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A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Former Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper reveals the shocking details of his tumultuous tenure while serving in the Trump administration. From June of 2019 until his firing by President Trump after the November 2020 election, Secretary Mark T. Esper led the Department of Defense through an unprecedented time in history—a period marked by growing threats and conflict abroad, a global pandemic unseen in a century, the greatest domestic unrest in two generations, and a White House seemingly bent on breaking accepted norms and conventions for political advantage. A Sacred Oath is Secretary Esper’s unvarnished and candid memoir of those extraordinary and dangerous times, and includes events and moments never before told.
752 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
July 22, 2022
Always eager to get another glimpse behind the curtain of what was the Trump Administration, I gladly picked up this book by Mark T. Esper, the former Secretary of Defense. The book is a mix of revelations, insights, and explanations about how things worked in the Administration, as well as the decisions made that shaped America’s defence strategy for a time. Esper pulls no punches, though is also not overly harsh, while educating the reader about all that took place on his watch. Eye-opening at times, Esper seeks to educate on a vast array of subject, succeeding throughout this intriguing tome.
While many of the books I have read about the Trump Administration focus greatly on life within the West Wing, Mark T. Esper’s book offers a different perspective, which presents a ‘bigger picture’ of how things were done and the decision-making process. Esper gives some background on his life and how he rose through the ranks, before being asked to serve as Secretary of the Army and eventually at Defense. While it was surely an honour to do so, Esper makes clear that there were some really big shoes to fill and some concerns to address throughout the time he served in the Cabinet.
Esper lays the groundwork for some interesting discussions about how the Secretary of Defense and those under him serve the country and the president. While many would likely presume it is all wars and tank fighting, as well as rallying the troops before they head into battle, Esper explains that a great deal went on stateside to keep Defense running smoothly. There were troop deployments and the state of military families that needed to be handled, as well as some of the issues around base protocols and permissions to run things in a certain way. This theme comes back throughout the book, particularly when Esper was forced to make some strong policies that clashed with Trump and his ability to appease a raucous base of supporters. Two of the greatest clashes that receive much print related to flying the Confederate flag on military bases and using the military to quell protestors during some of the heightened clashes about race and police brutality. While Esper held firm, many could see that this pushback would not bode well for his long-term employment.
Esper also speaks at length about some of his work on the international scene. Throughout his tenure at Defence, Esper handled a number of situations where Iran found itself in the crosshairs. Esper sought to work with Trump and others in the Cabinet to come up with strategic, diplomatic, and military options to handle some of the Iranian issues. However, there were also issues on a higher level with China, which Esper discusses throughout the tome. China’s technological and financial power could not be ignored by the US, which Esper translated as being a strong threat to world peace and a balance on the Asian continent. Other players and allies, such as Japan, South Korean and India, also noticed China’s power in the region, something Esper tried to handle through diplomatic men’s as best he could. His insights offer the reader a better idea of the strategic games played by both sides to keep the peace and yet not miss possible moves that could significantly change the political scene.
Mark T. Esper offers a great perspective for those who seek to better understand the inner workings of the Trump Administration, not only from a West Wing perspective. He tackles tough issues related to his being Secretary of Defense, offering statistics and ideas about how America faced some of its enemies and allies through a tough time period. Esper pulls no punches in his easy to digest narrative, but does not seek to create a tell-all book to smear Trump or his sycophants. My interest is piqued to learn a little more about some of the other actors who played impactful roles. Esper presents his views in well-paced chapters and fills each with information key to better understanding the situation and those who played a role, especially Trump and some of the military actors who would run things for Defense. Esper does not come across as bowing down to Trump, but also knew when to challenge over biting his tongue. While i knew little about the man before reading this book, I have a new-found respect for him and how he tried to steer the country away from clashes at a time when the Commander-in-Chief was anything but leadership material.
Kudos, Mr. Esper, for a wonderful exploration of your time within the Trump Administration. I can only imagine what else you might have to say, should it not have to be vetted for publication.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While many of the books I have read about the Trump Administration focus greatly on life within the West Wing, Mark T. Esper’s book offers a different perspective, which presents a ‘bigger picture’ of how things were done and the decision-making process. Esper gives some background on his life and how he rose through the ranks, before being asked to serve as Secretary of the Army and eventually at Defense. While it was surely an honour to do so, Esper makes clear that there were some really big shoes to fill and some concerns to address throughout the time he served in the Cabinet.
