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History · The Free Press

School of War

by The Free Press

In School of War, CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist Aaron MacLean sits down with secretaries of state, top military historians, war planners, and key political decision-makers to help understand the lessons of war. Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines. Aaron MacLean is a former senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Visit our Substack for episode transcripts Follow along on Instagram

Chart trend

Position in the History chart (US), last 90 days.

#10
all-time peak
1
day in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Great Power Conflict

#7 trending · History

When it comes to world superpowers, Cambridge historian Brendan Simms argues there are only four that matter—and two of them are fading. Today, Simms joins Aaron MacLean

Sep 4
55 min

Shot Down over Serbia: General Goldfein’s Incredible Story

The story of Air Force General David Goldfein, who miraculously survived after his plane was shot down over Serbia in 1999, has since become military legend. Today, he jo

Sep 1
1 h 03 min

Our Foreign Policy Divide Began with the Korean War

More than 75 years after the Korean War, its lessons endure—and divisions over isolationism and American power continue to shape the discourse around modern global confli

Aug 28
40 min

Inside America’s Fight for Drone Dominance

The U.S. military needs more drones, and it needs to build them without Chinese parts. Today, Defense Innovation Unit Deputy Director Travis Metz joins School of War to d

Aug 25
1 h 11 min

When Terrorists Become the Heroes to Young Americans

In prerevolutionary Russia, it was not uncommon for children to dream of becoming terrorists when they grew up. “It was a respected profession,” says Northwestern Univers

Aug 21
41 min

Senator McCormick Thinks That America’s Military Is Stuck in the Past

Pennsylvania senator Dave McCormick, a West Point graduate, Desert Storm veteran, and former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, is concerned about America’s wealth gap, which

Aug 18
46 min

Tanks vs. Drones

Is the tank obsolete? As drones and precision strikes transform modern battlefields, some have predicted that armored vehicles may soon meet the fate of the cavalry charg

Aug 14
58 min

Boris Johnson on Why Europe and America Still Need Each Other

As war in Ukraine grinds towards its fifth year and tensions strain the transatlantic alliance, former British prime minister Boris Johnson says he remains convinced that

Aug 11
57 min

Ted Cruz’s Plan to Bring Down Iran’s Regime—and Tucker Carlson

As the American right and left are increasingly pulled toward their ideological extremes, many politicians have chosen to appease the loudest voices in their coalitions e

Aug 7
30 min

Ukraine’s Top Drone Commander on What the Pentagon Keeps Missing

Yuri Fedorenko has spent four years turning a volunteer rifle company into the 429th “Achilles” Brigade, one of the most lethal units in Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Today, 

Aug 4
29 min

What It’s Really Like Inside Ukraine in 2026, with Aidan Stretch

For months, it was conventional wisdom among large swaths of the American right that Ukraine would inevitably have to cede its Donbas region to Russia to end the war. Now

Jul 31
49 min

The Dangerous Pause in Iran, with Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, retur

Jul 28
40 min

The Rise of the Navy SEALs, with Ben Milligan

Ben Milligan, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, Bronze Star recipient, and author of By Water Beneath the Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs, joins School of War to discuss the ori

Jul 24
1 h 01 min

How Trump Decided to Go to War with Iran, with Jonathan Swan

Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for The New York Times, joins School of War to discuss the reporting behind his new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Preside

Jul 21
36 min

‘The Odyssey’ and the Search for Historical Truth, with James Diggle and John Underhill

James Diggle, emeritus professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, and John Underhill, professor of geoscience and energy transition at the University of Aberde

Jul 17
1 h 05 min

America’s Iran Problem Isn’t Going Away, with Mike Doran

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, returns to School of War to examine why the war wi

Jul 14
52 min

Lindsey Graham: The Last of the ‘Three Amigos’ with Vance Serchuk

Vance Serchuk, executive director and Partner at the KKR Global Institute, and former senior national security adviser to Senator Joe Lieberman, was uniquely positioned t

Jul 13
58 min

How Choke Points Became Weapons of War, with Edward Fishman

Edward Fishman, senior fellow and director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins School of War to discuss his New York Times

Jul 10
45 min

Four Years Fighting Russia: An American Soldier’s Testimony

David, a U.S. military veteran who has been fighting voluntarily alongside Ukrainian forces, joins School of War to discuss how four years on the front lines have transfo

Jul 7
1 h 21 min

The American Revolution Was a World War, with Richard Bell

Richard Bell, historian, professor at the University of Maryland, and author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, joins School of War to discuss how the

Jul 3
48 min

Chart positions

Where School of War ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 5, 2026).

#59 ▲ 7 History US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Aaron has incredible and uncanny abilities to really delve into topics on war and has numerous acclaimed speakers. My only critique is that he will occasionally give hints of his political leanings, which I feel detracts from the overall podcast a bit. Once politics gets involved, it becomes more difficult to remain more fully objective on topics, especially war and the DoD. Although politics is “war by other means…” I think he could do better by giving a more balanced view of each political party’s influence on war past and present. Cheers!

dentalO · Dec 2024

My daughter shared this podcast with me and I have listened to almost every episode. Aaron is a terrific interviewer and each episode tells a story of history or current events that is integral to understanding events both past and present. I really enjoy listening to this program. I have to say the interview with Uncle Frank is my favorite that you have done. He has more than repaid America, we are the ones that owe him.

Suphronia · Nov 2024

Love the show. It’s very easy to listen to and interesting. I love the variety of experts that you bring on. Everything is a great listen, zero skips. The draft and crusades episodes are my two favorite so far. Love hearing about war in the Middle Ages. Look forward to your future episodes.

wvkid1 · Oct 2024

At its best, this podcast offers a platform for some serious strategic thinkers to outline how they assess the various actors in a given strategic context. At its worst, whole episodes are given over the partisan shills scoring points on current domestic US politics. Maddeningly, host can go either way - asking probing questions of the strategists or lolling around in couch potatoe politics for an hour at a time depending on the guest. Just listening to the first five minutes gives a pretty clear indication whether the episode will be a deeper dive or just more talking heads on current affairs. I’d unsubscribe entirely but for the occasional gem.

Alexy Dub · Apr 2024

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About School of War on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of School of War, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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