In this episode, Dr. Wendy Whitman Cobb and Col. Cory Hollon are joined by Lt Col Rachel Reynolds and Lt Col Ben “Hojo” Heidenreich to discuss SAASS 667, Information and Cyber Power. The conversation explores how the course examines influence, subversion, cyber operations, and the role of narratives in contemporary competition, drawing on historical and current case studies such as Ukraine and great-power rivalry. The guests describe how the course connects theory to practice, helping students think strategically about information and cyber effects rather than focusing solely on technical details. The episode also highlights the course’s innovative AI-based evaluation exercise, which challenges students to critically assess the strengths and limitations of large language models in strategic analysis.

If you have questions, comments, or episode recommendations, please email us at bookstobattles@au.af.edu

Books Mentioned

Jennifer Yoder, WWII Memory and Contested Commemorations in Europe and Russia (Oxford University Press, 2024)

Kenneth Alan Osgood, Total Cold War: Eisenhower’s Secret Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad (Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, 2006).

Andreas Krieg, Subversion: The Strategic Weaponization of Narratives, (Georgetown University Press, 2023)

Daniel Moore, Offensive Cyber Operations: Understanding Intangible Warfare (Oxford University Press, 2021).

Jon R. Lindsay, Age of Deception: Intelligence and Cybersecurity in an Era of Information Warfare (Cornell University Press, 2025).

Nicole Perlroth, This is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyber-Weapons Arms Race. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021).

Michael P. Fischerkeller, Emily O. Goldman, Richard J. Harknett and Paul M. Nakasone. Cyber Persistence Theory: Redefining National Security in Cyberspace. (Oxford University Press, 2022).

The opinions expressed here are those of the hosts or the guests and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of the Air Force, the Depart of Defense, or the United States Government.