Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References
Basic Information:
Author:
Jim Mattis
Edition:
ePub on Overdrive from the San Francisco Library
Publisher:
Random House
ISBN:
0812996836 (ISBN13: 9780812996838)
Start
Date: December 20, 2019
Read
Date: December 29, 2019
320
pages
Genre:
History, Biography, Leadership
Language
Warning: Low
Rated
Overall: 4 1/2 out of 5
History:
4 out of 5
Synopsis (Caution: Spoiler Alert-Jump to Thoughts):
This
book is divided into three parts, corresponding to Mattis’ time in
the Marines.
- Direct Leadership
- Executive Leadership
- Strategic Leadership
He
also goes through his lessons learned in command corresponding to
each part.
In
Direct Leadership he goes through learning to be a leader where he
has command over Marines. In Executive Leadership, it is more he is
in command over other officers. Finally in Strategic Leadership, he
does not have direct war responsibilities, but has to understand how
to get ready for future wars and to keep allies on the same page as
the United States.
Cast of Characters:
- James Mattis - Secretary of Defense, author
- James Kelly - General, fellow officer and at times subordinate
Expectations:
- Recommendation: NPR Review
- When: August 2019
- Date Became Aware of Book: August 28, 2019
- How come do I want to read this book: Mattis sounds like a straight up type of guy as well as someone whom I might disagree with.
- What do I think I will get out of it? Lessons on character
Thoughts:
Prologue
Mattis’
general thought is that before we can help others, America needs to
get its own house in order. He does not really address in this first
section what he feels is the issues which need to be corrected. But
he goes on and talks about how he met with President-elect Trump and
the discussion was a good one. There were places of agreement and
places of disagreement.
Purpose
of the book: how the Marines brought Mattis to a point where he was
confident he was able to do the job of Secretary of Defense. He wants
to pass on the lessons he has learned from serving 40 years.
Lessons
from the Marines: adapt, improvise, and overcome. But also to do your
homework. This is reflected in the phrase he uses: we
weren’t victims--we could always create options.
Book
is in three parts:
- Direct Leadership
- Executive Leadership
- Strategic Leadership
He
talks about the habit of continual learning. Part of this is
after-action reviews. The idea is to get the best answer to a problem
they faced, even if it is in hind-sight or not part of the recognized
doctrine for the situation.
Two
of the most important values Mattis taught were initiative and
aggressiveness. This is reflected throughout the book.
Part
I: Direct Leadership
Chapter
1: A Carefree Youth Joins the Disciplined Marines
We
don’t get to choose when we die, but we do choose how we meet
death.
While this may not be completely true, a person can learn and can be
prepared as much as possible. This preparation can be anything from
understanding one's place in creation to making one's life of value
in the here and now-my thoughts.
His
thoughts on adversity are pretty hard nosed: You
make mistakes or life knocks you down: either way, you get up and get
on with it. You deal with life. You don’t whine about it.
This attitude goes on throughout the book. But Mattis is not an
uncaring person. For those he is responsible for, he tries to do
right by them. He tries to understand the people in his command, not
be their friend, but their commander.
During
his teenage years he had been put in jail for underage drinking and
basically causing a ruckus. He learnt a lesson in outlook. He was
looking through the bars of his cell to the muddy parking lot. But
his cellmate looking up out of the cell, saw stars.
When
he first joined the Marines, he found it was a very supportive group
from the most combat tried veteran to the newest kid. Mattis notes
that the support was there; it was his to lose. Fence sitters and
bottom feeders were quickly weeded out. No one wants to be rejected
or considered worthless. But he was also in the process of making a
reputation about what kind of person he was? Was he just as good or
better than anybody in his outfit? Did he know his stuff? Was he the
type of person they would follow?
He
got trained in live artillery fire where he would direct live fire in
front of his advancing troops. His final examine was to do this on
his own, with his troops advancing. The message he got from this
exercise was to have
faith in your subordinates after you have trained them.
The
leadership fundamentals:
- Competence. Know and excel in the basics-go whole hog in that. As you do that, you will advance. Identify your weaknesses and overcome them.
