books recommended by James Mattis

James Norman Mattis is a retired United States Marine general and former government official who served as the 26th United States Secretary of Defense from January 2017 through January 2019. A retired United States Marine Corps general, Mattis served in the Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

books recommended by James Mattis

Last Updated Jan 31, 2024

Meditations

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

The Lessons of History

The Lessons of History

Will & Ariel Durant

The Art of War

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

With the Old Breed

With the Old Breed

E. B. Sledge

Boyd

Boyd

Robert Coram

Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Ron Chernow

Gates of Fire

Gates of Fire

Steven Pressfield

The Guns of August

The Guns of August

Barbara W. Tuchman

World Order

World Order

Henry Kissinger

A Peace to End All Peace

A Peace to End All Peace

David Fromkin

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

Paul Kennedy

My American Journey

My American Journey

Colin Powell

Battle Cry of Freedom

Battle Cry of Freedom

James McPherson

Sherman

Sherman

B.H. Liddell Hart

Once an Eagle

Once an Eagle

Anton Myrer

The Boys in the Boat

The Boys in the Boat

Daniel James Brown

The Viceroy’s Journal

The Viceroy’s Journal

Archibald Wavell

Other Men's Flowers

Other Men's Flowers

Lord Wavell

The Mind and Faith of Justice Holmes

The Mind and Faith of Justice Holmes

Max Lerner

Fighting Power

Fighting Power

Martin van Creveld

Memoirs

Memoirs

Ulysses S. Grant

National Insecurity

National Insecurity

David Rothkopf

The Cruel Sea

The Cruel Sea

Nicholas Monsarrat

Military Innovation in the Interwar Period

Military Innovation in the Interwar Period

Williamson Murray

The Savage Wars of Peace

The Savage Wars of Peace

Max Boot

The Far Pavilions

The Far Pavilions

M.M. Kaye

The Rules of the Game

The Rules of the Game

Andrew Gordon

One Bullet Away

One Bullet Away

Nathaniel Fick

Strategy, Ethics and the War on Terrorism

Strategy, Ethics and the War on Terrorism

Albert Pierce

Goodbye, Darkness

Goodbye, Darkness

William Manchester

Never Quit the Fight

Never Quit the Fight

Ralph Peters

The Direction of War

The Direction of War

Hew Strachan

The Killer Angels

The Killer Angels

Michael Shaara

The March of Folly

The March of Folly

Barbara Tuchman

Catastrophe 1914

Catastrophe 1914

Max Hasting

Dereliction of Duty

Dereliction of Duty

H.R. McMaster

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Successful Strategies

Successful Strategies

Williamson Murray

American Caesar

American Caesar

William Manchester

Defeat into Victory

Defeat into Victory

Viscount Slim

Issues on My Mind

Issues on My Mind

George P. Shultz

Diplomacy

Diplomacy

Henry Kissinger

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

T.E. Lawrence

Unbroken

Unbroken

Laura Hillenbrand

The Forgotten Soldier

The Forgotten Soldier

Guy Sajer

Just and Unjust Wars

Just and Unjust Wars

Michael Walzer

For Country and Corps

For Country and Corps

Gail Shisler

The Dispensable Nation

The Dispensable Nation

Vali Nasar

War, Morality and the Military Profession

War, Morality and the Military Profession

Malham Wakin

The Caine Mutiny

The Caine Mutiny

Herman Wouk

Kim

Kim

Rudyard Kipling

Before the First Shots Are Fired

Before the First Shots Are Fired

Tony Zinni

Duty

Duty

Robert Gates

Turmoil and Triumph

Turmoil and Triumph

George P. Shultz

Fighting Talk

Fighting Talk

Colin S. Gray

Invisible Armies

Invisible Armies

Max Boot

Scipio Africanus

Scipio Africanus

Liddell-Hart

The Greatest Raid of All

The Greatest Raid of All

C.E. Lucas Phillips

Lord Jim

Lord Jim

Joseph Conrad

A Savage War of Peace

A Savage War of Peace

Alistair Horne

Tabea’s Story

Tabea’s Story

Betty Iverson

The Village

The Village

Bing West

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James Mattis's book recommendations

Meditations

The Lessons of History

The Art of War

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