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School of War

The Free Press
China
Iran
World War II
Ukraine
United States
Israel
Russia
Taiwan
Vietnam War
Hamas
Military History
Venezuela
National Security
Middle East
Geopolitics
World War I
Trump Administration
Iraq War
Chinese Communist Party
U.S. Military

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 senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legi... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes312Founded5 years ago
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Artwork for School of War

Latest Episodes

Matti Friedman is an award-winning journalist and columnist at The Free Press. He joins the show to discuss his latest book, Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe. Whom were the Zionist Jews fighting on behalf of the British during World... more

Jake Sullivan, former U.S. national security adviser under President Joe Biden, Kissinger professor of the practice of statecraft and world order at the Harvard Kennedy School, and co-host of The Long Game podcast, joins School of War to discuss geop... more

Sir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, joins the show in front of a live audience to discuss the perilous moment we find ourselves in and how it all relates to history. What is the ... more

Christian Brose, president and chief strategy officer of Anduril Industries and author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, joins the show to help us evaluate American performance against Iran so far and discuss th... more

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Recent Guests

Chris Brose
President and Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril
Anduril
Episode: Grading Operation Epic Fury, with Christian Brose
Elliott Abrams
Senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman, Vandenberg Coalition; Chairman, Tikvah Fund
Council on Foreign Relations; Vandenberg Coalition; Tikvah Fund
Episode: The New Middle Eastern Balance of Power, with Elliott Abrams
Sam Brownback
Former Governor of Kansas; former U.S. Senator; author of China's War on Faith
Governor of Kansas (former)
Episode: China’s War on Faith and Trump’s Trip to Beijing, with Governor Sam Brownback
Dan Blumenthal
Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute; convener/editor of China-Taiwan Weekly Update
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: Trump Heads to China: Who Has the Upper Hand? With Dan Blumenthal
Nicholas Eberstadt
Harry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: America’s Coming Population Crash—and China’s, with Nicholas Eberstadt
Lance Blythe
Command Historian of NORAD
NORAD/US Northern Command
Episode: NORAD and Protecting America From Nuclear Attack, With Lance Blythe
Douglas Murray
Journalist and author; participant in the conversation
Author of On Democracies and Death Cults
Episode: The Attempt on Trump’s Life and Political Violence in America, with Douglas Murray
Huw Davies
Associate Dean and Professor of British Military History, King's College London
King's College London
Episode: How the British Army Learned to Win, with Huw Davies
Aviv Shapira
Co-founder and CEO of Xtend
Xtend
Episode: The Future of Warfighting Technology Is Now with Aviv Shapira

Host

Aaron MacLean
Host of the show; CBS News National Security Analyst and Hudson Institute fellow

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Excellent podcast. Very informative.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    dadeboer2025
    a month ago
  • Excellent podcast. Very informative.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    a month ago
  • Articulate & Balanced

    Thoughtful and interesting discussions. Highly recommended.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bibliophenia
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Guest Suggestion

    Would be good to invite Sullivan, Finer or Malley on to get their take on the negotiations with Iran.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Won’tBFooled2x
    United States2 months ago
  • Just silly propaganda

    If you were expecting to come and get nuanced, expert opinions, especially given these kinetic and dynamic times, this place isn’t it. Everything is presented in the most maximalist US/Israeli frame, all actions and motivations are asymmetrically judged, selectivity and confirmation bias abound. There’s a place for this kind of tripe, I suppose, but if you’re actually wanting analysis and to be informed, this ain’t it. Useful mainly to understand what the Beltway establishment narrative is.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ecook
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience appreciates thoughtful, expert analysis on defense and security.
Some feedback cites perceived bias and political framing by the host.
Balanced, nuanced discussion with high-caliber guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#50
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#50
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#64
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#64
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#63
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#79
Germany/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

China’s War on Faith and Trump’s Trip to Beijing, with Governor Sam Brownback
Q: If you were advising the president during the Beijing trip, how would you balance economic interests with concerns about political and religious freedom?
Maintain a strong stance on religious freedom as a core American value, use it as a strategic lever in diplomacy, and recognize that disentangling economic ties will take time; meanwhile, push for human rights and religious rights in all engagements, including Taiwan diplomacy and engagement with persecuted faith communities.
The New Middle Eastern Balance of Power, with Elliott Abrams
Q: What's your take on Turkey's role in this evolving balance, especially as a NATO ally but with inconsistent regional influence?
Abrams argues that Turkey has achieved little durable influence, is isolated, and is hedging between Russia, the Gulf, and the West, with Erdogan balancing risks rather than leading a unified policy.
The New Middle Eastern Balance of Power, with Elliott Abrams
Q: What are we? Two and a half years on from 10-7. So let's start by just unwrapping the UAE Israel dimension a bit more.
Abrams explains why the UAE-Israel axis is a cornerstone of the new Middle East balance, highlighting modernization, wealth, and political calculation as drivers of their alignment against Iran.
Grading Operation Epic Fury, with Christian Brose
Q: What role do industrial policy and domestic manufacturing play in achieving these defense goals?
Industrial policy should incentivize domestic production, simplified weapon designs, and broad workforce participation so that the U.S. can manufacture at scale and reduce dependency on foreign supply chains for critical materials.
Grading Operation Epic Fury, with Christian Brose
Q: Chris, what are the main lessons from the audit of Epic Fury and how should the U.S. posture itself going forward?
The audit shows that we undershot in our assumptions about the ability to endure protracted conflict; we need to expand both traditional, proven weapons and much larger volumes of lower-cost, producible systems while modernizing defense software and data integration to enable mass and speed at scale.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About School of War

What is School of War about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on military history, strategy, and current security policy with a focus on real-world implications of warfare, geopolitics, and defense technology. Episodes pair seasoned military historians and policy experts with a probing interviewer to unpack lessons from past conflicts, contemporary great-power competition, and how emerging tech—like AI, drone swarms, and data networks—shapes modern warfighting. Notable threads include mass-producible weapons versus high-end systems, deterrence in the Strait of Hormuz and the Baltic region, and the evolving defense industrial base. The program frequently features guests from think tanks, military academia, and government or allied militaries, offering rigorous, forward-looking analysi... more

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1. War on the Rocks
2. Irregular Warfare Podcast
3. NatSec Matters
4. Net Assessment
5. Breaking History

How many episodes of School of War are there?

School of War launched 5 years ago and published 312 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on School of War?

Recent guests on School of War include:

1. Chris Brose
2. Elliott Abrams
3. Sam Brownback
4. Dan Blumenthal
5. Nicholas Eberstadt
6. Lance Blythe
7. Douglas Murray
8. Huw Davies

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