- Care. Care for those who you are responsible for. Watch out for each of the people. This allows you to be blunt with somebody. No favoritism.-this means leave a social and professional difference. Know them as individuals
- Conviction. Believe in what you are, do and say. Do not surprise anybody with rule changes or unstated rules.
Chapter
2: Recruit for Attitude, Train for Skill
A
project (mission in his parlance) needs definition and
responsibility. Make it our
mission,
not my mission. Make sure the goals are well defined. Instead of
Command
and Control
he is an advocate of Command
and Feedback.
The feedback is for the subordinates to provide those in command.
Look
for exceptions to the rule and grant waivers.
Mattis
wanted people who were all the way in. Not one who was just looking
for a 9-5 job. Elite organizations do not thrive when problems are
ignored. You hold all to the same standard.
Eisenhower:
I'll
tell you what leadership is. It's persuasion and conciliation, and
education, and patience. It’s long, slow, tough work. That’s the
only kind of leadership I know...or will practice.
Chapter
3: Battle
A
unit adopts the personality of its commander…
Mattis’ philosophy was to work with what he had and not whine about
what he did not have. He wanted to be prepared for action and to give
initiative in all hands within the scope of his intents were.
Mountain
Warfare Training Center.
I had not realized I had been by it when we went across Sonora Pass
to 395.
In
order to use his people well he needed to know the people under his
command. Who to use in what situation.
To
help support other units, use your best people.
Training
for battle-nothing can actually replicate your time in battle. But
you can train hard, be together with your unit to bond and trust.
Then rehearse what to do until everyone knows their place.
Each
commander and chief executive officer needs tools to scan the horizon
for danger or opportunities.
Mattis accomplished this with trusted people who he assigned to be
among the troops to hear and understand the condition of his units.
Not spies but those who were among them.
Officers
who are good understand that they will be ordering people into battle
who will be killed. To keep his equilibrium, Mattis did not want to
know about casualties unless the mission was jeopardized. One of his
people whom he respected got a direct hit. Mattis thought he was
dead, but needed to continue with the war. Later on, one of his
squads held back from attacking. This was causing problems. When
asked why? The person who commanded the squad said that he did not
want his men to die. Mattis relieved the person from command.
Ulysses
S Grant’s criteria for leadership:
- Humility
- Toughness of character
Mattis
did everything possible to keep informed without slowing down the
troops who were in combat. This was done by utilizing his people who
gave him feedback, listening to the radio chatter, and his own staff.
Mattis
did not put much stock in how the enemy might react-there was a large
build up on the Iraqian Army before the first Gulf War. It was all
hype.
He
gained insight into what confident troops looked like.
Chapter
4: Broadening
Reading
is an honor and a gift from a warrior or historian who-a decade or a
thousand decades ago-set aside time to write. He distilled a lifetime
of campaigning in order to have a “conversation” with you. ….
If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally
illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal
experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you.
You can concert this to a non-military situation and apply the same
thing. Mattis points out that each rank in the Marines has a reading
list. And that all ranks are required to study. He particularly likes
Roman leaders who showed grace under pressure. In one of the
appendices he has a reading list of his favorite books..
Reading
fits in with Mattis philosophy of leading. He wants intelligent
officers who have a broad understanding of what has been experienced.
If he has that with honorable officers, he can give general intent
orders and allow innovation. He calls this a shared
understanding.
He notes that detailed orders are brittle, cause hesitancy rather
than an aggressive force which is what he was going after. This
intent has only what is necessary to achieve a clearly defined end
state: why are you doing something, give only essential details, and
clearly state your goals. Your subordinates will supply the how. Of
course, they have had the training to take this on.
There
is a course taught to Marine generals by retired generals. It is
meant to give realism into a general’s situation. The idea is to
teach humility and dedication and ethics.
Chapter
5: Rhino
To
see things clearly, simplistically and completely is a gift. Only
if the mind works in this comprehensive fashion can it achieve the
freedom it needs to dominate events and not be dominated by them
Agreed. My training was as a programmer, not a manager. Reading this
statement I realize why good programmers have a hard time being a
good manager. A good programmer is trained to see details and try to
resolve them. While a good manager is one who sees the total picture
and understands what is not important.
