A Reagan Forum Podcast

In this week’s A Reagan Forum we bring you one of the world’s best selling authors and trusted storytellers – James Patterson - who joined us on February 17, 2021 for conversation on his latest book, Walk in My Combat Boots. Joining us in the conversation was the book’s co-author, First Sergeant Matt Eversmann who’s story of survival during a combat in Mogadishu in 1993 is told in the epic film, Black Hawk Down. James Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove that there is no such thing as a person who “doesn’t like to read,” only people who haven’t found the right book. He has given over three million books to schoolkids and the military, donated more than seventy million dollars to support education, and endowed over five thousand college scholarships for teachers. With over 150 millions copies of his book in print, and over 180 titles printed, James Patterson recently called Walk in My Combat Boots the most important book of his career. The book is a powerful collection, crafted from hundreds of original interviews which are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who’ve fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends and coming home is really like. Readers who next thank a military member for their service will finally have a true understanding of what that thanks is for. During today’s conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Executive Director John Heubusch, James Patterson and Matt Eversmann discuss their book, which they say will change the way you view our military. It’s the stories that your fathers and mothers, your sons and daughters, who have come back from battle have never been able to tell you.

In this week’s A Reagan Forum we bring you American speechwriter Mark Salter, who joined us in conversation on December 7, 2020, for his brand-new book, The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain. Governor and Mrs. Reagan first came to know John McCain as a returning prisoner of war whose POW bracelet they had worn. That bracelet has been on display in the Reagan Library since its opening in 1991. In the years after, he became a deeply respected and cherished personal friend. Senator McCain was an inspiring risk-taker. Time and again, he demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice for his country and his beliefs. From his extraordinary courage in a Hanoi dungeon to his practice of putting principle over political expediency, he consistently modeled character and conviction. Mark Salter’s Luckiest Man is a deeply personal and candid remembrance of the late Senator John McCain from one of his closest and most trusted confidants, friends, and political advisors who worked with the Senator on several nonfiction books as well as on political speeches, and who also served as his chief of staff. During today’s conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Executive Director John Heubusch, Mark Salter discusses his new book, which covers all the major events of McCain’s life while also introducing aspects of the man that the public rarely saw and hardly knew. Woven throughout this narrative is also the story of Salter and McCain’s close relationship, including how they met, and why their friendship stood the test of time in a political world known for its fickle personalities and frail bonds. The capstone to Salter’s intimate and decades-spanning time with the Senator, The Luckiest Man is the authoritative last word on the stories McCain was too modest to tell himself and an influential life not soon to be forgotten. Let’s listen.

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we bring you Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who joined us in a virtual conversation on October 27, 2020. Matt Gaetz is currently serving his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. His work in Congress focuses on national security, veterans’ affairs, and adherence to constitutional principles. During today’s conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Executive Director John Heubusch, Congressman Gaetz discusses his new book, “Firebrand,” a book he is quoted as saying is “your invitation to the front lines of our fight.” He goes on to say, “This is not my chronological diary. You can watch me on television for that. This is how we prevail with joy—and exactly how an exciting president is leading the way against all odds.” Let’s listen.

This month we have brought you two of our virtual programs since the Reagan Museum closed due to COVID19. This week we’ll bring you our third program, which was held on June 18, 2020, with Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday. During our virtual discussion with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s executive director, Mr. Wallace discussed his brand new book, Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days that Changed the World. Let's Listen.

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present our Reaganism Podcast on AI, Autonomy, and Defense. During the podcast, Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim sat down with Doug Cameron, a reporter who covers the global aerospace and defense industry and the airline sector in The Wall Street Journal’s Chicago bureau. During their conversation, they discussed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the National Defense Industrial Strategy, emerging technologies, and the future of warfare.