Sign in

prbeckman

@prbeckman.bsky.social
285 followers 253 following 486 posts

Documentary producer & director, PA Books host, drone videographer. Strategy Bridge Podcast host. Interested in books, history, art, strategy. thestrategybridge.org/the-podcast

PostsRepliesMedia
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"For centuries, cargo ships allowed regular travelers to join their voyages. What happened? Less than a decade ago, giant shipping companies like Maersk Line offered paying travelers a unique way to explore the world. Pandemic restrictions changed everything." www.cnn.com/travel/cargo...
cnn.com
For centuries, cargo ships allowed regular travelers to join their voyages. What happened? | CNN
This niche travel industry once had around half a dozen major players offer international voyages. Most of them are no longer in business, but a few exciting options remain.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"How Sept. 11 Paved the Way to Mideast Power for Iran - The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 set the path for Tehran to dominate its neighbor and whetted its appetite to expand its influence across the greater Middle East." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/w...
nytimes.com
How Sept. 11 Paved the Way to Mideast Power for Iran
The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 set the path for Tehran to dominate its neighbor and whetted its appetite to expand its influence across the greater Middle East.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Stopped by the Second Story Books warehouse in Rockville and picked up a few aviation history books.
031
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
In the mail…
030
Reposted by prbeckman
Minor Spear Carrier @tyrellmayfield.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I enjoyed sitting down with @prbeckman.bsky.social for this conversation.
092
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
This was how I started building my teenage record collection in the early 1980s> After 71 Years, Columbia House Closes for Good: The Mail-Order Giant That Defined a Generation Is Gone cordcuttersnews.com/after-71-yea...
cordcuttersnews.com
After 71 Years, Columbia House Closes for Good: The Mail-Order Giant That Defined a Generation Is Gone | Cord Cutters News
Columbia House, the long-running direct-to-consumer media retailer once famous for its mail-order music clubs, is set to shut down for good on September 15, 2026. After more than seven decades in oper...
000
Reposted by prbeckman
The Strategy Bridge @thestrategybridge.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The AFPAK Hand program was a unique and at times controversial approach to the conflict in Afghanistan. Join podcast host @prbeckman.bsky.social for a conversation with @tyrellmayfield.bsky.social about the program, it’s goals, shortfalls, and outcomes. thestrategybridge.org/the-podcast
thestrategybridge.org
The Podcast
086
Reposted by prbeckman
Minor Spear Carrier @tyrellmayfield.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Was a pleasure to sit down with @prbeckman.bsky.social for this conversation.
153
Reposted by prbeckman
The Strategy Bridge @thestrategybridge.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
For those interested, The Small Wars Journal is in good hands, and you can find @tyrellmayfield.bsky.social’s article in their archive here: archive.smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/han...
archive.smallwarsjournal.com
Handcuffed: The Burden of Institutional, Management and Leadership Problems on the AFPAK Hands Program | Small Wars Journal
If the DoD continues to ignore the management and leadership issues facing the APH program it can expect more of the same.
193
Reposted by prbeckman
The Strategy Bridge @thestrategybridge.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Join host @prbeckman.bsky.social for a TSB Podcast with @tyrellmayfield.bsky.social, former AFPAK Hand and author of the 2013 Small Wars Journal article “Handcuffed: The Burden of Institutional, Management, and Leadership Problems on the AFPAK Hands Program.” thestrategybridge.org/the-podcast
thestrategybridge.org
The Podcast
195
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
"Beware the Black Widow: The P-61, the Beaufighter, and the first air war fought in the dark." www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
smithsonianmag.com
Beware the Black Widow
The P-61, the Beaufighter, and the first air war fought in the dark.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
“How Terrorist Groups Are Using A.I. to Gain an Edge in Battle - A.I. chatbots are not just a propaganda tool for violent extremists but are aiding in bomb construction and attack planning, new research finds." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/u...
nytimes.com
How Terrorist Groups Are Using A.I. to Gain an Edge in Battle
A.I. chatbots are not just a propaganda tool for violent extremists but are aiding in bomb construction and attack planning, new research finds.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The view from Oak Ridge looking out across the field that troops from Alabama and North Carolina would march across to attack troops from Maine, NY, and Pennsylvania on July 1, 1863.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Kuerner hill on a beautiful sunny day. It’s great to have the opportunity to explore the landscape that Karl Kuerner and Andrew Wyeth painted.
