a mentor. Our nation counts Julius W. Becton as a trailblazer, a leader, and one of its most dedicated ...
02.17.09
Maxwell Taylor Kennedy
Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill & The Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her
The USS Bunker Hill was a behemoth, among the largest ships ever built - like a floating skyscraper laid flat on the sea, with capacity for 3,400 men and 100 ...
Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill & The Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her
The USS Bunker Hill was a behemoth, among the largest ships ever built - like a floating skyscraper laid flat on the sea, with capacity for 3,400 men and 100 ...
02.20.09
Brenda Wineapple
White Heat:
The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson
He had seen men enslaved, and seen death in battle on a terrible scale. So when a young, unknown poet named Emily Dickinson wrote to ask whether he thought her...
White Heat:
The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson
He had seen men enslaved, and seen death in battle on a terrible scale. So when a young, unknown poet named Emily Dickinson wrote to ask whether he thought her...
02.24.09
Tom Clavin
The Last Stand of Fox Company:
A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat
The Marines of Fox Company began October with every reason to hope they would be home for Christmas. But shortly before Thanksgiving, they were among the ...
The Last Stand of Fox Company:
A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat
The Marines of Fox Company began October with every reason to hope they would be home for Christmas. But shortly before Thanksgiving, they were among the ...
02.25.09
City Corps Staff Briefing
Area 26 - Military Schools and JROTC
The Pritzker Military Library was honored to be the site for the 2009 City Corps Staff Briefing, outlining the mission, goals and accomplishments of Chicago's...
Area 26 - Military Schools and JROTC
The Pritzker Military Library was honored to be the site for the 2009 City Corps Staff Briefing, outlining the mission, goals and accomplishments of Chicago's...
02.26.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Paul W. Bucha
He went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky with orders to select and train a company of soldiers for service in Vietnam. Like most young company commanders ...
Paul W. Bucha
He went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky with orders to select and train a company of soldiers for service in Vietnam. Like most young company commanders ...
03.05.09
Front & Center with John Callaway
Pakistan: Challenges, Threats, and Opportunities
In recent years, Pakistan has assumed a major role in the international scene. But as a relatively new country - albeit one with ancient traditions - how is ...
Pakistan: Challenges, Threats, and Opportunities
In recent years, Pakistan has assumed a major role in the international scene. But as a relatively new country - albeit one with ancient traditions - how is ...
03.14.09
James L. Nelson
George Washington's Secret Navy:
How the American Revolution went to sea
Tricky situation here. It's 1775, and you need to prepare for battle against the world's most powerful fighting force. You know quite a bit about combat on...
George Washington's Secret Navy:
How the American Revolution went to sea
Tricky situation here. It's 1775, and you need to prepare for battle against the world's most powerful fighting force. You know quite a bit about combat on...
03.14.09
Robert H. Patton
Patriot Pirates: The Privateer War for Freedom & Fortune in the American Revolution
The British Royal Navy ruled the sea with a fleet of warships that could outrun and outgun any other nation with ease. At the outset of the American ...
Patriot Pirates: The Privateer War for Freedom & Fortune in the American Revolution
The British Royal Navy ruled the sea with a fleet of warships that could outrun and outgun any other nation with ease. At the outset of the American ...
03.17.09
Andrew Meier
The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin's Secret Service
Nearly everyone knows what life on Her Majesty's Secret Service is like: martinis, danger, and the best gadgets England has to offer, with a Bond girl waiting at the...
The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin's Secret Service
Nearly everyone knows what life on Her Majesty's Secret Service is like: martinis, danger, and the best gadgets England has to offer, with a Bond girl waiting at the...
03.19.09
David Bellavia
House to House: An Epic Memoir of War
His grandmother told a young David Bellavia to always fight fair, and never hit an opponent when he wasn't looking. In the Second Battle of Fallujah, however...
House to House: An Epic Memoir of War
His grandmother told a young David Bellavia to always fight fair, and never hit an opponent when he wasn't looking. In the Second Battle of Fallujah, however...
03.23.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Robert R. Ingram
March 28, 1966. It was called "Operation Indiana", a blocking mission in the Quang Ngai Province of Vietnam. When C Company, First Battalion, 7th Marines ...
Robert R. Ingram
March 28, 1966. It was called "Operation Indiana", a blocking mission in the Quang Ngai Province of Vietnam. When C Company, First Battalion, 7th Marines ...
