Family dynamics and upbringing, particularly the influence of tough parents, can shape an individual's resilience and drive. The speaker acknowledges the impact of their mother's indifference towards their writing, contrasting it with the supportive words of others. The speaker attributes their ability to imagine and write a detailed book on naval military capability to a concept that germinated many decades ago.
For many men, surviving the test of battle intensifies the joy of being alive. A provocative claim, perhaps, but to novelist Mark Helprin, simply a fact, and one that drives his new book about men who commit themselves fully both to service during wartime and to the women they love. Listen as Helprin tells EconTalk's Russ Roberts how his service in the Israeli and American militaries, his decades of journalism and outdoor adventure, and his long career in defense and foreign policy enabled him to write The Oceans and the Stars, a lyrical and thrilling look at leadership in the crucible of war--and at sea. They also discuss Helprin's writing routine and sources of inspiration, his analysis of Israel's real-life war against Iran and its proxies, and his thoughts on the state of American culture today.