General George S. Patton is known for his aggressive, action-oriented tactical brilliance.

His character was also marked by a lesser-known but equally fundamental mystic piety.

Those two qualities would come together in the lead up to and execution of Patton's greatest achievement during WWII: the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Alex Kershaw tells this story in his new book Patton's Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II. Today on the show, Alex shares how, when the Third Army's advance into Germany was stalled by plane-grounding clouds and road-muddying rain, Patton commissioned a prayer for better weather that was distributed to a quarter million of his men, and how that prayer became even more urgent after the commencement of the Battle of the Bulge. We also talk about Patton's qualities as a leader and a man, including his reading habits, how he combined a profane assertiveness with a pious faith and a belief in reincarnation, and what happened to him as the war came to a close.

• Alex’s previous appearances on the AoM Podcast:
  • #361: The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division
  • #514: Remembering D-Day 75 Years Later
  • #806: The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII’s Most Decorated Soldiers
  • #953: Duty, Honor, and the Unlikely Heroes Who Helped Win the Battle of the Bulge
• AoM Article: George S. Patton’s Rules on Being an Officer and a Gentleman
• AoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — George S. Patton
• AoM Article: The Maxims of General George S. Patton
• AoM Article: General Patton’s Strategy for Winning in War and Life — Keep Punching
• Chaplain James Hugh O'Neill
• Patton movie
• Patton's opening speech
• The story and a look at Patton's prayer cards

• Alex's website
• Alex on X

We often think happiness will be found in the completion of a goal. We often think happiness will be found in ease and comfort. My guest says real joy is found in the journey rather than the destination, and that if difficulty and discomfort are part of that journey, that's all the better.

Dr. Adam Fraser is a peak performance researcher and the author of Strive: Embracing the Gift of Struggle. Today on the show, we talk about what Adam calls the "strive state," where we have to grow and be courageous to tackle a meaningful challenge, and why this state is the source of the greatest fulfillment in life. We discuss why we often resist embracing the strive state and what happens when we don't have to struggle in life. We also talk about what successful strivers do differently.

• Adam's previous appearance on the AoM Podcast: Episode #909 — Master Microtransitions to Improve the Happiness, Success, and Flow of Your Life
• Sunday Firesides: Pursuit as Happiness
• Sunday Firesides: No Bad Feelings
• AoM Podcast #708: Overcome the Comfort Crisis
• AoM Podcast #108: The Upside of Your Dark Side
• AoM Podcast #868: Escape the Happiness Trap
• "Pass the Parcel" episode of Bluey

• Adam's website
• Adam on LinkedIn
• Adam on IG
• Adam on FB

If you didn’t grow up doing your own laundry, once you headed out on your own, you probably just figured things out on the fly, hoped for the best, and have been doing things the same way ever since. But, while you may be getting the job done okay, you also might be making some mistakes that are costing you time, money, and cleaner clothes.

In this episode from the Art of Manliness department of essential life skills, we’ll cover all the things you should have learned as a young man but never did, and how to do your laundry effectively. Our guide is Patric Richardson, aka the “Laundry Evangelist,” a laundry expert who runs how-to-do-laundry camps, hosts the television show The Laundry Guy, and is the author of Laundry Love. Today on the show, Patric shares the one cycle and water temperature you should use for all of your clothes, exactly how much detergent you should be using (which is a lot less than you think), how often you should wash your clothes (which is less often than you think), why you shouldn’t ever use dryer sheets (and what to throw in your dryer instead), how regardless of what the tag says, you can wash anything at home (including a wool suit), how to easily get rid of stains (including yellow pit stains), and many more tips that will save you time, money, and hassle in doing your laundry.

• AoM Article: How to Do Laundry
• AoM Article: The Simplifying Step Missing From Your Laundry Routine
• AoM Article: How Many Times You Can Wear Your Clothes Between Washes
• AoM Article: How to Get the Stink Out of Synthetic Workout Shirts
• AoM Article: How to Remove and Prevent Yellow Armpit Stains
• AoM Article: A Guide to Shrinking Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit Jeans

• Patric’s website
• Patric on YouTube