03.23.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
James A. Taylor
First Lt. James A. Taylor was serving in South Vietnam as Executive Officer of B Troop, First Cavalry, Americal Division on November 8, 1967 when he was ...
James A. Taylor
First Lt. James A. Taylor was serving in South Vietnam as Executive Officer of B Troop, First Cavalry, Americal Division on November 8, 1967 when he was ...
03.27.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Commit to Courage
The Medal of Honor is America's highest military award for valor in combat against an enemy force. It is reserved for those moments after the outcome ...
Commit to Courage
The Medal of Honor is America's highest military award for valor in combat against an enemy force. It is reserved for those moments after the outcome ...
04.02.09
Front & Center with John Callaway
The Global Economic Crisis:
What Does It Mean for U.S. National Security?
As recent history has shown, economic turmoil can have unexpected consequences. While democracy in the United States narrowly emerged unscathed from the ...
The Global Economic Crisis:
What Does It Mean for U.S. National Security?
As recent history has shown, economic turmoil can have unexpected consequences. While democracy in the United States narrowly emerged unscathed from the ...
04.09.09
William I. Hitchcock
The Bitter Road to Freedom:
A New History of the Liberation of Europe
A small village, somewhere in Europe - a parade of American troops are driving through town, and crowds have gathered on both sides of the street to cheer. ...
The Bitter Road to Freedom:
A New History of the Liberation of Europe
A small village, somewhere in Europe - a parade of American troops are driving through town, and crowds have gathered on both sides of the street to cheer. ...
04.16.09
Allan R. Millett
2008 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award Recipient
For renowned military historian Allan R. Millett, the approaching 60th anniversary of the Korean War provides an opportunity to reflect on the inter-war...
2008 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award Recipient
For renowned military historian Allan R. Millett, the approaching 60th anniversary of the Korean War provides an opportunity to reflect on the inter-war...
04.21.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Richard A. Pittman
Eyesight was never one of Richard Pittman's strong points. But when he heard his fellow Marines under attack, the sound told him exactly where to go ...
Richard A. Pittman
Eyesight was never one of Richard Pittman's strong points. But when he heard his fellow Marines under attack, the sound told him exactly where to go ...
04.25.09
Russell Bonds
Stealing the General:
The Great Locomotive Chase & The First Medal of Honor
We're inviting audiences to hold tight for a high-speed chase involving the first recipient of America's highest award for military valor - and one of the funniest ...
Stealing the General:
The Great Locomotive Chase & The First Medal of Honor
We're inviting audiences to hold tight for a high-speed chase involving the first recipient of America's highest award for military valor - and one of the funniest ...
04.30.09
Anthony Weller
Weller's War: A Legendary Foreign Correspondent's Saga of World War II on Five Continents
It's a bit too late to make the late edition, but we have some breaking news, never before published, from an award-winning foreign correspondent - hot off the...
Weller's War: A Legendary Foreign Correspondent's Saga of World War II on Five Continents
It's a bit too late to make the late edition, but we have some breaking news, never before published, from an award-winning foreign correspondent - hot off the...
05.07.09
Front & Center with John Callaway
Mexico: The Way Forward
With over 7,000 people killed since the beginning of last year, drug-related violence is spiraling out of control in Mexico, and martial law has been declared in Ciudad ...
Mexico: The Way Forward
With over 7,000 people killed since the beginning of last year, drug-related violence is spiraling out of control in Mexico, and martial law has been declared in Ciudad ...
05.12.09
Mort Künstler
A Discussion with the Artist
As we continue our series of gallery exhibitions by great military artists at the Pritzker Military Library, we've reached one of the true giants of the field ...
A Discussion with the Artist
As we continue our series of gallery exhibitions by great military artists at the Pritzker Military Library, we've reached one of the true giants of the field ...
05.21.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Donald E. Ballard
When the first grenade landed near them, "Doc" Ballard was able to grab it and throw it away. But when the second came, he knew he didn't have enough time ...
Donald E. Ballard
When the first grenade landed near them, "Doc" Ballard was able to grab it and throw it away. But when the second came, he knew he didn't have enough time ...
05.28.09
P.W. Singer
Wired for War:
The Robotics Revolution & Conflict in the 21st Century
Some of them have a hard time with the sand and heat in Iraq, but you won't hear them complain. They don't miss their families while they're in the field, and ...
