Rephonic
Artwork for School of War

School of War

The Free Press
China
Iran
World War II
Ukraine
United States
Russia
Israel
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 weeklyEpisodes304Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsHistory

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for School of War

Latest Episodes

Rich Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, return to School of War to discuss the complicated news out of the Strait of Hormuz. What is President Donald Trump’s n... more

Lance R. Blyth, command historian of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), joins School of War to discuss the evolution of North America’s air defense. How has NORAD adapted to shifting ... more

Douglas Murray, journalist and author of On Democracies and Death Cults, joins School of War to discuss the assassination attempt that we both witnessed in person at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Was there a lapse in appropriate... more

YouTube

Huw Davies, an associate dean and professor of British military history at King’s College London and author of several books, including The Wandering Army, joins School of War to discuss what the 18th-century British Army can teach us about modern wa... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Irregular Warfare Podcast
Irregular Warfare PodcastIrregular Warfare Initiative
Modern War Institute
Modern War InstituteModern War Institute at West Point
NatSec Matters
NatSec MattersBeacon Global Strategies LLC
Global Security Briefing
Global Security BriefingThe Royal United Services Institute

Recent Guests

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
Michael Claesson
Chief of Defense Staff and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
Sweden
Episode: The Strategic View From the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson
Sal Mercogliano
Professor of History at Campbell University; host of What's Going on with Shipping (YouTube)
Campbell University; YouTube channel What's Going on with Shipping
Episode: Is the Strait of Hormuz Closed Forever? with Sal Mercogliano
Aaron MacLean
CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist; host of School of War
The Free Press / CBS News
Episode: Trump Says We’re ‘Winning’ in Iran. It’s More Complicated.
Eyck Freymann
Hoover Institution fellow, author of Defending Taiwan, a Strategy to Prevent War with China
Hoover Institution
Episode: Even as America Fights Iran, It’s Not Ready for China—with Eyck Freymann
John Spencer
Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute, retired U.S. Army Major
Urban Warfare Institute
Episode: How Can America Defeat Iran? With John Spencer
Rich Goldberg
Navy Intelligence Officer, Senior Advisor at Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Navy Reserve
Episode: Are We About to Send the Marines Into Iran? With Rich Goldberg and Garrett Exner

Host

Aaron MacLean
Host with a background as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director, with experience in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.2k ratings
  • Excellent podcast. Very informative.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    17 days ago
  • Articulate & Balanced

    Thoughtful and interesting discussions. Highly recommended.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bibliophenia
    United Kingdom20 days 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 Statesa month 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 Statesa month ago
  • Neocon School of War?

    Having insured political risk had hoped for something more nuanced than bombs away. Maybe I need more episodes. Sadly, think Lindsay Graham would be comfortable here.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    lostwaz
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners describe the show as highly informative with insightful guests and thorough analyses of military history and current events.
The diversity of guests contributes to rich content, making it valuable for those interested in understanding military strategy and history.
The host is praised for deep knowledge and engaging interviewing style, but some express concern about perceived biases in the discussion.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#46
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#63
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#70
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#48
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#92
France/History
Apple Podcasts
#107
Germany/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Has America Fought Well in the Iran War? With Mick Ryan
Q: How does AI increase tempo and what does that mean for the operational and strategic picture?
AI compresses intelligence analysis timelines, speeds up target packaging and planning, enables more information to inform decisions rapidly, and accelerates longer-range planning, while also enhancing logistics and airspace management; this creates a more dynamic and potentially more destructive decision cycle.
Has America Fought Well in the Iran War? With Mick Ryan
Q: So start with strategic or start with tactical. How would you assess... Let's just stick to Americans at the moment. How would you assess the American performance in this war vis-a-vis Iran?
At the political level, objectives were articulated early and there was an attempt to limit alliance burden, but the hard work of selling the war to allies and the American public may not have been as thorough as it could have been; strategically, the military campaign has been effective, but the broader political and economic execution left room for improvement, especially regarding readiness and resilience.
Is the Strait of Hormuz Closed Forever? with Sal Mercogliano
Q: How does the Strait of Hormuz function on a day-to-day basis under normal conditions?
Under normal conditions, Hormuz handles roughly 130-140 ships daily with a mix of tankers and other vessels; traffic lanes and the traffic separation scheme are used to prevent collisions and maintain flow, while ships operate within international waters under IMO guidance, with Iran frequently observing from nearby shores.
The Strategic View From the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson
Q: How does Kaliningrad influence European security dynamics and Sweden's defense planning?
Kaliningrad represents a persistent threat due to its ballistic missiles and naval assets in a contested Baltic region. It necessitates dispersed basing, agile deployment, and a robust air and sea defense, while shaping Sweden's and NATO's deterrence posture in the Baltic Sea.
The Strategic View From the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson
Q: What are the key lessons from Ukraine for Western militaries in terms of technology and organizational change?
The main lessons are the importance of multi-domain integration, advanced data fusion for command and control, and incremental development with willingness to test and risk in peacetime to prepare for higher-stakes environments. Unmanned systems and civilian expertise should be integrated to complement traditional forces.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About School of War

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

The content primarily revolves around military history, strategic theory, and foreign policy as informed by historical precedents. Through in-depth interviews, the discussions explore the decisions made by key figures in governmental and military contexts, focusing on both ancient and modern conflicts. Unique insights are drawn from notable guests including historians, policymakers, and former military leaders, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of how historical events shape contemporary strategies. There's a clear emphasis on analyzing contributors to wartime decision-making, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the intersection of history, military strategy, and policy analysis.

Where can I find podcast stats for School of War?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for School of War. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to School of War and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does School of War get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for School of War, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for School of War?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for School of War, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does School of War have?

To see how many followers or subscribers School of War has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to School of War?

These podcasts share a similar audience with School of War:

1. War on the Rocks
2. Irregular Warfare Podcast
3. Modern War Institute
4. NatSec Matters
5. Global Security Briefing

How many episodes of School of War are there?

School of War launched 5 years ago and published 304 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact School of War?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for School of War?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for School of War from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for School of War?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of School of War. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on School of War?

Recent guests on School of War include:

1. Douglas Murray
2. Huw Davies
3. Aviv Shapira
4. Michael Claesson
5. Sal Mercogliano
6. Aaron MacLean
7. Eyck Freymann
8. John Spencer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days