Esper lays the groundwork for some interesting discussions about how the Secretary of Defense and those under him serve the country and the president. While many would likely presume it is all wars and tank fighting, as well as rallying the troops before they head into battle, Esper explains that a great deal went on stateside to keep Defense running smoothly. There were troop deployments and the state of military families that needed to be handled, as well as some of the issues around base protocols and permissions to run things in a certain way. This theme comes back throughout the book, particularly when Esper was forced to make some strong policies that clashed with Trump and his ability to appease a raucous base of supporters. Two of the greatest clashes that receive much print related to flying the Confederate flag on military bases and using the military to quell protestors during some of the heightened clashes about race and police brutality. While Esper held firm, many could see that this pushback would not bode well for his long-term employment.
Esper also speaks at length about some of his work on the international scene. Throughout his tenure at Defence, Esper handled a number of situations where Iran found itself in the crosshairs. Esper sought to work with Trump and others in the Cabinet to come up with strategic, diplomatic, and military options to handle some of the Iranian issues. However, there were also issues on a higher level with China, which Esper discusses throughout the tome. China’s technological and financial power could not be ignored by the US, which Esper translated as being a strong threat to world peace and a balance on the Asian continent. Other players and allies, such as Japan, South Korean and India, also noticed China’s power in the region, something Esper tried to handle through diplomatic men’s as best he could. His insights offer the reader a better idea of the strategic games played by both sides to keep the peace and yet not miss possible moves that could significantly change the political scene.
Mark T. Esper offers a great perspective for those who seek to better understand the inner workings of the Trump Administration, not only from a West Wing perspective. He tackles tough issues related to his being Secretary of Defense, offering statistics and ideas about how America faced some of its enemies and allies through a tough time period. Esper pulls no punches in his easy to digest narrative, but does not seek to create a tell-all book to smear Trump or his sycophants. My interest is piqued to learn a little more about some of the other actors who played impactful roles. Esper presents his views in well-paced chapters and fills each with information key to better understanding the situation and those who played a role, especially Trump and some of the military actors who would run things for Defense. Esper does not come across as bowing down to Trump, but also knew when to challenge over biting his tongue. While i knew little about the man before reading this book, I have a new-found respect for him and how he tried to steer the country away from clashes at a time when the Commander-in-Chief was anything but leadership material.
Kudos, Mr. Esper, for a wonderful exploration of your time within the Trump Administration. I can only imagine what else you might have to say, should it not have to be vetted for publication.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 10, 2022
“Quitting would have made me feel good but I didn’t think it was the right thing to do for our country.” (M.Esper)
Mark Esper is proud of the oaths he’s sworn over his life. From the first as a cadet to his last as Secretary of Defense, he takes them very seriously and you’ll find copies of them in his book, “A Sacred Oath”. The subtitle calls this book a “Memoirs of a Defense Secretary…” but the book reads more like an historical documentation of his 18 months in the White House as Secretary of Defense under Trump. It’s exhaustively detailed and includes information the government tried to have censored. What you’ll find are redacted lines and words in the body of the text; it’s flat out shocking.
Esper is a man driven by duty to his country. Why he agreed to serve in Trump’s administration is a mystery. There are spare positive words for our 45th President and lots of praising and back thumping for those who worked along side Esper, saving the proverbial day. It’s his version of things; to be expected. He does query why others, himself included, stay so long after they see how bad things are; no answer shared. His wife told him: “As your wife, please quit. As an American citizen, please stay.” He stays until fired and writes one heck of a resignation letter.
I liked the book much more than expected. Esper’s duty to country is inspiring even if his pride can read overbearing at times. A strategic read with less drama than most departed Trumpers and more substance in its place📚
Mark Esper is proud of the oaths he’s sworn over his life. From the first as a cadet to his last as Secretary of Defense, he takes them very seriously and you’ll find copies of them in his book, “A Sacred Oath”. The subtitle calls this book a “Memoirs of a Defense Secretary…” but the book reads more like an historical documentation of his 18 months in the White House as Secretary of Defense under Trump. It’s exhaustively detailed and includes information the government tried to have censored. What you’ll find are redacted lines and words in the body of the text; it’s flat out shocking.
Esper is a man driven by duty to his country. Why he agreed to serve in Trump’s administration is a mystery. There are spare positive words for our 45th President and lots of praising and back thumping for those who worked along side Esper, saving the proverbial day. It’s his version of things; to be expected. He does query why others, himself included, stay so long after they see how bad things are; no answer shared. His wife told him: “As your wife, please quit. As an American citizen, please stay.” He stays until fired and writes one heck of a resignation letter.