Mastering
your chosen vocation means you are ready when opportunity knocks.
Doctrine
is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
He goes on and says this is a guide not a straitjacket. I think
what he calls doctrine would not be the same as religious doctrine.
Religious doctrine are things which are true. While I think what he
is talking about is more ways which things get done and accepted
orders of battle.
Mattis
rather works with those who are where he is at rather than go up the
ladder waiting to receive instruction. Both plus and minus-it allows
him to operate faster, but maybe without the understanding or
blessings of those who are over him. He calls this skip-echelon.
Mattis
wants to focus on issues which are at his level, not at above or
below. Decisions were communicated to the appropriate people.
Memo
to young officers: I can appear brilliant if I fight enemy leaders
dumber than a bucket of rocks.
I felt a similar thought. I wanted to come after one of two types of
people. Those who were supremely organized-I can follow someone
else’s organization. Or someone who was disastrous in their effect.
It is easy to look good afterwards.
The
other thing which I noticed is that even though Mattis had a pretty
good position, he still was doing hands on stuff, such as recognize
in a plane. He did not let a subordinate do this. He wanted to know
for himself.
Mattis
differed in how he thought the war in Afghanistan should be fought.
He felt that he wanted to make sure he was in the position to wipe
out the enemy. From Mattis’ description, his superiors were more
concerned with not getting their own people hurt. Mattis does not
look at this as a Presidential issue, rather that Mattis did not
spend the time to effectively communicate to his superiors. So the
superiors did not have an understanding of the benefits vs risk of
the situation.
Part
II: Executive Leadership
Chapter
6: The March Up
Mattis
wants his commanders to be restless-that learning is contagious. Also
he wanted them alert and looking to figure out what has been
overlooked.
He
also wanted his commanders to be pushing him. Also what bothered them
at night. The
value of good ideas.
He
had people who were assigned to study the commanders of the enemy.
What is their background? What is said about them? What weaknesses do
they have? Would they take initiative?
The
call sign of CHAOS was really a double meaning. The CHAOS also stood
for Colonel Has Another Outstanding Suggestion.
To
win a dog fight, four things (OODA):
- Observe what is going on
- Orient yourself
- Decide what to
- Act before your opponent can do the same as you are doing
You
never know an enemy until you fight him.
Uncertainty
runs riot if you don’t keep cool.
True-if a person knew exactly what would happen because of a
decision, decision making would be easier. One of my things is that I
wanted to have every last bit of information before making a
decision. This is unreasonable. A person has to make a decision based
upon the criticalness of time and the information on hand.
Mattis
points out that the more trust there is within a group, the more
strain that the unit can tolerate.
Never
think that you’re impotent. Choose how you respond.
Chapter
7: A Division in Its Prime
Interesting
about when one of his commanders was hesitant in exposing his men to
injury or death, Mattis relieved the commander. In this case it was
not exhaustion, but concern. Mattis says that You
cannot order someone to abandon a spiritual burden they’re
wrestling with.
I
think that is true. At best, you will tear the person apart. At
worst, you will have a person making poor choices.
Mattis
observes that under Saddam Hussein, the only way people could get
certain jobs, such as police, was through joining the Bath party. The
American’s kicked out all of those who belonged to the party,
causing a deficiency in qualified people. Mattis thought that you
needed to depoliticize the forces rather than disband it. Not sure
how Mattis would have accomplished that.
He
quotes a British strategist, BH Liddel Hart being that the object of
war is to produce a
better state of peace.
I do not think you can achieve a better peace through war. You can
overthrow an order, but you are usually left with people who hate
rather than being relieved at your presence.
Chapter
8: Incoherence
I
like what Mattis says about Homer’s teachings: only
when the strongest nations and armies respect the dignity of the
weakest
is when civilizations progress. We could use some of that now. He
goes on and says that great
nations don’t get angry; military action should be undertaken only
to achieve specific strategic effects.
Chapter
9: Cascading Consequences
Mattis’
view of the press is that they have a role to play and it is better
to have them around and be reporting with the ability to interpret
what is happening than to leave it to the press to try to figure out
the various interpretations. He also feels that the press has no
obligations to be right or accurate in their reporting. I wonder how
to interpret this statement. It could be that the press can report
what people said and let the public pick through what is correct, or
it could mean that the press does not need to wait to sort through
information and report, but then later on fill corrections, or it
could mean that the press can say whatever they want, even if they
know it is not true. I hope Mattis thinks one of the first two
options.
