Donald Rumsfeld has been a Congressman, White House Chief of Staff, CEO of numerous corporations, and served as Secretary of Defense in two different administrations. Over his many years of government and corporate life, he’s become known for what he calls his rules – a collection of stories, quotes, sayings and other lessons useful to anyone in a leadership position. Now he’s collected these rules into a most informative book called, what else, Rumsfeld’s Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life. We talk with him about his time in government, the war in Iraq, and how these rules have guided him through his various posts and challenges in life.

In the excellent new book The Savior Generals, written by one of our favorite guests, Victor Davis Hanson, we look at five different generals and how they met the challenges they faced on the battlefield. Ranging from the Athenian general Themistocles to General William Tecumseh Sherman to General David Petraeus, Hanson shows us a common theme that runs through these heralded military leaders. It’s a fascinating look at leadership and military tactics, and how they shaped the reputations of these great men.

Was the Arab Spring really the surge of democracy that many in the media and government made it out to be? Not according to Andrew McCarthy, author of Spring Fever. He argues that for many who practice Islam, freedom simply doesn’t have a place, and the values of the West are at odds with this worldview.

Jim Frederick, author of “Special Ops” and Executive Editor of Time magazine discusses special ops missions, such as the killing by U.S. forces of Osama Bin Laden.

Paul Rahe discusses the tension between the federal government and the Catholic Church; and Juliana Taimoorazy and Kamal Ibrahim speak about persecution in Egypt and the Middle East.