Wired for War:
The Robotics Revolution & Conflict in the 21st Century
Some of them have a hard time with the sand and heat in Iraq, but you won't hear them complain. They don't miss their families while they're in the field, and ...
06.04.09
Front & Center with John Callaway
LeMay: The Life & Wars of General Curtis LeMay
Warren Kozak
General Curtis LeMay was a monster, a belligerent and remorseless murderer. He was a patriot of the first order, a forward-thinking visionary who created the ...
LeMay: The Life & Wars of General Curtis LeMay
Warren Kozak
General Curtis LeMay was a monster, a belligerent and remorseless murderer. He was a patriot of the first order, a forward-thinking visionary who created the ...
06.11.09
Ron Werneth
Beyond Pearl Harbor:
The Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen
"The initial feeling after shooting down someone was relief, because it was not me who was shot down," said Harada-san. "When we shot at each other, we were...
Beyond Pearl Harbor:
The Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen
"The initial feeling after shooting down someone was relief, because it was not me who was shot down," said Harada-san. "When we shot at each other, we were...
06.16.09
David Kilcullen
The Accidental Guerrilla:
Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
It's not that we haven't fought the war in Iraq before, argues David Kilcullen. We have - the U.S. and its allies have dealt with similar conflicts in post-war Germany...
The Accidental Guerrilla:
Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
It's not that we haven't fought the war in Iraq before, argues David Kilcullen. We have - the U.S. and its allies have dealt with similar conflicts in post-war Germany...
06.18.09
Nick Del Calzo
Nick Del Calzo, Photographer
It's often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But the work of photographer Nick Del Calzo needs only one word to describe its incredible value: courage...
Nick Del Calzo, Photographer
It's often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But the work of photographer Nick Del Calzo needs only one word to describe its incredible value: courage...
06.22.09
Literature Award Announcement
HISTORIAN GERHARD WEINBERG TO RECEIVE 2009 PRITZKER MILITARY LIBRARY LITERATURE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT...
HISTORIAN GERHARD WEINBERG TO RECEIVE 2009 PRITZKER MILITARY LIBRARY LITERATURE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT...
06.24.09
Michael D. Pearlman
Truman and MacArthur
Policy, Politics, and the Hunger for Honor and Renown
The nerve of him! How dare that little necktie salesman, that cheap tinhorn politician - how dare he pull a five-star general from the field of battle? We're talking...
Truman and MacArthur
Policy, Politics, and the Hunger for Honor and Renown
The nerve of him! How dare that little necktie salesman, that cheap tinhorn politician - how dare he pull a five-star general from the field of battle? We're talking...
07.09.09
Doug Stanton
Horse Soldiers:
The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan
Their mission was secret, and time was short. So in order to cross the steep mountain trails of Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Forces turned to some ...
Horse Soldiers:
The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan
Their mission was secret, and time was short. So in order to cross the steep mountain trails of Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Forces turned to some ...
09.10.09
Thomas E. Ricks
The Gamble: General David Petraeus & the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006 - 2008
His evaluation was right there in the title of his first book about in Iraq, in 2006: Fiasco. Since that book came out, we’ve seen a new secretary of defense ...
The Gamble: General David Petraeus & the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006 - 2008
His evaluation was right there in the title of his first book about in Iraq, in 2006: Fiasco. Since that book came out, we’ve seen a new secretary of defense ...
09.16.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Robert D. Maxwell, U.S. Army, World War II
For more than 65 years, he has carried a message wherever he goes. In World War II, the messages were between the command post and the front lines ...
Robert D. Maxwell, U.S. Army, World War II
For more than 65 years, he has carried a message wherever he goes. In World War II, the messages were between the command post and the front lines ...
09.24.09
Michael & Elizabeth M. Norman
Tears in the Darkness:
The Story of the Bataan Death March & Its Aftermath
Don't stop walking. You haven't slept in days, and you haven't eaten a full meal for more than four months. Your entire body is shaking from ...
Tears in the Darkness:
The Story of the Bataan Death March & Its Aftermath
Don't stop walking. You haven't slept in days, and you haven't eaten a full meal for more than four months. Your entire body is shaking from ...
10.02.09
Darrell Griffin, Sr.