He
points out that decisions are made in a very short amount of time. As
an example admiral in WWII took two minutes to launch a risky strike
on the Japanese fleet which changed the outcome of the war in the
Pacific. In Mattis’ cause, there was an uproar about issuing a
strike at a camp. The press narrative was that a wedding party took
place, but an investigation found that it was a camp where there were
no females and a lot of weapons. Mattis took 30 seconds to decide.
People still refer to it as a wedding party instead of an
enemy-occupied camp. He quotes Churchill as saying A
lie gets halfway around the world before truth gets its pants on.
Chapter
10: Fighting While Transforming
All
leaders should have the heart of a coach.
They
played simulation games to simulate conditions on patrol or in
battle. Such as throwing rocks at a tank, looking at a scene and then
describing what is out of place, to seeing a market and ask who the
newcomer was.
There
are statements which seem out of place. Such as being fun to shoot
men who slap women.
War
doctrine-a written guide based upon historical precedents of the best
practices. Always gather what can be done better.
Without
credible military force, our diplomacy is toothless.
Does this mean that we always need a hammer to go with carrots? To me
this is the working of sin. Is there any hope on this side of heaven
for a peaceful world? As long as there is the means for force, there
will be force. Sort of a despondent take off.
He
does make the case for backing our friends for the need for a
substantial military force.
We
are the weakest where we are overconfident. Mattis feels this is in
the area of communications. Will our forces know how to fight if they
lose touch with each other? Opportunities appear and disappear
rapidly on the battlefield.
Operations
occur at the speed of trust.
He goes on to say that commanders need to trust their subordinates.
If not, then there is failure even before the battle begins. The
chain of command is not the only way to bring things to your
attention.
Chapter
11: Hold the Line
A
leader’s role is problem solving. If you don’t like problems,
stay out of leadership.
Interesting
quote that we are too old to be surprised. Adjust to it.
When
reading reports, be aware of the tone and the viewpoint of the
report. How is one side’s deaths/casualties reported versus the
other side’s.
Men
who take up arms against another in public war do not cease in this
account to be moral beings, responsible for one another and to God.
Abraham Lincoln Lieber
Code
of April 24, 1863. Wow! Most things I read which Lincoln decreed were
so far ahead of his time.
Mattis
goes through what the process of court-martial, including visiting
the site of the offense.
Difference
between mistakes and lack of discipline. Mistakes occur when you try
to carry out an intent and you muck up. While lack of discipline
needs to be held accountable.
Chapter
12: Essential NATO
When
Mattis moved up the ranks and now had been given a high NATO post, he
was no longer responsible ground tactics, but coordination and
relationship with other military forces within NATO. He notes that an
ambassador said that the European nations were impressed with the US
when NATO started because of the willingness of the US to make major
sacrifices for the common good.
Military
history is no longer taught in almost all schools. There is a lack of
understanding among civilians how to think diplomatically and
militarily.. To stay on top you have to be able to identify specific
problems and understand how to tackle them. Wars do not wait until
you are ready.
You
cannot allow your passion for excellence to destroy your compassion
for them as human beings.
Interesting. I always had thought that the military was more a person
needs to fit into the military style rather than a dance to find the
fit for both.
Large
organizations get into a rut. He points out that every few months,
maybe once a quarter, a leader needs to step back and question why
things are done in a certain way.
Chapter
13: Disbanding Bureaucracy
Enemies
adapt to any maneuver which is made. Mattis sets to cause chaos in
the enemies thinking, such as using deception. Also he wants to be
faster than the enemy can adapt. He quotes General William Tecumseh
Sherman’s Memoirs,
Chapter XXV:
Every
attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and
disaster.
This does not sound very encouraging. In some ways, what I am reading
of Sherman is the more brutal you make war, the better chance of
success you have.
General
George C Marshall: The
leader must learn to cut to the heart of a situation, recognize its
decisive elements and base his course of action on these.
