The On The Bookshelf Podcast

review--Without Warning-The Saga of Gettysburg: a Reluctant Union Hero

Terry Pierce brings an extraordinary novel (over 700 pages) detailing the events and personalities on the Union side of the battle which changed the course of the Civil War in the Eastern Theater. General George Meade was assigned command of the Army of the Potomac only 3 days prior to its biggest challenge yet, stopping Robert E. Lee's triumphant Army of Northern Virginia from a successful invasion in the lush Yankee countryside. Lee came for critically-need boots, but he found Meade and his massive army in excellent defensive positions. The result was horrific bloodbath: one-quarter of the Union soldiers and one-third of the Confederate solders were casualties.

interview--Ricardo Herarro-Feeding Washington’s Army

The Grand Forage of 1778 was a tactical attempt to provide for the 17,00 soldiers plus hundreds of horses in the Continental Army, wintered at their Forward Operation Base at Valley Forge. Washington empowered some of his most valued generals to find food and forage, which included finding wagons to transport them. It was a massive effort, carried out by men who were not passively starving but  deliberately operating as the main army of the Revolution. GW's plan saved them to fight another year!

interview--Os Guinness returns with ”The Great Quest”

Too few are searching for the meaning of life, assuming we just live and then die. End of story. But humans are the only animals that ponder our existence: why are we here? Do our lives count for something? What does life mean? Are we an accident of fate or evolution, or are we deliberately created and planned?

Os Guinness invites you to join him on a examination of the Great Questions, an the exploration of meaning!

interview--Scott LaPierre on Making Marriage work God’s Way

Marriages is in trouble in America. Fewer are actually committing to it and of those few are ready for the challenges faced. Pastor/counselor/author Scott LaPierre offers a way to help your marriage by seeing what the Author of marriage (God) tells us in His handbook for living (The Bible). Isn't your marriage worth the effort?

His website is https://www.scottlapierre.org/

 

 

interview--Spence Schneider exposes a secret modern cult in NYC

For 23 years, successful NYC lawyer Spencer Schneider was immersed in a secret cult that dictated every aspect of his life. Hungry for meaning, he was recruited into a false hope revealed in his new book,"Manhattan Cult Story". Offered a chance to learn "ancient secrets about truth and life", they were subjected to weekly sessions of 5-6 hours, and were told to have sex with fellow Essence Friends" but never to date them. They were told to never acknowledge fellow members of "School" in ordinary life, and to recruit a very specific type of person: wealthy, white, straight, with no significant religious beliefs or background. How he escaped is a cautionary story of courage.