I liked the book much more than expected. Esper’s duty to country is inspiring even if his pride can read overbearing at times. A strategic read with less drama than most departed Trumpers and more substance in its place📚
May 10, 2022
I have mixed feelings about former Defense Secretary Esper. But, when a staunch conservative comes out and tells the truth about Trump, I'm relieved. How to describe it? One of the few republicans willing to put country before party? A veteran acknowledging the danger to our democracy? Someone willing to call out the "emperor's lack of clothing" (and decency, veracity, intelligence, patriotism...the list is endless).
Also, I consider Goodreads an active reader's site and I refuse to let flat worlders get away with low-starring these fact-based books without an answer. Again, 🤷🏻♀️.
Also, I consider Goodreads an active reader's site and I refuse to let flat worlders get away with low-starring these fact-based books without an answer. Again, 🤷🏻♀️.
Read
June 12, 2022I don't know that I especially respect Mark Esper and I do not care about his attempts to patch up his tarnished reputation. He is a classic GOP military man slobbering at the heels of Ronald Reagan's ghost, with a noticeable disdain for liberal women. Despite this, I enjoyed the book. If you want an earnest condemnation of Trump, this isn't it. It is astonishing to see Esper claim that he never could have predicted Trump's response to the election results when The Economist predicted it the summer before the election had ever happened. It is literally impossible to believe that someone so close to the president was unable to foresee what a mainstream, centrist publication clearly outlined months in advance.
I felt repeatedly that he did not take more action to expose the inner malfunctioning of Trump's administration because he simply dislikes liberals more than he desires to save American democracy. He spends at least as much time outlining minor criticisms of various Democrats and playing the "very bad people on both sides" card, as if he doesn't understand his own apparent point. He didn't try to save us from Trump because he knew Democrats were the only feasible 'saviors', and that's clearly unacceptable to him; he's waiting for Reagan's resurrection, for his good old days, and sugarcoating an actual fascist movement as it unfolds within his own party. Better to keep the public uninformed during the election season than throw the Democrats a single cookie. Even worse, he does all this while complaining about bipartisan politics.
But ignoring all of that, and reading this with a focus on what the duties of a Secretary of Defense actually are, I found the book interesting and educational. I especially enjoyed the chapters in which he talked about restructuring and modernizing our military, as well as the chapters focused on the security situation in the Pacific region. Domestically, it was very interesting to note how often the protests of the summer of 2020 were discussed within the White House, as well as the open acknowledgment that if those protests had lasted longer and spread more widely, our government would have been unable to manage them. I also enjoyed gaining insight into the military stance on our (lack of) obligation to fight terrorists in Africa, as well as the efforts we make to butter up small, oil-rich countries. None of this was surprising, but it was sort of refreshing to see it all spelled out. Ignoring him as an individual, I feel Esper is a good general placeholder for the views of most American diplomats and high ranking military officials, regardless of party lines. And regardless of what I think of him as a person, if he were still somehow Secretary of Defense today, I feel he'd probably be doing a mostly okay job. Maybe.
I felt repeatedly that he did not take more action to expose the inner malfunctioning of Trump's administration because he simply dislikes liberals more than he desires to save American democracy. He spends at least as much time outlining minor criticisms of various Democrats and playing the "very bad people on both sides" card, as if he doesn't understand his own apparent point. He didn't try to save us from Trump because he knew Democrats were the only feasible 'saviors', and that's clearly unacceptable to him; he's waiting for Reagan's resurrection, for his good old days, and sugarcoating an actual fascist movement as it unfolds within his own party. Better to keep the public uninformed during the election season than throw the Democrats a single cookie. Even worse, he does all this while complaining about bipartisan politics.
But ignoring all of that, and reading this with a focus on what the duties of a Secretary of Defense actually are, I found the book interesting and educational. I especially enjoyed the chapters in which he talked about restructuring and modernizing our military, as well as the chapters focused on the security situation in the Pacific region. Domestically, it was very interesting to note how often the protests of the summer of 2020 were discussed within the White House, as well as the open acknowledgment that if those protests had lasted longer and spread more widely, our government would have been unable to manage them. I also enjoyed gaining insight into the military stance on our (lack of) obligation to fight terrorists in Africa, as well as the efforts we make to butter up small, oil-rich countries. None of this was surprising, but it was sort of refreshing to see it all spelled out. Ignoring him as an individual, I feel Esper is a good general placeholder for the views of most American diplomats and high ranking military officials, regardless of party lines. And regardless of what I think of him as a person, if he were still somehow Secretary of Defense today, I feel he'd probably be doing a mostly okay job. Maybe.