He then goes on to say that training and anticipation is foremost to
making these decisions. You need to be familiar with the art
of clear, logical thinking.
Mattis says that PowerPoint is the
scourge of critical thinking. He
went on. He establishes a protocol for attacking problems:
- Define the problem
- Propose value-added solutions
- Express things with clarity
Any
President gets the advice he desires and deserves.
To
do our jobs well, we should not want our job too much.
Secretary George Shultz.
Part
III: Strategic Leadership
Chapter
14: Central command: Trigonometry :Level of Warfare:
Mattis
wanted to clear up the military bureaucracy so that the commanders in
the field had what they needed. That sounds good. But how? Usually
the rules of a bureaucracy were put in place for a reason, not just
on a whim-of course there are times that is true. Usually the rules
were there to prevent abuses or to enforce a particular chain of
command. How do you get rid of the rules governing the bureaucracy
without doing away with the reasons why they were put there in the
beginning? I do not think Mattis addresses that.
A
leader must try to see the overarching pattern, fitting details into
the larger situation.
I think I did some of that, particularly at the lower levels. But as
I moved up I got lost in detail while not looking for the overall
picture.
Chapter
15: Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
There
is a danger in thinking we are top-dog, we are invincible. We will
deteriorate. We will not see where there are problems and take care
of them. Mattis felt this is what was happening. Al-Qaeda was hurt,
not dead.
Rules
of engagement are what separate principled militaries from barbarians
and terrorists.
He felt that the military needed to write these rules, not lawyers.
Having
said that, Mattis also felt that when engaged, the military should be
allowed to destroy the enemy. He also thinks that the forces
fighting Al-Qaeda has done the most of any force in history to
protect the innocent. I do not think this is as true as what Mattis
thinks. At least news reports indicate that the war in Iraq has
killed tens of thousands civilians. But thinking about it, I am not
sure who it was reported did the killing? The forced for or against
Al-Qeada?
Some
high sounding goals are unattainable. Such as Bush’s goals of
establishing a stable and democratic state in Afghanistan. If this is
unattainable, what should the goal be? Something undemocratic? That
does not sound American and not worth fighting for. On the other
hand, what does the people or the culture of an area want?
Mattis
disagrees with setting a timetable for ending engagements. It gives
the enemy a timeline which they must endure and then they are free.
Being
wired as a can-do spirit has the down side that there is a lack of
objectivity about what can be accomplished. Mattis developed a line
to people outside of the command chain to report to him objectively
on the situation in Afghanistan.
There
is a need to have more than one way to accomplish a task.
Chapter
16: Friend or Foe
Mattis
analysis of the Arab Spring was more that it was against unjust and
unresponsive governments than to bring about democracy to those
countries. He notes that when there is a power vacuum, it favors the
most organized, not those who are idealistic. Chaos more often leads
to tyranny. I like Mattis’ statement: When
we go abroad, our noblest instinct-to champion democracy=must be
guided by prudence and humility…
Goes to the statement in the previous chapter that the culture of a
place may not be the best fit for democracy or vica versa. When we
are wanting change in culture, we need to be ready to stand by for
generations, not months.
He
notes that a common refrain is that We
love Americans and we hate your foreign policy.
He goes on to say that sometimes we get the highest criticisms
because we have the highest idea and more is expected of us than
anyplace else. Things to think about, if this is true.
Mattis
established the rule, not to criticize his leadership, including his
President, particularly to foreign leaders.
No
nation alone can sustain its security.
Respect
dignity, particularly so that the leader does not lose face in
public. He says that it
is better to have a friend with deep flaws than an adversary with
enduring hostility.
I wonder how deep those flaws can be tolerated?
American
has two fundamental powers:
- The power of intimidation toward our adversaries and
- The power of inspiration toward our friends and like-minded people everywhere.
Mattis
looks at history as something which people make, not something which
is swept away with. He goes on and thinks we need to have a clear
head about war-if we are going in, do it to win, overall, not declare
victory and act as if there are no problems.
Chapter
17: Reflections
Whatever
we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be
builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the
harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just; by
doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled ; and by
doing brave acts, we become brave.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II Mattis takes this and talks
about coaching a team to make them bind together as warriors.
