

#3048
Mentioned in 9 episodes
Waging a Good War
A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968
Book • 2022
In this book, Thomas E. Ricks offers a new take on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, emphasizing the unexpected use of military strategy and its lessons for nonviolent resistance.
Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning war reporter, draws on his deep knowledge of tactics and strategy to argue that the greatest victories for Black Americans were won not by idealism alone, but by attention to recruiting, training, discipline, and organization.
The book follows key figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and John Lewis, and highlights lesser-known activists such as James Lawson, James Bevel, Diane Nash, and Septima Clark.
It demonstrates that Gandhian nonviolence was a philosophy of active, not passive, resistance and offers vital lessons for social change and confronting attacks on democracy today.
Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning war reporter, draws on his deep knowledge of tactics and strategy to argue that the greatest victories for Black Americans were won not by idealism alone, but by attention to recruiting, training, discipline, and organization.
The book follows key figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and John Lewis, and highlights lesser-known activists such as James Lawson, James Bevel, Diane Nash, and Septima Clark.
It demonstrates that Gandhian nonviolence was a philosophy of active, not passive, resistance and offers vital lessons for social change and confronting attacks on democracy today.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 9 episodes
Mentioned by 

, discussing Ricks's perspective on the civil rights movement as a military campaign.


Ryan Holiday

84 snips
Paul Kix On The Civil Rights Movement And What It Means To Be Courageous
Recommended by 

for its unique perspective on the civil rights movement.


Ryan Holiday

27 snips
BONUS: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Inspiring Lesson on Courage
Mentioned by 

as a great book about the discipline of the Civil Rights Movement.


Ryan Holiday

25 snips
The Most Disciplined Side Wins | Practice Silence
Mentioned by 

when discussing leadership qualities of Bob Moses.


Ryan Holiday

24 snips
Do You Have This Ability? | Ask DS
Mentioned by 

when discussing the Highlander Folk School and its role in training civil rights activists.


Ryan Holiday

20 snips
How To Create Change | Made For Working Together
Mentioned by 

as a new book on the military history of the Civil Rights Movement.


Ryan Holiday

Reading And Learning From The Stoics | Austin Central Library
Mentioned by 

in the context of the civil rights movement and the discipline of nonviolent resistance.


Ryan Holiday

Professor Jennifer Baker on Understanding Modern Stoicism
Mentioned by 

as an example of a book that explores effective leadership through the example of Bob Moses.


Ryan Holiday

Do You Have This Ability?
Recommended by 

; he raves about it and says it's an incredible concept.


Ryan Holiday

Thomas Ricks on the Greatest War in American History