For many men, surviving the test of battle intensifies the joy of being alive. A provocative claim, perhaps, but to novelist Mark Helprin, simply a fact, and one that drives his new book about men who commit themselves fully both to service during wartime and to the women they love. Listen as Helprin tells EconTalk's Russ Roberts how his service in the Israeli and American militaries, his decades of journalism and outdoor adventure, and his long career in defense and foreign policy enabled him to write The Oceans and the Stars, a lyrical and thrilling look at leadership in the crucible of war--and at sea. They also discuss Helprin's writing routine and sources of inspiration, his analysis of Israel's real-life war against Iran and its proxies, and his thoughts on the state of American culture today.
Welcome to Econ talk conversations for the curious part of the Library of economics and Liberty.
I'm your host, Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
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Today is June 9, 2024.
My guest is novelist and writer Mark Halperin.
I think I have read every book that he has written, every word that he has put between two covers of any book.
Mark was here on June of 2009 talking about his book, Digital Barbarism.
Our topic for today, among other things, is his latest book, the Oceans and the Stars, a Sea Story, a war Story, a love story.
Mark, welcome back to Econ Talk.
Thank you, Russ.
We'll get to your book, but I want to start by talking about reading and writing.
When you were growing up as a boy and a young man, did you have favorite authors, people you read intensely.
That affected you?
Yes.
Do you see what's behind me?
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Radio audience can't see that, but there's 7000 books there, and it's a very barbaric thing for you to ask me to choose my favorites from those.