But
he goes on and talks about measuring success by how lethal they are.
I do understand that as a military, they are paid to kill. But is
that really the pinnacle of what we want our fighters to be?
Shouldn’t the standard be not how efficiently they kill but how
little they have to kill in order to succeed?
He
does say that our military is organized to fight. But he says that
they are not places to conduct social experiments. I am assuming he
means admitting transgender people into the military. But would he be
saying the same thing about blacks in the late 1930’s?
Everyone
needs a mentor or to be a mentor-and that no one needs a tyrant.
He also talks about the need to constantly study to master one’s
craft.
He
is someone who believes that there are old solutions to new problems.
That the way you find these solutions is by reading, intensively
reading. Not just a few books, but hundreds of them.
Leadership
principles are the same even as an organization grows:
- Clarity of intent becomes more critical when you have a team of dissimilar experiences.
- Focus on what can be done rather than what cannot.
- Sometimes good processes outlive their usefulness-do not let them stump good people.
- But how do you know when that happens? There is an assumption that all the way up the chain there are good people.
- Reducing the size of who needs to know speeds up what is done
- Nurture maverick thinkers.
- I will admit, I am more of an organizational thinker than a maverick. But how do you integrate their thinking within an organization? Do you throw everything out? The collected wisdom? That seems to be a recipe for chaos.
- Still there is a need for different thinking else an organization will not grow.
- Mattis thinks you need to assign a high ranking person to guide the thinking.
- Leaders must keep within their ranks people who will point out when a decision or direction is not appropriate.
- Leaders must have a command of themselves.
Mattis
pictures that if America has an empire, it is more of an empire of
ideas. He says that America has fought alongside allies rather than
over allies.
History
is determined by choices made.
Epilogue:
America as Its Own Ally
Mattis
quotes General John Kelly, who lost a son in Afghanistan to say that
those who lost their offspring one’s wish is that the loss is not
in vain. That the mission be carried out.
Appendix
In
one of the appendixes, there is an email from Mattis about the
importance of reading. It can be found online.
Evaluation:
If
you are looking for a book about Mattis’ time as Secretary of
Defense or why President Trump wanted him out, this is not the book
for you. He only touches on his selection as the Secretary of Defense
and only acknowledges that at the end of his tenure as Secretary of
Defense, Mattis did not agree with President Trump on some
substantial items and there are some implicit criticisms of the way
the current administration functions. But nothing which will make
headlines.
So
what is this book about? This is two parts a memoir and one part
lessons in leadership Mattis would like to pass on. This book walks
through his 30 plus years as a Marine going from a low level officer
until he was one of the principal commanders in all of the military,
not just the Marines. Eventually he became a four star general. Most
of the fighting he was involved with was either Kuwait, Iraq or
Afghanistan. These times down memory lane, along with his thoughts
on situations, are interesting.
But
where he really takes off is in his lessons on leadership. They are
broken into three components, intermixed with his memoirs.
Consequently they pass through his experiences from Direct Leadership
to Executive and finally Strategic. The lessons presented are
applicable to non-military situations as well as to the military. So
this is a good read for those who are interested in leadership, from
the lowest position in an organization to the top person.
While
I do not agree with many of the things he holds true, I do respect
the man and what he has accomplished. So it is worthwhile reading
this book to hear more of his thoughts.
Notes from my book group:
(None
of my groups are reading this, just questions from my mind)
Mattis’
general thought is that before we can help others, America needs to
get its own house in order. What issues does Mattis identify where
America needs help? Do you agree?
Mattis
starts out the book talking about his life before the Marines, then
as a new kid in the Marines. In the Marines he found that it was his
reputation for him to lose rather than a reputation to be gained. How
do reputations get made or torn down?
Mattis
gives lots of lessons on leadership. Which ones resonate with you?
When you have been in leadership, what would have worked and what
would not have been appropriate? As someone under leadership, how
would you react to a leader such as Mattis?
Mattis
developed a group which he called his Juliets. What was their
purpose? How were these people different than snitches or spies on
his own people? Would you trust a person wwho used a Juliet system?
