All the War They Want: Special Operations Techniques for Winning in Cyber Warfare, Business, and Life

by Jeffrey J. Engle

2023 Nonfiction Book Awards Silver Winner An unconventional approach to gaining the competitive advantage All the War They Want presents counterintuitive problem-solving techniques, using as its case in point one of the most existential threats to our national security and American way of cyber warfare. Informed by Jeffrey Engle’s experience as a member of the U.S. military’s elite special ops community, his Brazilian jiujitsu training, and his leadership of a premier cyber defense company, All the War They Want offers an alternative perspective on overcoming tough leadership challenges―a perspective previously available only to those bearing the scars of a lifetime at war. All the War They Want shows you what rules and conventions to break to stack the deck in your favor, giving you the competitive edge in business and in life. Rules to break include, among many • Never throw the first punch.
• Do your research before you decide what you really want to do.
• Leaders should treat everyone the same.
• Always hire the candidate who best meets the qualification requirements.
• Prepare for the zombie apocalypse, and you will be fine.
• Leaders eat last. With Jeff Engle’s guidance, you can learn to build an elite organization ready to meet the call in any battle.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaway.
What did I just read? A military memoir, a book about cybersecurity, business advice, a plug for jujitsu? I guess all of the above?
The writing is engaging and there are interesting stories as well as valid business advice. However, the structure of this is totally lost on me. It didn’t feel cohesive. I’m not sure what the message was ultimately meant to be.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting and not what I expected. It will change the way I think about management and hiring even though I’m far from working in cyber warfare. The author is inspiring and I liked the connections between physical battlefield scenarios and the points he was trying to make in the book.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone passionate about combatting the current and ever growing challenges in the Fifth Domain. These are solid approaches that can be applied to all teams. I appreciate how Engle laid out the battle field and describes the adversary. While this isn’t the technical book some may be looking for, it provides strategic guidance and good points that will change how you think about cyber warfare. Some parts of the book do feel like they were written with the intent to recruit folks to come work for the author’s company. So… Jeff, you hiring?

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are even remotely familiar with cyber threats, leadership and the military then this book doesn't have anything for you. In fact if you have an in depth knowledge of any of those above topics don't even waste your time, this book will probably just upset you.

The clearest most defined part of this book is the table of contents. Everything after that gets a bit...messy. I didn't get as much out of this book on cyber security as much as I did a convoluted mess of deployment stories, medals this guy has been put in for, and weird facts about things like Jujitsu. Then trying to tie those things into what it takes to be a leader and how there are all these standing "rules" of leadership that have to be broken for some reason, it just didn't work.

I think for what this book is trying to be, there are much better options out there:
The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
George C. Marshall: Rubrics of Leadership

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost focus.

This book felt like the author was just trying to brag about his military accomplishments without writing a book called “My Military Accomplishments.” This had little to do with cyber warfare except in areas where he could talk about his time in the military and somewhat link those two things together. My only take away is whatever you learn in one place can sometimes be used in other areas of your life.

#GoodreadsGiveaways

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I reached the end of Jeffrey J. Engle’s All the War They Want, I flipped to the "About the Author" page and was absolutely floored by a staggering piece of personal history. At just ten years old, Engle’s mother kidnapped him and his siblings from their father, abandoning them in a crack house. He went on to attend twenty different schools during a chaotic childhood before eventually being reunited with his other family members. Reading that, my immediate reaction was: HELLO? That is the story I want to read. I sincerely hope Engle writes that memoir someday, because his resilience is incredible.

Instead, All the War They Want is a short (under 200 pages) reflection on leadership ideals and what Engle frames as "counterintuitive" approaches to management. Drawing from his years in the military, his service in the Special Operations community, and his current role leading a cybersecurity firm, the text is broken down into four distinct tactical parts:

Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield

Connecting People to the Purpose

Unconventional at Scale

The Guy on the Ground

Throughout these sections, Engle offers punchy, battle-tested perspectives on life and business strategy. He shares visceral combat rules applied to corporate settings—like the idea that you must "drive straight through the ambush zone as fast as you can" because a fast-moving target is harder to hit. He also delves into the strategic importance of employing symbolism to capture a target audience when trying to garner support for an initiative. Throughout the book, he introduces various rigid rules, only to advocate for breaking them while detailing the exact rationale for doing so.

Yet, despite these compelling frameworks and the author's undeniable expertise, something feels missing in the overall execution and delivery. The book’s provocative title doesn't quite deliver on its ultimate promise. Rather than a cohesive, driving thesis on leadership, the narrative feels split between the ever-growing threat of foreign cyber warfare, the author's own exemplary aptitude for performance exams throughout his high-flying career, and scattered anecdotes explaining how he arrived at his leadership conclusions.

Ultimately, the text suffers from a bit of an identity crisis; the author’s voice doesn't seem entirely sure who its primary audience is...corporate executives, military hopefuls, or tech professionals.

Nevertheless, All the War They Want stands out because it isn't quite like any other leadership book on the shelf. While the formatting and delivery didn't completely click for me, Engle’s unique background and unconventional framework mean that another reader looking for a gritty, fast-paced hybrid of tech, military tactics, and business philosophy may find exactly the value they are looking for within these pages.

[Raf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with what I read in this book. I appreciate the personal stories and experiences the author shared from his military service days, but most of the content was generic. There was hardly any cyber content, even though that is supposed to be one of the topics discussed. Overall, there were some good takeaways on the leadership and management front, especially for hiring and recruiting talent. Nevertheless, I felt like I needed to get my money's worth of the $7.99 I paid for this book and unfortunately did not.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
All the War They Want is a bold and insightful guide that applies elite military strategies to modern challenges. I loved how it delivered sharp, tactical wisdom in a way that felt both practical and empowering!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A former Spec ops soldier goes through what needs to be done to win the ongoing cyberwar the US is having with everybody.

I'm not sure all of his lessons can apply to every day life, but they do give you something to think about.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow insights into high performance team building


Easy to follow insights into high performance team building. Excellent examples of both business and unique circumstances. Plus some entertaining and enlightening examples

[Barbara Reiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read.

[Tanya Dreke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great leadership book

Thank you for the complimentary copy from Goodreads Giveaways. Great leadership book by Jeff. Not what I was expecting at all.

[Lorraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodreads giveaway!
A memoir about a young guys service record and how he made good!