May 29, 2022
It is just hard to take seriously someone who goes on and on and on about sacred oaths and doing the right thing and making a devastating case that 45 is a clear and present danger to democracy but holds off telling us to sell books. He should be ashamed of himself but it is quite clear he is incapable of shame.
Please don’t support this book.
Please don’t support this book.
August 22, 2023
I usually stay away from memoirs - books full of self-justification hold little interest - but I heard the author speak in an event at work. The company's foundation hosts several dozen guest speakers throughout the year, and thanks to the foundation's president having gone to high school with the author, we were lucky enough to have him talk with us. The book was available for free, and he was an interesting enough speaker that I took advantage.
Was there self-justification throughout the book? Yep, for sure. But, since a lot of it was along the lines of "why I was right and the president was wrong," I was a little more open to it than usual. ;-) Also annoying were several examples that reminded me of work (paraphrasing): "I found many inefficiencies in the Department of Defense so I created some new committees and added a layer of senior management to help make things more efficient." Eye roll - how many times have I heard that before? Has it ever actually worked out that way?
Criticisms out of the way, the book was very interesting. Esper's writing was pretty good and he certainly saw his share of momentous events (a close-call on war with Iran being the most surprising, but also Covid, rioting, and of course the election). Countering some of the self-justification, he often commented on things he wished he had done differently. It was worth the time to read.
Was there self-justification throughout the book? Yep, for sure. But, since a lot of it was along the lines of "why I was right and the president was wrong," I was a little more open to it than usual. ;-) Also annoying were several examples that reminded me of work (paraphrasing): "I found many inefficiencies in the Department of Defense so I created some new committees and added a layer of senior management to help make things more efficient." Eye roll - how many times have I heard that before? Has it ever actually worked out that way?
Criticisms out of the way, the book was very interesting. Esper's writing was pretty good and he certainly saw his share of momentous events (a close-call on war with Iran being the most surprising, but also Covid, rioting, and of course the election). Countering some of the self-justification, he often commented on things he wished he had done differently. It was worth the time to read.
June 14, 2022
When I was a little girl, I thought political leaders "people" were like super human and held some kind of magic that made them honest and incapable or hurting other people and doing immoral things.... wow how wrong I was! As I got older and realized the reality of politics - I was so disappointed..... I remember the day I realized this - and from then on - I vowed to stay out of politics, because in my mind it was mostly about power, money and egos. How I yearn for when I was young again and lived in that "fairy tale" world!
September 21, 2024
It’s mostly good. There’s a bit of an air of “good thing I was there” to it which can be a little irksome, but it doesn’t detract from an otherwise admirable memoir.
June 27, 2022
Remember lava lamps? While contained with the glass or plastic outer shell the lava « blob » continued to shift its shape. Fascinating really. So what has that for to do with my review of this book?
Well, there are so many books, so many shows, new stations, and social media outlets churning out material and commentaries it is hard to get any shape or definition of what went on during the Trump presidency. That said, I look upon Esper’s book as a place of reasoned insight and argument.
Now, I still can’t understand why a man in his position would not immediately quit his position after hearing the President suggest shooting protesters. And yes, I did read Esper’s justification. That said, this book offers an informed insight into the workings of the President, his mindset, the politics of decision making at all levels of government and the realities of what can be accomplished in a nation’s defence over both the short term and the long term.
This book is a look beneath the covers of what went on in Washington and what goes on in the offices of those who must train and be prepared to defend America each day. It’s chilling.
Who was it that said ´I have seen the enemy and it is us?´
Regardless of one’s political position I think this is a valuable book to read.
Well, there are so many books, so many shows, new stations, and social media outlets churning out material and commentaries it is hard to get any shape or definition of what went on during the Trump presidency. That said, I look upon Esper’s book as a place of reasoned insight and argument.
Now, I still can’t understand why a man in his position would not immediately quit his position after hearing the President suggest shooting protesters. And yes, I did read Esper’s justification. That said, this book offers an informed insight into the workings of the President, his mindset, the politics of decision making at all levels of government and the realities of what can be accomplished in a nation’s defence over both the short term and the long term.