Mattis
talks about a shared understanding. What does he mean by that? How
does reading, particularly a common set of books and material
facilitate that? Does it mean that there will be agreement about a
particular course of action? If not, how come?
Generals
take a course talk by retired generals. Mattis says that it teaches
humility and dedication and ethics. How is this achieved? Is this a
good outcome in military personnel?
Why
does Mattis day that Doctrine
is the last refuge of the unimaginative?
Mattis
shoulders a burden of not having adequate communication with his
superiors. This led his superiors not being able to convince the
President to pursue the Taliban. Do you think Mattis is right? How
does communication flow in a command structure? Should his superiors
have talked more with Mattis?
Mattis
quotes Homer’s teachings: only
when the strongest nations and armies respect the dignity of the
weakest
is when civilizations progress. Is this true? Why not just run over
weaker nations? How does America espouse this? In what ways do we
need to improve?
You
cannot order someone to abandon a spiritual burden they’re
wrestling with.
Why not? What happens when you do?
In
what ways does Mattis support a free press? In what ways is he
cynical of it? Should he be? He quotes Churchill as saying A
lie gets halfway around the world before truth gets its pants on.
How is this a warning about what we should believe is true?
Without
credible military force, our diplomacy is toothless.
Is this a true statement? Are there alternatives? Does this mean that
we always need a hammer to go with carrots? Is there any hope on
this side of heaven for a peaceful world?
In
1863, Lincoln formulated how people in war should act: Men
who take up arms against another in public war do not cease in this
account to be moral beings, responsible for one another and to God.
Does this still hold true? What happens if the other side does not
honor the same morality?
Secretary
George Shultz. Said that To
do our jobs well, we should not want our job too much.What
does he mean by this? How can we foster this in our civil servants?
Shouldn’t a person want to care for his family? Or does this only
apply to a rich or single person? Or can only the rich or a single
person take such a position?
What
is a bureaucracy? Why are the rules made which a bureaucracy run on
made? When Mattis says he wants to clear up the bureaucracy, how does
he intend to do this? Will he respect the reason why there are the
rules?
Bush’s
goals of establishing a stable and democratic state in Afghanistan.
If this is unattainable, what should the goal be? Something
undemocratic? That does not sound American and not worth fighting
for. On the other hand, what does the people or the culture of an
area want?
We
as Americans tend to equate that democracy is what each nation needs.
Is democracy the goal we should be shooting for each nation we engage
in? If not what is? How do we judge what is good for each nation? How
long is a reasonable time to assist a nation in changing? Mattis
suggests change may happen over many generations. Is this a good
assessment? Are we willing to wait that long?
Mattis
notes that a common refrain is that We
love Americans and we hate your foreign policy.
Is this a good analysis? How do other countries hate our foreign
policy? Why do they love the people? Mattis pictures that if America
has an empire, it is more of an empire of ideas. He says that America
has fought alongside allies rather than over allies. Does America
have an empire? If so, how do we control this empire? What do you
think about Mattis’ statement that our empire is more an empire of
ideas? What ideas are these? Democracy? Human rights? Capitalism?
How
do we judge the capabilities and abilities of our military? Mattis
suggests it is by how lethal it is. How does that resonate with you?
He
does say that our military is organized to fight and he says that the
military is not the place to conduct social experiments.What does he
consider a social experiment? Is he right? Should the military
reflect America as a whole? Do you think he is talking about
transgenders? Ir something deeper?
Many
of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
- Why the title of Call Sign Chaos?
- Does this story work as a biography or leadership book? Does Mattis look at himself critically?
- Every story and person has a world view. Were you able to identify Mattis’ world view? What was it? How did it affect what he wanted to tell?
- In what context was religion talked about in this book?
- Why do you think the author wrote this book?
- What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
- What “take aways” did you have from this book?
- What central ideas does the author present?
- Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, or military?
- What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?
- Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?
- Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistics, historical documents, or quotations from (credible) experts?
- What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?
- Are these idea’s controversial?
- To whom and why?
- Are there solutions which the author presents?
- Do they seem workable? Practable?
- How would you implement them?
- Describe the culture talked about in the book.
- How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?
- What economic or political situations are described?
- Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?
