Foul Deeds and Fair Balls

Will Bardenwerper is an American writer specializing in narrative nonfiction. 

THE TALK

Foul Deeds and Fair Balls:

An insider’s view of a captured war criminal  and the saving grace of baseball

THE BACK STORY

Will quit his job in finance following the 9/11 attacks in Manhattan and volunteered to serve in the United States Army. He spent most of the next decade engaged in United States foreign policy, beginning in 2004 as an infantry platoon leader. After completing his Army service, Will worked in the Washington Bureau of The New York Times before enrolling in The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he graduated with a Master's Degree in 2010. Upon graduation, he was selected to join the Pentagon as a Presidential Management Fellow, where he spent the next four years working on the development and implementation of defense strategy with senior leaders in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Will was an Airborne Ranger qualified infantry officer in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and his service included a 13-month deployment to Nineveh and Anbar Provinces, Iraq in 2006-7. While in Iraq, he helped lead his infantry battalion's reconstruction, civil affairs, and tribal engagement efforts in the city of Hit. His unit helped contribute to the beginning of what would later become known as the “Anbar Awakening.” Will was awarded a Bronze Star and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Will is a graduate of Princeton University, where he majored in English. His book The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid was published by Scribner in 2017. He has had Op Eds and feature articles published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper's, Outside, Newsweek, and others. He contributes a regular opinion column to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

His new book, Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America will be published by Doubleday on March 11, 2025.

In his free time, Will enjoys playing ice hockey, golf, skiing, and rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Mets, and Washington Capitals. Will lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Marcy, their son, Bates, and daughter, Shea.

He is the author of "The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid," which was published by Scribner in June, 2017.

Will's next book, Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America, exploring small town baseball and community, is available for preorder.

Enjoy delicious tapas, drinks and live music while socializing with friends, neighbors and new acquaintances before each talk. The conversation continues afterwards with Allegheny's hand-made ice cream with toppings, cookies, coffee and tea.

This ticket entitles you to a Tapas Talks 2025 Speakers Series Season Subscription which includes admission to three engaging evenings at the Allegheny Country Club featuring a selection of delicious tapas, live music, cash bar, dessert, coffee and tea, complimentary valet parking and a lecture by these fascinating speakers:

Thursday, February 13, 2025

The Plastic Predicament:  How the plague of plastics is destroying our planet and our health

Randy Olson, acclaimed National Geographic Photographer and Environmental Activist

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Foul Deeds and Fair Balls: An insider’s view of a captured war criminal  and the saving grace of baseball

Will Bardenwerper, Former Financier. US Army Infantry Officer, Pentagon Official, And now, Author

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Entrepreneur Confidential: What it takes to scale a small business from scratch  

Beth Genter, Founder & President, Schenley Capital

Melissa Horvath, Owner, Designer, & CEO Sweet Water Décor

C. Holly Wilbanks, Founder & Principal, The Wilbanks Consulting Group

Time:  Tapas & Cash Bar - 6:00 PM 

• Speakers/Panel - 7:15-8:00 PM 

• Q&A – 8:00 – 8:15 PM

• Coffee & Dessert - 8:15-8:45 PM 

For more information visit tapastalks.com

Your season subscription price includes admission to all three talks, food and valet parking.