This book is a look beneath the covers of what went on in Washington and what goes on in the offices of those who must train and be prepared to defend America each day. It’s chilling.
Who was it that said ´I have seen the enemy and it is us?´
Regardless of one’s political position I think this is a valuable book to read.
May 16, 2022
Horrible book
I was expecting more tRump stupidity. This was 90% about Esper’s career and 10% about tRump’s stupidity. Esper made himself look like a hero. However the question remains why didn’t he come forward while he was working in the administration with his comments about tRump. He is a coward and I don’t believe him.
I was expecting more tRump stupidity. This was 90% about Esper’s career and 10% about tRump’s stupidity. Esper made himself look like a hero. However the question remains why didn’t he come forward while he was working in the administration with his comments about tRump. He is a coward and I don’t believe him.
July 15, 2022
This book was okay-ish. It read more like a a way too long resume complete with fluffy language. Mr. Esper really fell in step with the us v them mentality, as his disdain for left of far right leaning people popped up frequently.
June 18, 2022
The writing style was very hard to get through…self important, preachy and stilted, making an otherwise informative recount of leadership at the very highest levels.
May 19, 2022
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to think before opening it, but having met Mark Esper, knowing he is a West Pointer and knowing he is very grounded I was certain it would be good and it exceeded my expectations. A similar accompaniment to books written by McMaster, Bolton and Woodward, this new book reaffirms much of the head-scratching moments when working in the orbit of #45. Mark Esper subscribes, rightly so, to the concept of his oaths at West Point through the one taken as SecDef and chronicles his 18 months of leading the US Defense institution. From Venezuela to COVID to extravagant July 4th celebrations to politics and everything in between, Esper desperately tries walking the legal and moral right while also educating a POTUS who appears to not be this way. He and classmate Mark Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs did their very best for their country but the former could not ultimately be loyal enough to his boss to keep his job. Very detailed and revealing, this book’s first hand account is laced with redacted lines and substance though the reader will get the gist.
July 18, 2022
Esper's debut memoir is admirable. It's very long and I admit I skimmed sections due to the great detail in which he describes military nitty gritty. However, this book held my attention while confirming the fear and trepidation I felt from 2017 - 2021.
I was impressed by the index, appendices, epilogue and even the acknowledgments.
I'm glad he mentioned his editor and how much good editing helps a new writer.
I recommend this book to everyone.
I was impressed by the index, appendices, epilogue and even the acknowledgments.
I'm glad he mentioned his editor and how much good editing helps a new writer.
I recommend this book to everyone.
June 8, 2022
Mark Esper is honorable, brilliant, and courageous. His insight into a dysfunctional White House is fascinating and genuinely scary. We should all be grateful for his thoughtful and honest service as some try to undermine our democracy from within. He was ultimately fired for not being “loyal” to an individual - but he was loyal to the constitution. Thank you Mark!
May 19, 2024
I waited entirely too long to actually finish this book. Fantastic story of a solid man who served his country with duty and honor. He was ringing the alarm of the Trump extremists long before the rest of the country caught on.
July 3, 2022
ever heard of a love me wall? well this is a love me book. It does show how to survive in the trump white house and still get things done, if it is all true. My delay on finishing this book is not because it was boring but because my time for checking out of the library ran out and I had to put it on hold again
June 12, 2022
Very good memoir from the ex Trump nominated secretary of defence. Esper is a Reagan -admiring military bureaucrat that just wanted to expand US military to even more hegemonic that it already is, but Trump was just too crazy to him. In this memoir Esper tells how Trump in very phew cases wanted to avoid war. In contrary if Trump was alone to decide in military matters he would have used "overwhelming force". Worst still is that in many cases Trump wanted to start a war and then steal the attacked countries natural resources.
So in many cases Esper had to control with other military personnel Trumps worst impulses. For me the most shocking was Trumps constant orders to shoot BLM protestors and send the military. Even arguing that "can we at least shoot them in the knees?"
Esper's book is a great insight on how the American empire is run and how much worst it could have been if Trump had absolute power
So in many cases Esper had to control with other military personnel Trumps worst impulses. For me the most shocking was Trumps constant orders to shoot BLM protestors and send the military. Even arguing that "can we at least shoot them in the knees?"
Esper's book is a great insight on how the American empire is run and how much worst it could have been if Trump had absolute power
July 12, 2022
Another depressing book about Trump’s shortcomings as a leader. This book was more depressing than many of the others like it because it involved our military, the risk of war and the deterioration of relationships with our allies. The book itself was not particularly well written and there were a surprising number of typographical errors or words missing, which I found surprising and amateurish.