020
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
March 1944 - "the Joint Chiefs of Staff have decided that our first major objective in the war against JAPAN will be the vital LUZON-FORMOSA-CHINA COAST Area. Strategy will be directed to attain this objective by the most direct and expeditious course possible"
100
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
This is interesting. Nimitz's proposal for a series of operations leading to Formosa-China Coast. Note the key role of SWPA forces in Central Philippines in his plan.
110
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
This is the Command History of the 7th Amphibious Force which served in SWPA in WW2. And below is the list of amphibious operations the 7th executed. www.history.navy.mil/research/lib...
210
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
After the Yap invasion was canceled, Nimitz offered the 24th Corps (7th, 96th, and 77th Infantry Divisions) to MacArthur for the Leyte op. But he was also considering using the 24th Corps to seize Iwo Jima. That would have been an interesting alternative history.
100
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
"Destruction of the enemy fleet is always the primary objective of our Naval Forces. Attempts by enemy fleet units to interfere with amphibious operations are both hoped for and provided against..."
010
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
"As concern rises in Europe over threats from an emboldened Russia, the Irish government says it’s working to plug gaps in its military, which reflect a tradition of neutrality." www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/w...
nytimes.com
Ireland, Seen as a Weak Link in Europe’s Defense, Is Trying to Bulk Up
111
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Nimitz's reasons for opposing OSS operations in the POA.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Good documentary on the Seattle music scene of the 80's and early 90's. - "Hype!" www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HWV...
youtube.com
Hype! | FULL MOVIE | Sub Pop, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden | Seattle Grunge Music Documentary
YouTube video by Shout! Studios
020
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The draft plan for Operation Olympic, the invasion of Honshu, scheduled for 1 Nov 1945.
000
Reposted by prbeckman
🍁🍂 🎃 Diva for the Season 💚💙🏈🫶👠👑 @queenofthinair.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Every Day is Ethics Day!
7393
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
🤔
080
Reposted by prbeckman
Make Opening Day a National Holiday @chriscardsfan.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The third largest ground force ever fielded by the U.S. Army. Add in the independent tank battalions, RCT’s, engineer units, etc, and you have enough men to make up at least another two divisions. They conducted several dozen amphibious assaults, including 35 landings in a five week period in 1945.
192
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The Army divisions in WWII website has been updated. armydivs.com/divisions?vi... These are the 21 Army divisions that served in the Pacific War.
210
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
"Criticism of the Thucydides Trap has been so vicious and thorough that I can organize it into five different categories" hegemon.substack.com/p/chinas-fav...
hegemon.substack.com
China's Favorite American Idea
the "Thucydides Trap" shows how bad history can succeed if it serves a purpose
110
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
“Is the Nonfiction Book Crisis for Real? And Are Podcasts to Blame? The Panic Makes for a Good Story. But the Numbers Tell a Different Tale.” www.millersbookreview.com/p/is-the-non...
millersbookreview.com
Is the Nonfiction Book Crisis for Real?
And Are Podcasts to Blame? The Panic Makes for a Good Story. But the Numbers Tell a Different Tale
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
In 1914, Marines robbed the Haitian national bank. If this were fiction it would be a great movie, but the fact that it’s real, well, it’s shameful.
042
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Today’s reading. Gangsters of Capitalism.
020
Reposted by prbeckman
Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This 1952 memo from the Pentagon UFO files is superb There is no point preparing for aliens ‘because no one of consequence is going to take this rubbish seriously unless it happens. At that point, our policy will be determined in the traditional manner of grand panic.’ 🤣 www.war.gov/medialink/uf...
There likely is nothing to be done at the moment to prepare for these possibilities (the only body of writing on the subject available in an emergency is science fiction), because no one of consequence is going to take this rubbish seriously unless it happens. At that point, our policy will be determined in the traditional manner of grand panic.

