Lt. Gen. James Mattis Professional Reading (87 books)

Lt. Gen. James Mattis (USMC) is known as one of the most accomplished commanders in recent history and as one of the finest Marines to walk this planet. He also is a dedicated reader, and credits some of his success in the middle east to studying the works of those who had gone before him. This list is assembled from this list of required reading for CENTCOM USMC officers (published by Small Wars Journal http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/ltge...) and also from a personal email he sent (published by Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/viral-...). I can't find some of the books referenced in the latter source.

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1	Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 4.28 avg rating — 343,311 ratings score: 1,149, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 43,574 ratings score: 1,096, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick 4.21 avg rating — 11,770 ratings score: 770, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene B. Sledge 4.49 avg rating — 47,526 ratings score: 687, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda by John Keegan 3.66 avg rating — 1,843 ratings score: 510, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden 4.30 avg rating — 68,865 ratings score: 489, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie 4.23 avg rating — 25,051 ratings score: 485, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond by Robert D. Kaplan 3.95 avg rating — 1,722 ratings score: 455, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban by Stephen Tanner 3.91 avg rating — 1,259 ratings score: 440, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Rommel Papers by Erwin Rommel 4.22 avg rating — 1,633 ratings score: 394, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Art of War by Sun Tzu 3.95 avg rating — 568,715 ratings score: 391, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Village by Bing West 4.22 avg rating — 1,361 ratings score: 389, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid 3.98 avg rating — 4,801 ratings score: 360, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World by Rupert Smith 3.93 avg rating — 928 ratings score: 358, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan by Lester W. Grau (editor) 3.95 avg rating — 773 ratings score: 350, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of our Times by George Crile 4.01 avg rating — 9,725 ratings score: 347, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose by Anthony C. Zinni 3.38 avg rating — 88 ratings score: 339, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Battle Ready by Tom Clancy 3.76 avg rating — 658 ratings score: 314, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor by Clinton Romesha 4.59 avg rating — 8,957 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan 4.34 avg rating — 26,147 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character by Jonathan Shay 4.31 avg rating — 1,915 ratings score: 281, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Small-Unit Leaders' Guide to Counterinsurgency: The Official U.S. Marine Corps Manual by U.S. Marine Corps 3.63 avg rating — 27 ratings score: 279, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 10,524 ratings score: 276, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual by U.S. Department of the Army 3.82 avg rating — 613 ratings score: 276, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Small Wars Manual by U.S. Marine Corps 3.87 avg rating — 173 ratings score: 269, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Savage Wars Of Peace: Small Wars And The Rise Of American Power by Max Boot 4.01 avg rating — 1,847 ratings score: 260, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashjmir and Tibet by Eric S. Margolis 3.81 avg rating — 201 ratings score: 244, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam by John L. Esposito 3.76 avg rating — 434 ratings score: 238, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism by Dore Gold 3.84 avg rating — 273 ratings score: 229, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present by Max Boot 4.09 avg rating — 1,239 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence 3.91 avg rating — 12,110 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Kim by Rudyard Kipling 3.70 avg rating — 39,975 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad 3.61 avg rating — 32,957 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Grant Takes Command 1863-1865 by Bruce Catton 4.43 avg rating — 2,389 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Complete Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant by Ulysses S. Grant 4.14 avg rating — 9,784 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Scipio Africanus: Greater than Napoleon by B.H. Liddell Hart 4.16 avg rating — 1,929 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Blood Stripes by David J. Danelo (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 141 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.39 avg rating — 995,851 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Sherman: Soldier, Realist, American by B.H. Liddell Hart 4.21 avg rating — 470 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	A Bell for Adano by John Hersey 3.98 avg rating — 8,934 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 719 ratings score: 176, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror by Bernard Lewis 3.68 avg rating — 3,516 ratings score: 173, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid 3.74 avg rating — 549 ratings score: 171, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Islamism and Its Enemies in the Horn of Africa