October 20, 2025
Really interesting look into the first Trump administration, incredibly scary
July 13, 2022
I once had a totally impulsive boss, who said one thing one day and another day another. But he was so charismatic that I sought to have a company with him and be his partner. But people like this end up in the trash, because they are not good professionals or good people.
Read Mark T. Esper, the US secretary of defense. in the Trump era, he reminded me of these bad times. Trump could have started a war many times, and he would have if he hadn't been stopped by people like Esper. I think the book has really sad moments where Trump's personality comes through. Some of them:
Request that the national guard shoot at the legs of the protesters who in the year 2020 protested in several cities in the United States.
Wanting to bomb Mexico to destroy drug laboratories. I understand Trump's desperation but this would have been too much.
His murderer managed Covid, where many people died due to his incompetence.
This book is excellent, as it helps us understand the geopolitical trends and strategies of the United States. in the world.
Finally, and in my opinion, Trump is a psychopath, a criminal and his place is in jail (only for his betrayal of the country by fomenting an insurrection). A second Trump presidency (which may come about because of Biden's mistakes) would be a disaster for the world and the United States.
Read Mark T. Esper, the US secretary of defense. in the Trump era, he reminded me of these bad times. Trump could have started a war many times, and he would have if he hadn't been stopped by people like Esper. I think the book has really sad moments where Trump's personality comes through. Some of them:
Request that the national guard shoot at the legs of the protesters who in the year 2020 protested in several cities in the United States.
Wanting to bomb Mexico to destroy drug laboratories. I understand Trump's desperation but this would have been too much.
His murderer managed Covid, where many people died due to his incompetence.
This book is excellent, as it helps us understand the geopolitical trends and strategies of the United States. in the world.
Finally, and in my opinion, Trump is a psychopath, a criminal and his place is in jail (only for his betrayal of the country by fomenting an insurrection). A second Trump presidency (which may come about because of Biden's mistakes) would be a disaster for the world and the United States.
Read
May 17, 2022Disgraceful. This is a litany of self justification from a weak man who failed to live up to his "sacred" oath and instead chose to join the enablers in the Cabinet, the Republicans in the legislature and White House staff to keep a maniac in office all in the name of keeping their own jobs. When the leader of the free world tells you to shoot your fellow citizens you resign and denounce him in the name of your "sacred" oath. Esper should be ashamed of himself.
May 30, 2022
Revisionist History to restore a tarnished reputation
May 11, 2022
Trash
The very worst political book I've ever read. Self serving at it's worst.
Not worth the money, waste of time.
The very worst political book I've ever read. Self serving at it's worst.
Not worth the money, waste of time.
October 15, 2024
I realized I'm pretty fond of reading books by former secretaries of defense and those that reveal the inner workings and political maneuverings of those who occupy top spots in the Pentagon. I've read two books by Robert Gates--especially interesting to me because I worked in his immediate office from 2007-2008. I read Call Sign Chaos by former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and I also read a book by Douglas Feith (War and Decision), former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under Secretary Rumsfeld, that was probably inspired by taking his class at Georgetown as part of my Master in Policy Management program. And of course, I've enjoyed numerous books by Bob Woodward, as they provide a unique window into closed-door cabinet meetings and other national security deliberations at the highest levels of our government. Secretary Mark Esper's book A Sacred Oath is written in that same tradition. Although at times it seems a bit self-promotional--one man standing against a megalomaniac to keep our nation secure and with an overabundance of the personal pronoun "I"--it did offer a compelling account of Esper's time in office during what he calls "extraordinary times." It is indeed a sobering assessment of Donald Trump and his often rash tendencies that had to be blunted by cooler heads in his administration. It tells of the former president's fixation on (and perhaps irrational fear of) looking "weak." This was the constant lament of the president when insisting on using the active duty military to intervene in domestic affairs. As a former Army ROTC Professor of Military Science who frequently spoke about the importance of our oath, I appreciated Secretary Esper's continual reference to his oath of office as his lodestar. As a current instructor for Defense Civilian Training Corps scholars at Virginia Tech, I appreciated the focus on the importance of civilian control of the DoD and civil-military relations in general. I will continue to borrow from the book's themes in discussions with my students. Lastly, as we are just 3 weeks away from the presidential election, this was the right book for me at the right time. I strongly recommend it to anyone with similar interests or anyone who wants an unvarnished profile of one of the candidates for that high office. In the coming weeks, it will be as important as ever to ensure we remain committed to supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States.
