#235: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad with Josh Cannon

#235: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad with Josh Cannon

From MCA Scuttlebutt by MCA Scuttlebutt

March 26, 2026 · 1h 22m

About this episode

Josh Cannon discusses his book and the connections between the Iliad and modern veteran experiences.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Josh Cannon to the scuttlebutt. Josh is a veteran Marine of OIF and the Director of Research for the Frederick Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the author of  Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad , a book that overlays his experience in combat with the themes of the Iliad. This was a fascinating discussion about what it is that the narrative of the Iliad did for the ancient Greeks, and how it applies to us today, especially those who wear the uniform. We joke about the action heroes of the 80s and 90s and how fun those movies were, but how those stories are infamous for being shallow and for having one-dimensional characters. Josh helps us understand that this tradition is actually prevalent throughout history, with the Iliad in particular (a text written around the 8 th  century BC) as not only one of the oldest surviving literary works, but possibly the first recorded action story, as it is so similar to the action genre of the Schwarzenegger and Stallone…

People in this episode

Host: MCA Scuttlebutt

Guest: Josh Cannon

Topics covered

  • veterans
  • Iliad
  • combat experience
  • narrative
  • action genre
  • Marine Corps

Keywords

  • veterans
  • Iliad
  • Josh Cannon
  • Marine Corps
  • combat
  • narrative
  • action genre

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Frederick Honors College, University of Pittsburgh

Books & works: Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad, Iliad

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