Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

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See a webcast of this interview:
Hanson

See also the 2006 Hanson
interview: Iraq and the Lessons
of the Peloponnesian War

War: Conversation with Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, April 2, 2004 by Harry Kreisler

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Victor Hanson, who is a farmer, classicist, and military historian. He is a Professor of Classics at California State University at Fresno, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Standard University. He writes a column for the National Review Online, and contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, among other publications. His books include Ripples of Battle, The Soul of Battle, The Western Way of War, Who Killed Homer, and An Autumn of War.

  1. Backgroundbook cover ... farming family ... influence of parents ... undergraduate at UCSC: the classics ... graduate at Stanford: agriculture and war ... lessons from home life
  2. The Classical World ... establishing the Fresno State program ... state of classics study in the U.S. ... why the Greeks matter ... military historian ... discovering non-materialist motives in Greek warfare ... implications of farmer-soldiers ... democratization of Greek warfare ... new emphasis on total destruction
  3. Military History ... reviving operational history ... battle for Okinawa ... personal odyssey ... suicide attacks ... bringing closure to a family tragedy
  4. Post-9/11 World ... 9/11 attacks ... Afghanistan ... democracy and war ... the shifting American debate ... clash of civilizations ... American resolve ... leadership ... international trust and collaboration ... winning with ideas and force
  5. Conclusion ... timeless skills for success ... "sirens of presentism"

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