Episode 18: Special Guest Walter Russell Mead, Herman Melville, "Benito Cereno," 1855

Comps List Radio · Oct 26, 2026 · 56m · transcript

Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Florida Walter Russell Mead joins the show to discuss a book that he believes gives students and practitioners a unique window into the history of American foreign policy... Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno."

Mead argues that Melville had an incredible insight into the minds of Americans as they faced the world. How they seek to aid and assist, shape and liberate. Mead shows that the book establishes a familiar pattern to American foreign relations.

In addition to discussing the book, Mead advocates for using…