by Alex de Waal 4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings score: 155, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah by Bing West 4.15 avg rating — 2,543 ratings score: 149, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai 3.45 avg rating — 411 ratings score: 143, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Failure of Political Islam by Olivier Roy 3.84 avg rating — 237 ratings score: 141, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Memoirs of Field Marshal Montgomery by Bernard Montgomery 3.87 avg rating — 223 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram 4.19 avg rating — 8,070 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell 4.34 avg rating — 100,654 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy by Colin S. Gray 4.19 avg rating — 156 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	28 Articles Fundamentals of Company-level Counterinsurgency by David Kilcullen (Goodreads Author) 4.42 avg rating — 26 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	A Tentative Manual for Countering Irregular Threats: An Updated Approach to Counterinsurgency by U.S. Marine Corps 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Army and Vietnam by Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr. 3.89 avg rating — 177 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice by David Galula 4.02 avg rating — 1,204 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Combat Stress by U.S. Marine Corps 2.50 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Reaping the Whirlwind: The Taliban Movement in Afghanistan by Michael Griffin 3.62 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Afghan Guerilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters by Ali Ahmad Jalali 4.02 avg rating — 499 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods by H. John Poole 3.58 avg rating — 189 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Afghanistan Cave Complexes 1979–2004: Mountain strongholds of the Mujahideen, Taliban & Al Qaeda (Fortress, 26) by Mir Bahmanyar (Goodreads Author) 3.34 avg rating — 29 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Soldier Sahibs: The Men Who Made the North-West Frontier by Charles Allen 4.18 avg rating — 187 ratings score: 72, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis 3.54 avg rating — 3,946 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman 4.15 avg rating — 13,104 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet Afghan War by Ali Ahmad Jalali 4.02 avg rating — 499 ratings score: 68, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Robert D. Kaplan 3.89 avg rating — 761 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader by Peter L. Bergen 3.81 avg rating — 332 ratings score: 65, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Culture and Customs of Afghanistan by Hafizullah Emadi 3.30 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 61, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost by Lester W. Grau (Translator & Editor) 3.77 avg rating — 203 ratings score: 60, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban by Sarah Chayes 3.91 avg rating — 750 ratings score: 59, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong 3.95 avg rating — 6,724 ratings score: 56, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	A Modern History of the Somali by I.M. Lewis 3.94 avg rating — 83 ratings score: 54, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia by Paul B. Henze 3.71 avg rating — 41 ratings score: 53, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Famine Crimes: Politics & the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa by Alex de Waal 4.19 avg rating — 117 ratings score: 52, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Horn of Africa: Politics and International Relations by Peter Woodward 3.73 avg rating — 11 ratings score: 51, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Revolt on the Tigris: The Al-Sadr Uprising and the Governing of Iraq by Mark Etherington 3.42 avg rating — 19 ratings score: 49, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America by Daniel Benjamin 3.76 avg rating — 267 ratings score: 47, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Idea of Pakistan by Stephen Philip Cohen 3.91 avg rating — 423 ratings score: 46, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times by Margaret K. Nydell 3.71 avg rating — 476 ratings score: 45, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr 3.88 avg rating — 2,478 ratings score: 43, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Modern Iran. Roots and Results of Revolution by Nikki R. Keddie 3.78 avg rating — 293 ratings score: 42, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert A. Pape 3.87 avg rating — 675 ratings score: 40, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander by Gary Berntsen 3.97 avg rating — 1,821 ratings score: 39, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Global Responses to Terrorism: 9/11, Afghanistan and Beyond by Mary Buckley (Editor) 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 38, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer 4.29 avg rating — 11,422 ratings score: 37, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and The Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin 4.22 avg rating — 9,784 ratings score: 34, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East by Chaim Herzog 3.98 avg rating — 274 ratings score: 33, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Easter Offensive: Vietnam, 1972 by Gerald H. Turley 4.02 avg rating — 53 ratings score: 32, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

87 books · 33 voters · list created August 29th, 2013 by Samuel Kordik (votes) .