April 7, 2023
I'm pleased that former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper chose to write such an extensive work on his time leading the Department of Defense. I imagine that ardent supporters of President Trump would immediately charge him of disloyalty for conveying in detail the inner workings of the Pentagon's E Ring and the Department of Defense's contribution to national security policy in the Trump Administration. For those most opposed to President Trump, they often see those who chose to serve in his Administration guilty of a tremendously shameful act (making it hard to see utility in their contributions). I found his notion of the dilemma to remain or to resign interesting in what he describes as “the existential question of the Trump administration." The detail of his international engagements are fascinating as well as his internal focus within the Pentagon to implement the 2018 National Defense Strategy. In the end reading this was a reminder that from the time Secretary Mattis resigned just before Christmas in 2018, the Department of Defense went through its longest period in its history of lacking a congressionally approved leader before Secretary Esper was confirmed in July 2019. It was also insightful to to hear his descriptions of the change in tone within the Administration following the first impeachment and the influence of the Senate acquittal in February 2020 on the operations of the White House as the global pandemic began unfolding. Both allies and adversaries remember the chaos surrounding the November 2020 election, the immediate aftermath including the President's firing of Secretary Esper, the events of January 6th, and the challenging transition from one a Administration to the next (including at the Pentagon). I found this a useful contribution from Secretary Esper that readers can learn from, but it does make one ponder what a transition to a new Administration might look like with President Trump leading early polls looking towards the 2024 Republican Primary and who would staff key positions in the Department of Defense leadership during this time of consequence.
August 31, 2022
The number of instances where I felt the author misrepresented or offered a distorted perspective were so numerous that I gave up on trying to catalog them for this review. Instead, I tried to focus on this book as if it were a Rashomon perspective (famous for portraying events from multiple perspectives ) and try to understand Esper's frame of mind. He clearly brought needed strategic and organizational thinking to improve our nation's defense effort and I am very grateful for that. Previously I had read Gates' book as he reflected on his past service in this role and the contrast here was immense. In reflection I think Gates was almost serving as a artificial placeholder without strategically advancing American aims or global peacekeeping whereas Esper was looking forward to shaping a better country in a better world. So, I'm rambling here but trying to say I appreciate and recognize his service even as I repeatedly shook my head at his misunderstanding and misalignment with Trump. Sometimes he would catch himself recognizing that Trump's efforts (and approaches) paid dividends in improving our foreign policy but then pulled himself back and claimed credit was his. Prime example was the chapter Making Lemonade: Trump insightfully saw the need to reposition troops out of Germany and wanted to shake Germany up from their stubborn positions on supporting NATO and friendly Russian pipeline engagement; in lieu of Esper agreeing that these were legitimate concerns (and he even said that they mirrored Obama's concerns) he was desperately trying to not follow through on action Trump wanted in this regard. In his mind, he "made lemonade out of lemons" by coming up with a plan to meet Trump's demands without carrying through in the exact direction he first imagined was asked. The result was a positive one and yet Esper could not see that the fact that Trump shook the tree hard was the reason we reached a better place, instead he narcissistically claimed credit for himself.
June 21, 2022
Truly an excellent read. In an environment where people get positions such as cabinet positions and ambassadorships because of political favors, Esper comes through as almost a lone ranger in his adherence to his oath to the constitution. His words bring him across as a team player and throughout he gives strong credit to General Milley. Together they made an outstanding team of leaders, each strongly adhering to their roles and then adding other ethical individuals to their teams.
A Sacred Oath is given out as a memoir, but it is more than that. If it was only about his time as Secretary of Defense, it would have been about 300 pages shorter. Instead, Esper gives his readers a fabulous history lesson of events not just in our recent history, but back to our founding fathers. And it is not a dry read in the telling. As I read about when we went after Soleimani (sp?) and what occurred in the situation room I felt like I was reading a Dale Brown or Tom Clancy action adventure. With Esper's words you KNEW what it was like waiting for the strike to occur. If he's looking for another career, writing action adventure fiction reading fans like me would eagerly welcome him to the genre. A Sacred Oath is not fiction -- it is a factual telling where Esper tells the story of what happened in each incident he was a part of, he ties in history and the law in a story to be read and then re-read because there is so much to it. It is a book that definitely belongs in a high school or college level history class.
