The Daily Stoic Elliot Ackerman on Storytelling and the Cyclical Nature of History
Elliot Ackerman, an acclaimed author, journalist, and former Marine, delves into his new book about the Afghanistan war and the art of storytelling. He shares gripping insights from his experiences evacuating refugees and reflects on the cyclical nature of history. The conversation explores how narratives shape our understanding of war and its psychological impacts, along with the importance of remembering and connecting through personal stories. Ackerman also discusses the nuances of today's geopolitical tensions and the need for thoughtful policy.
01:15:29
Reconnecting with the Past
- Ryan Holiday reconnected with someone from his youth after 15 years.
- This emotional reunion highlighted the Stoic principles of accepting the past and focusing on the present.
Reach Out
- Reach out to people you've lost touch with.
- Don't wait, as you might not get another chance.
Lost in a Book
- Elliot Ackerman's son became engrossed in a book about Lafayette.
- He was so absorbed he didn't realize time had passed.
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Intro
00:00 • 4min
Reflecting on Connections and the Impact of War
04:11 • 2min
The Flow of Time in Writing
06:37 • 21min
The Art of Storytelling: Making Meaning from Chaos
27:40 • 4min
The Weight of Storytelling: War, Nostalgia, and Generational Cycles
31:25 • 23min
The Legacy of Historical Pensions and Shifts in Global Power Dynamics
53:55 • 5min
Navigating Geopolitical Turbulence
59:02 • 19min
Engaging Discussions and Industry Insights
01:18:23 • 2min
The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan
Elliot Ackerman
The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan is a powerful eyewitness account that chronicles the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The book spans two decades, culminating in the chaotic final week of the war.
Ackerman weaves a personal narrative, highlighting the courage and dedication of both American and Afghan individuals involved in the conflict, while also critiquing the strategic and tactical decisions that led to the war's tragic conclusion.
2034
A Novel of the Next World War
Elliot Ackerman
James Stavridis
2034: A Novel of the Next World War is a cautionary tale that explores the dangerous realities of geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China.
The novel depicts a future where a miscalculation leads to a catastrophic war, highlighting themes of human folly and miscalculation.
It received positive reviews for its realistic portrayal and engaging characters.
The Malakand Field Force
Winston Churchill
This book chronicles Winston Churchill's experiences with the Malakand Field Force during a period of intense conflict between British forces and local tribes on the Northwest Frontier of India.
It provides insights into the military engagements, strategic implications, and cultural clashes of the frontier wars.
Churchill's narrative is based on his dispatches as a war correspondent and offers a vivid portrayal of the region's tumultuous landscape and the character of the tribesmen.
Green on Blue
Elliot Ackerman
Green on Blue is a gripping debut novel by Elliot Ackerman, set in modern-day Afghanistan.
It follows Aziz, a young boy who joins a U.S.
-funded militia to save his injured brother.
The novel explores themes of loyalty, revenge, and the brutality of war, offering a nuanced perspective on the Afghan conflict.
Ackerman's work is praised for its authentic portrayal of Afghan culture and its shift in perspective from typical American war literature.
Courage Is Calling
Ryan Holiday
In 'Courage Is Calling', Ryan Holiday explores the virtue of courage through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders such as Florence Nightingale, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The book breaks down the elements of fear, cowardice, bravery, and heroism, and shows how to conquer fear and practice courage in daily life.
Holiday also shares personal anecdotes, including his own experiences with courage and cowardice, to emphasize the importance of choosing to act courageously despite the presence of fear.
Napoleon
A Life
Andrew Roberts
Andrew Roberts’s 'Napoleon: A Life' is the first one-volume biography to fully utilize Napoleon’s 33,000 recently published letters, offering a radical transformation in our understanding of his character and motivation.
The book portrays Napoleon as a protean multitasker, decisive, and surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his wife Josephine.
Roberts, an award-winning historian, traveled to fifty-three of Napoleon’s sixty battle sites and discovered crucial new documents in archives, including a trip to St. Helena.
The biography is praised for its magisterial, insightful, and beautifully written narrative, providing a deep and nuanced look at Napoleon’s life, successes, and failures.
George III
The Life and Reign of Britain's Most Misunderstood Monarch
Andrew Roberts
This biography by Andrew Roberts offers a fresh and nuanced view of George III, Britain's longest-reigning king.
Roberts argues against the traditional depiction of George III as a cruel and incompetent monarch, instead presenting him as a model patriot king, defender of the constitution, and a devoted family man.
The book is based on extensive research, including hundreds of thousands of pages of previously unpublished correspondence.
It details George III's accomplishments, his struggles with mental illness, and his significant contributions to Britain's politics, arts, and sciences during his reign.
Roberts also provides a detailed account of the American Revolutionary War and George III's role in it, as well as his support for William Pitt in the battle against Napoleon.
History of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides
Written by Thucydides, this work is a detailed and insightful historical account of the Peloponnesian War. It chronicles the conflict between the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, and the Athenian Empire, emphasizing the significant impact of this war on Greek society.
Thucydides outlines the historical context leading up to the war, tracing the evolution of Greek society and detailing the tensions and incidents that led to the conflict.
The narrative examines key events, alliances, and the complex interplay of human ambition and political motivations during the war.
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden Caulfield, a teenager who has been expelled from Pencey Prep, as he spends three days wandering around New York City.
The novel explores Holden's disillusionment with the world around him, his feelings of loneliness and disconnection, and his struggle to find genuine relationships.
Despite his cynicism and criticism of others as 'phonies,' Holden reveals a deep emotional sensitivity, particularly in his interactions with his younger sister Phoebe.
The book delves into themes of adolescent angst, the loss of innocence, and the search for meaning and purpose in a seemingly superficial world.
The War of Art
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Steven Pressfield
In 'The War of Art', Steven Pressfield identifies the internal force of 'Resistance' that hinders creative endeavors.
The book is divided into three sections: 'Resistance: Defining the Enemy', 'Combating Resistance: Turning Pro', and a final section that discusses the role of the muses and the battle between the Self and the Ego. Pressfield provides practical advice on recognizing and overcoming resistance, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, discipline, and continuous work in achieving creative success.
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
Ryan talks to author and journalist Elliot Ackerman about his new book The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan, the origins of storytelling, his experiences evacuating hundreds of refugees in Afghanistan, and more.
Elliot Ackerman is a former White House Fellow and Marine, and served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. Elliot’s books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and non-fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. His writing often appears in Esquire, The New Yorker, and The New York Times where he is a contributing opinion writer, and his stories have been included in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Travel Writing.
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