- How did this book affect your view of the world?
- Of how God is viewed?
- What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
- Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
- What was memorable?
New Words:
- Fratricide (Prologue): the killing of one's brother or sister.
- Parsimonious (Chp 3): unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.
- Coup d’oeil (chp 5): glimpse or glance in English. The literal meaning is "stroke of [the] eye"
- Plenipotentiary (chp 14): a person, especially a diplomat, invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of their government, typically in a foreign country.
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
- The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
- The Call of the Wild by Jack London
- The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
- Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
- The Battle of Okinawa by Unknown
- Lee’s Lieutenants by Douglas Freeman
- Strategy by Liddel Hart
- The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
- Inferno by Dante
- With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge
- Defeat into Victory by Viscount Slim
- The Siege by Russell Braddon
- Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Good Quotes:
- First Line: In late November 2016, I was enjoying Thanksgiving break in my hometown on the Columbia River in Washington State when I received an unexpected call from Vice President Elect Pence.
- Last Line: E pluribus unum.
- We don’t get to choose when we die, but we do choose how we meet death. Chapter 1: A Carefree Youth Joins the Disciplined Marines
- Men who are familiarized to danger meet it without shrinking; whereas troops unused to service often apprehend danger where no danger is. George Washington, Letter to the President of Congress (9 February 1776)
- Reading is an honor and a gift from a warrior or historian who-a decade or a thousand decades ago-set aside time to write. He distilled a lifetime of campaigning in order to have a “conversation” with you. …. If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you. Chapter 4: Broadening
- Mastering your chosen vocation means you are ready when opportunity knocks. Chp 5
- Doctrine is the last refuge of the unimaginative. Chapter 5: Rhino
- You never know an enemy until you fight him. Chapter 6: The March Up
- Uncertainty runs riot if you don’t keep cool. Chapter 6: The March Up
- great nations don’t get angry; military action should be undertaken only to achieve specific strategic effects. Chapter 8: Incoherence
- A leader’s role is problem solving. If you don’t like problems, stay out of leadership. Chapter 11: Hold the Line
- Men who take up arms against another in public war do not cease in this account to be moral beings, responsible for one another and to God. Abraham Lincoln Lieber Code of April 24, 1863.
- You cannot allow your passion for excellence to destroy your compassion for them as human beings. Chapter 12: Essential NATO
- There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them. Winston Churchill, Chequers Speech, April 1, 1945
- Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster. General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Memoirs, Chapter XXV
- Any President gets the advice he desires and deserves. Chapter 13: Disbanding Bureaucracy
- To do our jobs well, we should not want our job too much. Secretary George Shultz.
- A leader must try to see the overarching pattern, fitting details into the larger situation. Chapter 14: Central command: Trigonometry :Level of Warfare:
- Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; …. by doing just acts we come to be just; by doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we become brave. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
- History is determined by choices made. Chapter 17: Reflections
- Prologue
- Part I: Direct Leadership
- Chapter 1: A Carefree Youth Joins the Disciplined Marines
- Chapter 2: Recruit for Attitude, Train for Skill
- Chapter 3: Battle
- Chapter 4: Broadening
- Chapter 5: Rhino
- Part II: Executive Leadership
- Chapter 6: The March Up
- Chapter 7: A Division in Its Prime
- Chapter 8: Incoherence
- Chapter 9: Cascading Consequences
- Chapter 10: Fighting While GTransforming
- Chapter 11: Hold the Line
- Chapter 12: Essential NATO
- Chapter 13: Disbanding Bureaucracy
- Part III: Strategic Leadership
- Chapter 14: Central command: Trigonometry :Level of Warfare:
- Chapter 15: Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
- Chapter 16: Friend or Foe
- Chapter 17: Reflections
- Epilogue: America as Its Own Ally
References:
-
- Also his book list
- Wikipedia-Author
- Amazon-Book
- Amazon-Author
- GoodReads-Book
- GoodReads-Author
- New York Times Review
- NPR Review
- Time Magazine review
- Task and Purpose review
- Military.com’s review of the book-10 things you did not know
- Hoover Institute - where Mattis was before being called as Secretary of Defense
- Foreign Affairs magazine
- UPI review
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