Despite it's 700 page length I was so drawn into his story that I pretty much sat for two days reading it. Now I'm going to take my time on a re-read because there is so much and he has the kind of writing voice you want to read.
A Sacred Oath is given out as a memoir, but it is more than that. If it was only about his time as Secretary of Defense, it would have been about 300 pages shorter. Instead, Esper gives his readers a fabulous history lesson of events not just in our recent history, but back to our founding fathers. And it is not a dry read in the telling. As I read about when we went after Soleimani (sp?) and what occurred in the situation room I felt like I was reading a Dale Brown or Tom Clancy action adventure. With Esper's words you KNEW what it was like waiting for the strike to occur. If he's looking for another career, writing action adventure fiction reading fans like me would eagerly welcome him to the genre. A Sacred Oath is not fiction -- it is a factual telling where Esper tells the story of what happened in each incident he was a part of, he ties in history and the law in a story to be read and then re-read because there is so much to it. It is a book that definitely belongs in a high school or college level history class.
Despite it's 700 page length I was so drawn into his story that I pretty much sat for two days reading it. Now I'm going to take my time on a re-read because there is so much and he has the kind of writing voice you want to read.
June 4, 2022
4
I disagree strongly with many of Mark Esper's views, but I also respect him for finally telling the truth about Trump's incompetence and the danger he posed to this country as president. I sympathize with the criticism many have made of his decision to remain silent until he could capitalize with this book.
However, I also allow that perhaps his reasons for staying as long possible in his position of Secretary of Defense were because his soldiers couldn't quit when things got tough and, as their leader, he also had a duty to remain as well. And that required keeping his head down when he disagreed as much as possible. Occasionally during his tenure, he went public about some of the most egregious plans the former president had to remain in office after losing the election. It is also probable that he and others kept the military as far from politics as he could and prevented unnecessary action within our borders by active duty military personnel.
The book, like many political memoirs, was too heavy on self-aggrandizement, reminding me a bit of
John Bolton's, although I believe that Esper is the far better human being. He described his duties in detail which I personally found somewhat dry, making the book more of a slog than I had expected, but that is my personal bias. I can't honestly fault him on that.
On the whole it is a good book and important for all of us to read, regardless of our political preferences. We need more principled people like Esper in our service even when we disagree with some of their goals and decisions.
I disagree strongly with many of Mark Esper's views, but I also respect him for finally telling the truth about Trump's incompetence and the danger he posed to this country as president. I sympathize with the criticism many have made of his decision to remain silent until he could capitalize with this book.
However, I also allow that perhaps his reasons for staying as long possible in his position of Secretary of Defense were because his soldiers couldn't quit when things got tough and, as their leader, he also had a duty to remain as well. And that required keeping his head down when he disagreed as much as possible. Occasionally during his tenure, he went public about some of the most egregious plans the former president had to remain in office after losing the election. It is also probable that he and others kept the military as far from politics as he could and prevented unnecessary action within our borders by active duty military personnel.
The book, like many political memoirs, was too heavy on self-aggrandizement, reminding me a bit of
John Bolton's, although I believe that Esper is the far better human being. He described his duties in detail which I personally found somewhat dry, making the book more of a slog than I had expected, but that is my personal bias. I can't honestly fault him on that.
On the whole it is a good book and important for all of us to read, regardless of our political preferences. We need more principled people like Esper in our service even when we disagree with some of their goals and decisions.
July 5, 2022
I really liked and enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I liked it so much I would have given it a higher rating if that were possible. I figured the book would be primarily anti-Trump, for I have read several books on he subject, but the book was really about Mr. Esper's dedication to his army career beginning with a degree from West Point. He later served in the Reagan administration, did a tour of duty in the Iraq war, served as Secretary of the Army before becoming the Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration so he was very well qualified to serve in that position. In the process I learned a great deal about how the army functions. Esper believes strongly in the separation of the civilian and military when it comes to decision making and this is the part of the book that I found most interesting. Esper, who is a conservative, felt an allegiance to Trump as president, but as he worked worked with him, differences in views and personality clashes flared until their relationship was no longer workable. It was also Esper's personal honor and views about his job that was a strong part of his inability to work with Trump who demanded personal loyalty from everyone around him. Esper is also very concerned about China and Russia and feels strongly that the military needs upgrading to be able to stand up to this threat. My one criticism was use of numerous acronyms that was hard to keep track of but it is the army way and the books is very long but worth hanging in there to finish.
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