WTH Should I Read This Summer? "The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines" by Jonathan Horn

In this episode of What the Hell’s summer book series,
bestselling author, Jonathan Horn, discusses his new book, The
Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle
for the Philippines (Scribner, 2025). In it, Jonathan tells the
tale of lesser-known American Pacific Theater hero, General
Jonathan Wainwright. General Wainwright’s story is a lesson of
the importance of keeping your word and honor. As a leader, he
says, “no other course of action would be honorable but to stay
with my men and share their fate.” What else came of the man left
behind? What led him to his infamous surrender? And beyond the
medal they share, how should the two generals be remembered?


Jonathan Horn is the author of Washington’s End and the Robert E.
Lee biography The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, which was a
Washington Post bestseller. Jonathan has written for outlets
including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New
York Times Disunion series, New York Post, The Daily Beast,
National Review, and POLITICO. A former White House presidential
speechwriter, Jonathan served under President George W.
Bush. 


Find The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the
Epic Battle for the Philippines here.


Find the transcript here.