Maxwell W. Hunter, II
Member, Professional Staff
7054521637
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
This is an important and relevant book to read> “The Strange Career of Jim Crow” by C. Vann Woodward global.oup.com/ushe/product...
global.oup.com
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Ganesh Sitaraman traces the history of the airline industry from its inception until today, argues that the problems plaguing air travel today stem from the 1978 decision to deregulate the industry. hls.harvard.edu/today/airlin...
hls.harvard.edu
Airline deregulation may be why flying is such a miserable part of holiday travel - Harvard Law School
Ahead of the holiday travel season, Harvard Law graduate Ganesh Sitaraman argues in a new book that deregulating the airline industry has led to higher costs, less choice, and more misery for the flyi...
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Airline Deregulation: When Everything Changed airandspace.si.edu/stories/edit...
airandspace.si.edu
Airline Deregulation: When Everything Changed
In 1978, Congress passed a law allowing airlines to set their own fares and routes, an event that transformed the commercial airline industry and the passenger experience.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
"there are about 70% more bookstores now than there were six years ago in the United States. After 20 years of declining numbers, they’re coming roaring back.” www.fastcompany.com/91529634/ind...
fastcompany.com
Independent Bookstore Day: Bookshop.org founder on how small retailers are taking on Amazon
After 20 years of declining numbers, indie booksellers in the U.S. have come ‘roaring back,’ says Andy Hunter.
011
Reposted by prbeckman
DiscussingFilm @discussingfilm.net · 01/05/2026
The Academy has banned AI from ever winning an Oscar. • Only roles “demonstrably performed by humans with their consent” can be nominated for acting Oscars • Screenplays “must be human-authored” to qualify for a nomination
7262541574
Reposted by prbeckman
Anna Mazzola @annamazz.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Some useful public speaking tips from Freud here.
13676051413
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
“The Expert Trap and the Next War” open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com
The Expert Trap and the Next War
what forecasting failure tells us about the future
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Craft Breweries Struggle as Sales and Appetites Wane www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/b...
nytimes.com
Craft Breweries Struggle as Sales and Appetites Wane
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Counterrevolution in Egypt: How Sisi broke the dream of a new republic. In his latest book, Egyptian writer Hossam el-Hamalawy explores how the collapse of the Mubarak government gave way to a new style of dictatorship www.middleeasteye.net/discover/cou...
middleeasteye.net
Counterrevolution in Egypt: How Sisi broke the dream of a new republic
In his latest book, Egyptian writer Hossam el-Hamalawy explores how the collapse of the Mubarak government gave way to a new style of dictatorship
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Stars and Stripes: Six Navy photographers were assigned to document the recovery of Artemis II, all of whom described the moment as one of the most meaningful assignments in their careers. www.stripes.com/branches/nav...
stripes.com
6 Navy photographers and the shots seen round the world: ‘Our team succeeded’
Six Navy photographers documented the recovery of Artemis II. They described the moment as one of the most meaningful assignments in their careers.
020
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
King to Nimitz April 1942 on establishment of Pacific Ocean Area.
110
Reposted by prbeckman
Paul T. Levin @paultlevin.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz reignites plans for alternative transportation routes, many of which include Turkey’s, whose geography “condemns the country to geopolitical significance,” as one diplomat eloquently puts it. (🎁 article.)
giftarticle.ft.com
Turkey promotes ‘Middle Corridor’ as Strait of Hormuz alternative
Officials plan to reopen frontier with Armenia to unlock a Trump-backed trade route between Europe and Asia
0157
Reposted by prbeckman
🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 @specialkhersoncat.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
🔥 Incredible footage of Ukrainian Yak-52 crews in action. Pilots of the 11th Separate Army Aviation Brigade “Kherson” clear the skies of Russian drones.
351135254
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
How a Navy photographer snapped an iconic Artemis II astronaut photo taskandpurpose.com/news/august-...
taskandpurpose.com
How a Navy photographer snapped an iconic Artemis II astronaut photo
The photographer who snapped the photos of the Artemis II crew’s return to Earth spent years honing his craft on a Navy aircraft carrier.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
“The success of this War depends upon the Skillful Steerage of the political Vessel.” - John Adams, 1776
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
"the proper measure of strategic achievement is the quality of policy result compared with the quality of outcome required." - Colin Gray
031
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Very relieved to see Integrity splash down.
000
prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Strategic Plan for the Defeat of Japan, 8 May 43 history.state.gov/historicaldo...
history.state.gov
Historical Documents - Office of the Historian
history.state.gov 3.0 shell
010