Last Journey: A Father Son in Wartime
Their book began as The Great Conversation – a father and son chewing over life, faith, and philosophy, debating the reasons behind the war in Iraq and ...
Last Journey: A Father Son in Wartime
Their book began as The Great Conversation – a father and son chewing over life, faith, and philosophy, debating the reasons behind the war in Iraq and ...
10.08.09
Richard Bessel
Germany 1945: From War to Peace
The Nazis took a vow from the memory of their nation’s defeat in World War I: there would be no armistice to end this war, no humiliating terms of surrender to ...
Germany 1945: From War to Peace
The Nazis took a vow from the memory of their nation’s defeat in World War I: there would be no armistice to end this war, no humiliating terms of surrender to ...
10.15.09
Jeremiah Workman
Shadow of the Sword
This is how the story is normally shown: the hero introduced, the mission explained, the vow made, the battle fierce, the rescue victorious, the hero ...
Shadow of the Sword
This is how the story is normally shown: the hero introduced, the mission explained, the vow made, the battle fierce, the rescue victorious, the hero ...
10.22.09
Tanya Biank
Army Wives
Army life involves more than two hundred years of tradition, rules, and regulations, and it offers long periods of monotony interspersed with moments ...
Army Wives
Army life involves more than two hundred years of tradition, rules, and regulations, and it offers long periods of monotony interspersed with moments ...
10.29.09
James Carl Nelson
The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War
Face down in a field of wheat, blood leaking from both sides of his body, John Nelson waited for what remained of his life. Above him, the hot summer air was split...
The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War
Face down in a field of wheat, blood leaking from both sides of his body, John Nelson waited for what remained of his life. Above him, the hot summer air was split...
11.02.09
Archie Brown
The Rise and Fall of Communism
Once a club of sixteen nations, whose membership ruled nearly half the globe, they are now reduced to five; even as the economic crisis of 2008 offered ...
The Rise and Fall of Communism
Once a club of sixteen nations, whose membership ruled nearly half the globe, they are now reduced to five; even as the economic crisis of 2008 offered ...
11.07.09
Robert Schultz
We Were Pirates
We Were Pirates is adapted from the colorful diaries and recollections of Robert Hunt, an enlisted man who served aboard the USS Tambor during World War II ...
We Were Pirates
We Were Pirates is adapted from the colorful diaries and recollections of Robert Hunt, an enlisted man who served aboard the USS Tambor during World War II ...
11.07.09
Stephen L. Moore
Presumed Lost
During the war in the Pacific, when a submarine was destroyed, there wasn’t much hope for its crewmen. Of the fifty-two that were lost, only seven U.S. subs ...
Presumed Lost
During the war in the Pacific, when a submarine was destroyed, there wasn’t much hope for its crewmen. Of the fifty-two that were lost, only seven U.S. subs ...
11.19.09
Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy
Michael Thornton, U.S. Navy, Vietnam
Lt. Thomas Norris had a dangerous mission to complete, and he had his pick of men to join him. He chose a 23 year old Navy SEAL named Michael ...
Michael Thornton, U.S. Navy, Vietnam
Lt. Thomas Norris had a dangerous mission to complete, and he had his pick of men to join him. He chose a 23 year old Navy SEAL named Michael ...
12.03.09
Mark Moyar
A Question of Command:
Counterinsurgency from the Civil War to Iraq
Hearts and minds? Overrated. If you want to run a successful counterinsurgency, it all starts with the person at the top. Moyar takes issue with much of ...
A Question of Command:
Counterinsurgency from the Civil War to Iraq
Hearts and minds? Overrated. If you want to run a successful counterinsurgency, it all starts with the person at the top. Moyar takes issue with much of ...
12.10.09
James Bradley
The Imperial Cruise:
A Secret History of Empire and War
The trick is hidden in plain sight. Can you see it? It’s the girl you notice first – she’s glamorous and lively, with a note of mischief about her. She’s clearly up to ...
The Imperial Cruise:
A Secret History of Empire and War
The trick is hidden in plain sight. Can you see it? It’s the girl you notice first – she’s glamorous and lively, with a note of mischief about her. She’s clearly up to ...
Front & Center
John Callaway: 1936 - 2009John Callaway was the host of our flagship program, Front & Center, and a beacon for the work we aspire to do. Visit this archive to learn more about a legend of broadcast journalism.
Front & Center