Tags: mattis, military, professional-reading

164 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (33)

Samuel 958 books
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John 41 books
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William 1339 books
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Soundscopesight 525 books
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Carolyn 4 books
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Adam 18483 books
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Rob 1390 books
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Dustin 226 books
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Comments Showing 1-17 of 17 (17 new)

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message 1: by Randy (new)

Jan 24, 2015 05:17PM

looks like many good books to read except for the one by Karen Armstrong.....she makes excuses for the evil terrorist Muhammad who founded Islam.Namely his marrying of a 6 year old and having sex with her when she was 9.(Aisha was her name).The cutting off of the heads of up to 900 Jewish males including boys at the Battle of Trench,and than taking the women and girls as sex slaves.......Karen is an excuse maker rather than a fact finder.......Muslims want us to understand their religion,etc.But when we study it and come to different conclusions than them they are insulted....I suggest books by Brigette Gabriel,Robert Spencer,David Wood,etc.to understand Islam and Muhammad......Islamic State,etc.are following in the footsteps of Muhammad.......btw I know a Marine who served under Mattis.he spoke very,very highly of him...

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message 2: by Amr (new)

Jan 27, 2015 03:37AM

Randy wrote: "looks like many good books to read except for the one by Karen Armstrong.....she makes excuses for the evil terrorist Muhammad who founded Islam.Namely his marrying of a 6 year old and having sex w..."

Please Randy, read about Islam and prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him- before you go on insulting. Reading won't hurt.

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message 3: by Andy (new)

Apr 09, 2016 10:07PM

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn't even on here, which is one of his favorite books that he always kept with him.

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message 4: by Glenn (new)

Nov 22, 2016 11:08AM

I really appreciate the work that went into collecting and posting this! Personally, I hope we can let the list author continue to curate this list as he confirms more of Mattis's recommendations/readings. It would be nice if we could turn off the Goodreads function of allowing other people to add to lists (without approval from the list author) for lists such as this.

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message 5: by No (last edited Nov 25, 2016 09:57PM) (new)

Nov 25, 2016 09:54PM

Amr wrote: "Please Randy, read about Islam and prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him- before you go on insulting. Reading won't hurt."

Amr, you must know that Muhammudd also raped his dead aunt before burying her. Your 'ideal man', muhammudd was nothing but a violent sexual pervert who unleashed a hell on earth with his invention of islam. As an example: in Islam's war against India, more than 100,000,000 non-muslims have been murdered by muslim in the past 1,000 years, as islam continues to seek conquest of this nation. Islam is a virus on Civilization that will either destroy Civilization or be destroyed; I hope that the later happens first.

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message 6: by No (new)

Nov 26, 2016 10:02AM

Andy wrote: "Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn't even on here, which is one of his favorite books that he always kept with him."

Thank you for including this.

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message 7: by Isaac (new)

Jan 05, 2017 09:16PM

Randy wrote: "looks like many good books to read except for the one by Karen Armstrong.....she makes excuses for the evil terrorist Muhammad who founded Islam.Namely his marrying of a 6 year old and having sex w..."

It's learning and understanding your enemy. Sun Tzu wrote, "Know the enemy, know yourself, and victory is never in doubt, not in a hundred battles," (The Art of War, Penguin Classics, pg 19)

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message 8: by Jam (new)

Mar 29, 2017 07:08AM

Glenn wrote: "I really appreciate the work that went into collecting and posting this! Personally, I hope we can let the list author continue to curate this list as he confirms more of Mattis's recommendations/r..."
What!?! So the lists created by Mattis (for example) can have other people add to it?!?

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message 9: by Jam (new)

Mar 29, 2017 07:13AM

Andy wrote: "Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn't even on here, which is one of his favorite books that he always kept with him."

It is concerning that the authenticity of these lists may not be what we think they are. I approached this list as genuine (perhaps not complete) but am concerned that others may be adding non-Mattis books to it. Hope GoodReads can put this concern to rest, otherwise these lists are worthless to me.

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message 10: by Maricarmen (new)

Apr 24, 2017 09:58AM

Andy wrote: "Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn't even on here, which is one of his favorite books that he always kept with him."

