Category: All War Movies, Shows, and Art

A study of war movies, shows, and war art.

Rob Havers and Todd DePastino interview – WWII history book – “Drawing Fire” (Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 2020)

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Rob Havers Todd DePastino Drawing FireRob Havers and Todd DePastino interview – WWII history book – “Drawing Fire” (Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 2020)

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2RFQQKa

Rob Havers is a British military historian who currently serves as the president of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Todd DePastino was a professor of social and cultural history and helped to write the book Drawing Fire about Bill Mauldin’s life and cartoons. We spoke about Bill Mauldin, his cartoons, and the Bill Mauldin exhibit.

(THE AUDIO PLAYER IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST.)

Interview Timeline

1:07 – Rob talks about how he got involved in a project on Bill Mauldin.

2:52 – Todd talks about how he started as a social and cultural historian before studying Bill Mauldin.

5:49 – Rob talks about how the Pritzker Museum collected thousands of Bill Mauldin’s cartoons.

8:31 – Rob and Todd talk about other archives that have some of Mauldin’s work and Mauldin’s influence.

9:49 – Todd talks about how they chose what cartoons to include in the book and Bill’s life up to and into WWII.

14:26 – Rob talks about the military history shown in Bill Mauldin’s cartoons.

18:20 – Todd talks about how Bill did his cartoon work during the war in Italy by going out to the front lines.

22:54 – Rob talks about how it was that an uneducated kid becomes such a master cartoonist.

24:56 – Todd talks about how ambitious and bad-tempered Bill Mauldin had been and how he got into cartooning.

27:48 – Todd talks about how Bill Mauldin got on to Stars & Stripes.

29:13 – Rob talks about the other hotspots Bill Mauldin worked in.

31:28 – Todd talks about Bill Mauldin’s knack for finding himself in hot spots.

33:13 – Rob talks about the National Infantry Museum and an exhibit there.

36:28 – Todd and Rob talk about Bill Mauldin being an adrenalin junkie.

40:12 – Todd talks about the Bill’s writing and oil painting attempts.

43:21 – Rob talks about Bill Mauldin’s ability to adapt his style to circumstances.

45:32 – Rob talks about how a military museum chooses its exhibits.

48:01 – Rob and Todd talk about how they got celebrities to write portions of the book including Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw.

52:07 – Todd talks about the various traumas that Bill Mauldin dealt with throughout his life and in the war.

54:08 – Rob and Todd talk about the book’s goals.

57:57 – Rob talks about Bill Mauldin being involved with cartoonist organizations.

59:35 – Rob and Todd talk about getting the book finished and published.

1:00:08 – Rob talks about the books the museum publishes.

1:03:31 – The Pritzker Museum can be found at Pritzkermilitary.org and The Veterans Breakfast Club can be found at veteransbreakfastclub.org and “Scuttlebutt” podcast.

1:06:38 – From my podcast “Technology and Space” – John B. Herrington talks about going from naval aviation to becoming an astronaut. (TechnologyandSpace.com)

1:09:48 – From my podcast “Full Contact Nerd” – M.R. Carey talks about a military robot he put in his latest novel The Book of Koli. (FullContactNerd.com)

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/2RFQQKa

http://www.pritzkermilitary.org/store/pmml-merchandise/drawing-fire-editorial-cartoons-bill-mauldin/

http://www.pritzkermilitary.org/

https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/

Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar and on Instagram @crisalvarezwarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify Please see historyrabbithole.com for a list of my dozen or so blogs and podcasts. You’re sure to find something you like.

Guests: Rob Havers and Todd DiPastino

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: Books, audio interviews, Rob Havers, Todd DePastino, academic, podcast, Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Modern War, WWII, United States,

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2RFQQKa

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Brian Herskowitz talks about making the Vietnam War television show Tour of Duty

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Brian Herskowitz talks about the Vietnam War show Tour of Duty

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG

Check out the show here  https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

Interview Summary

Brian Herskowitz has been a screenwriter for years and has taught the subject too. When he first started in Hollywood, one of his first assignments was working on the popular Vietnam War show “Tour of Duty” which ran from 1987-1990. He became a producer and writer on the show. He’s also written other screenplays, done some acting, and has worked in the entertainment industry for years. We talked about the show, the show’s approach to history, veterans, screenwriting, and about his screenwriting book “Process to Product”.

1:04 – Brian talks about how he got involved with the show Tour of Duty. (Note: I stated his screenwriting book was published in 2019 but it was published in 2014.)

