Books to Battles

School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

Books to Battles is the official podcast of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), where rigorous academic thought meets real-world military application. In each episode, we'll take you inside our school to explore its courses, students, and faculty. We'll show how foundational ideas—from classic works of strategy to cutting-edge scholarship—inform the development and execution of air and space power in today’s complex strategic environment. Join us as we bridge the gap between theory and practice, bringing deep intellectual insight to the art of war in the air and beyond. All views expressed in this series are the speakers' own and are not necessarily reflective of the Department of Defense, the US government, or any other affiliated organizations.

  1. 6d ago

    The Trip

    In this episode of Books to Battles, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon speak with Dr. Rob Hutchinson, SAASS Dean of Academics, about the school’s field study in Germany and its role in educating strategists. They explain how student research and discussions at historical sites connect classroom study to enduring questions about airpower, great-power competition, and the human consequences of strategic decisions. Stops including the Fulda Gap, Schweinfurt, Dresden, and Berlin provide opportunities to examine defense planning, strategic bombing, and the Berlin Airlift. Visits to Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora prompt discussion of the relationship between Nazi war production, forced labor, and the subsequent development of space technology. The conversation also explores how museums and memorials construct historical narratives and how engagements with American and German officials connect those histories to contemporary European security. The trip brings abstract strategic problems into contact with terrain, human suffering, and the choices facing an ally today. If you have questions, comments, or episode recommendations, please email us at bookstobattles@au.af.edu Books Mentioned Joseph Maiolo, Cry Havoc: The Arms Race and the Second World War, 1931–1941 (Basic Books, 2012). The opinions expressed here are those of the hosts or the guests and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense or War, or the United States Government.

    The Trip

  2. Oct 14

    Strategy and Airpower in the East and South China Seas

    In this episode of Books to Battles, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon welcome Dr. Jared McKinney, Dr. Chris Colley, and Col. James Day to discuss their contributions to Strategy and Airpower in the East and South China Sea. Colley examines the gap between the announced U.S. pivot to Asia and changes in military force posture, including its effects on Chinese perceptions. McKinney explores alternative U.S. responses to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, including support short of direct war and scenarios in which Chinese actions could draw the United States into conflict. Day and Hollon discuss how airpower and joint all-domain operations could strengthen deterrence through survivability, flexibility, and temporary operational advantages. The discussion tests strategic ambitions against operational realities while asking whether Americans adequately understand the Chinese calculations they hope to influence. If you have questions, comments, or episode recommendations, please email us at bookstobattles@au.af.edu Books Mentioned Michael A. Hunzeker and Mark A. Christopher, America’s Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation (Cambria Press, 2025). Jared McKinney, ed., Closing the Deterrence Gap in the Taiwan Straits (Air University Press, 2026, projected). Jessica Chen Weiss, What China Wants: And What It Means for the World (Oxford University Press, 2027). Henry Kissinger, On China (Penguin Books, 2012). Amos C. Fox and Franz-Stefan Gady, eds., Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing Limited, 2026). Robert Jervis, Perception and Misperception in International Politics (Princeton University Press). X. “The Sources of Soviet Conduct.” Foreign Affairs 25, no. 4 (1947): 566–82. The opinions expressed here are those of the hosts or the guests and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense or War, or the United States Government.

    Strategy and Airpower in the East and South China Seas

  3. Oct 7

    Space Weapons

    The United States has publicly acknowledged on-orbit space control weapons for the first time. What does that announcement mean for deterrence, strategy, and the future of military competition in space? Dr. Derrick Frazier joins Books to Battles to unpack Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink’s remarks, explore the strategic logic behind space weapons, and consider how greater transparency about U.S. capabilities could shape an increasingly contested domain.

    Space Weapons

  4. Sep 30

    Fiction Series: Code Name Verity

    In the latest installment of our fiction-a-month series, Books to Battles takes on Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity. Through the lens of SAASS’s Airpower in the Age of Total War course, we explore the novel’s portrayal of air warfare, intelligence, resistance, and sacrifice during World War II. The conversation considers how fiction illuminates the human dimensions of airpower and the complex relationship between technology, strategy, and those who wage war.

    Fiction Series: Code Name Verity

  5. Sep 23

    Leadership in Unprecedented Times: Class XXXV Thesis Award Winners

    What happens when the mission arrives before the military is ready for it? In this episode of Books to Battles, Col. Cory Hollon speaks with Lt. Col. Ryan Hess and Maj. Elizabeth Townsend, thesis award winners from SAASS Class XXXV, about how military organizations adapt to unfamiliar demands. Townsend examines General Moorman’s role in integrating space capabilities into military operations and his evolving views on an independent Space Force. Hess explores Task Force Holloman’s reception of Afghan evacuees during Operation Allies Welcome, emphasizing leadership, interagency cooperation, and cultural understanding. Both cases reveal how much depends on leaders who can build relationships across organizations, give people room to act, and adapt as circumstances change. However, success can obscure the improvisation and communication failures that helped shape the outcome. Together, they discuss mission command, the limits of preparation, and the challenge of turning improvised successes into lasting institutional improvements. If you have questions, comments, or episode recommendations, please email us at bookstobattles@au.af.edu The opinions expressed here are those of the hosts or the guests and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of the Air Force, the Depart of Defense, or the United States Government.

    Leadership in Unprecedented Times: Class XXXV Thesis Award Winners

  6. Sep 16

    The State of China Studies with Lyle Morris

    Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb sits down with China scholar Lyle Morris to explore critical blind spots in the study of China’s military and strategic behavior. Drawing on his latest work, Morris examines the assumptions that shape Western analysis of China and identifies the political, military, economic, and international factors that could influence Beijing’s decision-making over Taiwan. The conversation highlights what analysts may be missing—and why it matters for strategy.

    The State of China Studies with Lyle Morris

  7. Sep 9

    Discussion with General (R) Mike Minihan

    General Mike Minihan, U.S. Air Force retired, joins Books to Battles for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, readiness, and the future of American airpower. Drawing on more than three decades of service—including command of Air Mobility Command and senior leadership roles in the Indo-Pacific—General Minihan reflects on preparing forces for great-power competition, building a warrior culture, and the lessons that have shaped his approach to leadership and warfighting.

    Discussion with General (R) Mike Minihan

  8. Sep 2

    Discussion with General Adrian Spain

    On this episode of Books to Battles, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb sits down with General Adrian Spain, Commander of Air Combat Command, to discuss the challenges facing today’s Combat Air Forces. General Spain shares his perspectives on readiness, modernization, and preparing Airmen for future conflict, as well as the operational problems that demand greater attention. He also discusses the books and ideas shaping his thinking as a senior Air Force leader.

    Discussion with General Adrian Spain
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About

Books to Battles is the official podcast of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), where rigorous academic thought meets real-world military application. In each episode, we'll take you inside our school to explore its courses, students, and faculty. We'll show how foundational ideas—from classic works of strategy to cutting-edge scholarship—inform the development and execution of air and space power in today’s complex strategic environment. Join us as we bridge the gap between theory and practice, bringing deep intellectual insight to the art of war in the air and beyond. All views expressed in this series are the speakers' own and are not necessarily reflective of the Department of Defense, the US government, or any other affiliated organizations.

Information

  • Creator
    School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Books to Battles

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