Andy:
It is number 2 on this list right after Gates of Fire!!!

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message 11: by Isaac (new)

Apr 25, 2017 04:06PM

Jam wrote: "Andy wrote: "Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn't even on here, which is one of his favorite books that he always kept with him."

It is concerning that the authenticity of these lists may not be w..."

It was put there later.

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message 12: by Jennifer (new)

May 29, 2017 12:05PM

Randy wrote: "looks like many good books to read except for the one by Karen Armstrong.....she makes excuses for the evil terrorist Muhammad who founded Islam.Namely his marrying of a 6 year old and having sex w..."

you have apparently never read the old testament, have you? Plenty of sex crimes to be found there.

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message 13: by Joe (new)

Nov 12, 2019 04:52AM

I've just added 8 books which are listed in the email as published in Mattis' book, Call Sign Chaos. I wonder if I should just create a new list, one aligned with that book, rather than updating this one? I've never worked with Goodreads' "lists" so I'm unaware of common practices. Thoughts?

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message 14: by Glenn (last edited Nov 15, 2019 07:35AM) (new)

Nov 15, 2019 07:24AM

Your idea of creating a parallel list is interesting. Individuals have added books (to my lists) that stray (sometimes really stray) from the focus. Since I don't know of a way a list author can curate lists (Goodreads experts chime in here), creating an "alignment" - focused list might draw some of those additions away a list that we want to represent only Mattis' recommendations.

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message 15: by Joe (new)

Nov 15, 2019 08:00AM

Glenn wrote: "Your idea of creating a parallel list is interesting. ..."
OK. I'll create a new list which is ONLY the books from the Mattis email as the email was published/rendered in Call Sign Chaos. And then I'll see if I can lock it down :) Thanks for the feedback.

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message 16: by Glenn (last edited Nov 15, 2019 08:46AM) (new)

Nov 15, 2019 08:44AM

Well - I have to amend my previous comments on this list. I went back and reviewed the list of Mattis' favorite books published in "Task & Purpose" on April 02, 2017 ( https://taskandpurpose.com/30-books-m...). I've compared this to the Goodreads list. As of today (11/15/19) it appears that only 8 of the 30 "Mattis favorites" are included on the Goodreads list. There are 85 books on this list. Less than 10% were in the "Task & Purpose" Mattis list. Unless I'm mistaken the following are missing:

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (2004)
Before the First Shot Is Fired: How America Can Win Or Lose Off The Battlefield by Tony Zinni (2014)
Defeat into Victory by Viscount Slim (1956)
Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam by H.R. McMaster (1997)
Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger (1994)
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War by Robert Gates (2014)
For Country and Corps: The Life of General Oliver P. Smith by Gail Shisler (2009)
Just and Unjust Wars by Michael Walzer (1977)
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (1994)
March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam by Barbara Tuchman (1984)
Military Innovation in the Interwar Period by Williamson Murray (1996)
My American Journey by Colin Powell (1995)
Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy (1987)
The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye (1978)
The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer (1971)
The Future of Strategy by Colin Gray (2015)
The Greatest Raid of All by Lucas Phillips (1958)
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman (1962)
The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant (1968)
The Rules of the Game by Andrew Gordon (1996)
War, Morality, and the Military Profession by Malham Wakin (1979)
World Order by Henry Kissinger (2014)

Perhaps some enterprising individual can add them.

This raises a number of transparency questions about Goodreads' lists. We need some clear graphic way to distinguish the items the list author added vs those added by various visitors.

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message 17: by Glenn (last edited Nov 15, 2019 09:03AM) (new)

Nov 15, 2019 08:50AM

Joe wrote: "Glenn wrote: "Your idea of creating a parallel list is interesting. ..."
OK. I'll create a new list which is ONLY the books from the Mattis email as the email was published/rendered in Call Sign Ch..."

Your previous post prompted me to compare this list to one published in 2017 (above). I'll have to look up the Call Sign Chaos list & verify that it matches the one I referenced! Thx.

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