2:48 – Brian talks about how the show progressed and dealt with real issues.

7:56 – Brian talks about the historical consultants and approach to authenticity of the show.

13:26 – Brian talks about the mail the show got from veterans.

14:31 – Brian talks about why the show was cancelled and China Beach.

17:57 – Brian talks about the chemistry of the characters.

20:21 – Brian talks about the approach to the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in the show.

25:29 – Brian talks about the characters of Zeke and Lt Goldman.

26:09 – Brian talks about audience response to episodes where the US sometimes doesn’t get put in a positive light.

29:49 – Brian talks about Steve Philip Smith, a veteran who was an executive producer on the show.

32:31 – Brian talks about how the actors stepped back in time from the 80s to the late 60s.

34:33 – Brian talks about the environment in the 80s for Vietnam War stories.

38:25 – Brian talks about Magnum PI and its connection to the Vietnam War.

40:34 – Brian talks about people who had trouble with the show’s subject matter.

43:42 – Brian talks about the interracial marriage story line in the show.

47:16 – Brian talks about the kinds of stories that wrote for the show.

49:47 – Brian talks about censorship and the deaths of children and drug use in the show.

51:36 – Brian talks about changes in the use of violence in movies and shows.

56:10 – Brian talks about video games and we discuss how troops play military video games.

1:02:15 – Brian talks about veterans writing screenplays.

1:08:14 – We discuss the movie “Taking Chance.”

1:10:56 – Brian can be found at brianherskowitz.com.

1:12:09 – Brian discusses a few more details about the show Tour of Duty.

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG

https://www.brianherskowitz.com/

Contact Information

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Guests: Brian Herskowitz

Host: Cris Alvarez

Check out this book here   https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG

Check out the show here  https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Civil War military history book – “Entertaining History” (Southern Illinois University Press, 2020) – Chris Mackowski interview

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Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2vhwBLu

Chris Mackowski is an academic deeply engaged in the study of the US Civil War and how it impacts the country today. We spoke about his latest edited collection of essays on how the US Civil War has been presented in various media.

1:06 – Chris talks about how he got into studying the US Civil War.

2:21 – Chris talks about the focus of the book.

4:52 – Chris talks about how interest in the Civil War has risen and fallen over time.

6:46 – Chris talks about reenactment.

8:08 – Chris addresses the controversies about Confederate memorials and monuments.

9:44 – Chris talks about the themes explored in the book.

12:24 – Chris addresses Southern interest in Civil War studies and the connection with the Old West.

13:56 – Chris discusses more of the subjects touched on in the book like Bruce Catton.

16:47 – Chris talks about Civil War national parks and how history is presented.

18:36 – Chris talks about campaigns to expand Civil War battlefield parks.

21:02 – Chris talks about Shelby Foote and Jeff Shaara.

25:01 – Chris talks about the research the essayists did for this book.

28:34 – Chris talks about military collecting.

29:40 – Chris talks about foreign interest in the US Civil War.

31:46 – Chris talks about US Civil War era clothing and uniforms.

32:20 – Chris mentions the planned Disney Civil War park.

36:35 – Chris talks about how people can hear and see web exclusive content connected to the book.

37:52 – Chris talks about Clive Cussler and the recovery of the Hunley. He also discusses Lincoln in films including the vampire hunter movie.

40:13 – Chris talks about Civil War photography and the portrayal of slavery in film.

42:44 – Chris talks about Bobby Horton’s musical work.

50:18 – People can find more information about the book at www.emergingcivilwar.com

Links of interest

https://amzn.to/2vhwBLu

http://www.siupress.com/books/978-0-8093-3758-3

http://emergingcivilwar.com/

For more “Military History Inside Out” please follow me at www.warscholar.org, on Facebook at warscholar, on twitter at Warscholar, on youtube at warscholar1945 and on Instagram @crisalvarezswarscholar. Or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify

Guests: Chris Mackowski

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: military, history, military history, conflict, war, interview, non-fiction book, US civil war, civil war, literature, popular culture, cyclorama, roots, the blue and the grey, the north and the south, Ken Burns, national parks, john adams, johnstown, glory, usct, colored troops, confederates in the attic, confederacy, gone with the wind, lost cause, Bruce Catton, andersonville, ulysses s. grant, digital media, american battlefield trust, assassin’s creed, shelby foote, jeff shaara, lincoln, stonewall jackson, bobby horton, Hunley, 12 years a slave, monticello

Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2vhwBLu

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.