In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with retired U.S. Army infantry officer and Director for Strategic Innovation at US Space Command, Dr. Ben Zweibelson, about his new book, Bad War Stories.

Zweibelson, a veteran of multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, shuns both heroic myth and overt polemic to deliver a raw, philosophical memoir of modern conflict. He explores the chaos, tragic loss, and surreal bureaucracy of war through a series of vividly recounted personal experiences—from the sudden death of a local child to the absurdity of burying a shipping container to satisfy institutional folly.

The conversation traces Zweibelson’s journey from a son seeking to understand his silent war veteran father to a soldier-philosopher processing his own time at war.

He discusses the catharsis of writing, the importance of sharing these stories with the next generation, and how his academic work on reconceptualizing war frames these gritty narratives. Throughout, Zweibelson emphasizes neither glorifying nor condemning war, but instead capturing its complex reality to better inform policy, public understanding, and the profession of arms itself.

Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:

Bad War Stories

Ben on X

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks

X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com

Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with educator, archaeologist, and former World War I Centennial Commissioner Monique Brouillet Seefried, co-author of Général Louis Dio: The Wartime Epic of One of Free France's Greatest Soldiers, 1940-1946.

As the goddaughter of General Louis Dio, she brings a uniquely personal perspective to the life of one of Free France’s most remarkable — yet often overlooked — commanders.

Their conversation follows Dio’s extraordinary path from the Sahara to Normandy, exploring his legendary courage, humility, and lifelong devotion to service. Monique shares how her own background in archaeology and education ultimately led her to commemorate her godfather’s legacy, and how her collaboration with General Jean-Paul Michel and translator Colonel Jason Musteen brought Dio’s story into English for the first time.

She also reveals little-known aspects of Dio’s life, from his childhood trauma and wartime wounds to his deep sense of honor and refusal to seek recognition, even after decades of service across North Africa and Europe.

Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:

Général Louis Dio: The Wartime Epic of One of Free France's Greatest Soldiers, 1940-1946

Monique on LinkedIn

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/

X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com

Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode of Helion Talks, host Tony Garcia speaks with historian and former civil servant Phil McCarty about his new book Point of Failure: British Brigadiers in France and Norway, 1940.

Drawing on decades of government service and years of academic research, McCarty examines the careers, decisions, and battlefield experiences of the brigadiers who led the British Army through one of its most challenging early-war crises.

The conversation explores how McCarty identified and analyzed every brigadier who served in the 1940 campaigns, revealing a complex picture of middle-management command at a moment of strategic collapse.

He discusses why “failure” is an unavoidable part of the story, how interwar career structures shaped wartime performance, and why First World War service was far less of a predictor of success than commonly assumed.

McCarty also shares insights on the evolution of brigade-level command, the lessons drawn (and ignored) from the 1940 defeats, and the officers whose leadership in chaos left lasting impressions. From forgotten figures like Archibald Bowman to later luminaries such as Montague Stopford, the episode illuminates the human dimension behind operational history.

Finally, McCarty offers a look at his forthcoming projects—including a regimental history, a study of the Western Desert on film, and a monograph on the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War.

Helion Talks releases new episodes once a month, featuring authors and historians from around the world.

Links:

Point of Failure: British Brigadiers in France and Norway, 1940

Phil on LinkedIn

Helion & Co: https://www.helion.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helionbooks/

X: https://x.com/Helionbooks

Produced and hosted for Helion & Co by UGS — https://undergroundstrategy.com

Music: ‘Legionnaire’ by Scott Buckley — released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au