NIGHTLY READING THREAD: Welcome to Edition #84 of #GMGReads. Every night through this (increasingly) weird (and sad) time, I'm tweeting out a list of my five favorite books around a general theme—and a link to an indie bookstore where you can order them online....
There's been a tremendous amount of ink and debate in the last week of the correct role of the US military in a democratic society, so I thought I'd share the best books I've read on the culture and role of the US military:
1) Rosa Brooks' (@brooks_rosa) HOW EVERYTHING BECAME WAR AND THE MILITARY BECAME EVERYTHING is one of the most impt books to understand modern America, the military's role in our broken politics, and how the US sadly now has few tools beyond the Pentagon: bookshop.org/books/how-ever…
(Honestly: If I could get everyone in politics to read a single book on modern government, it would be @brooks_rosa's book. Read it!) bookshop.org/books/how-ever…
2) Eliot Cohen's classic on wartime leadership, SUPREME COMMAND, isn't solely American-focused but it's a thoughtful examination of the role of civilian leadership: bookshop.org/books/supreme-…
3) Tom Ricks's (@tomricks1) MAKING THE CORPS is a fantastic tour of the unique culture of the Marines and why it stands apart in our services: powells.com/book/making-th…
PS: I haven't read it, but if you want a female perspective on the same subject, Kate Germano (@kate_germano) wrote FIGHT LIKE A GIRL about the Marines' training of women: bookshop.org/books/fight-li…
4) Mark Perry has written a lot about the military, and his FOUR STARS traces the historical tension between the Joint Chiefs and the Pentagon's civilian leadership: powells.com/book/four-star…
PS: If you want a deeper and broader version of the topic of the civil-military divide, Kori Schake (@KoriSchake) and Jim Mattis (!) edited a volume called WARRIORS AND CITIZENS: bookshop.org/books/warriors…
5) There are two great histories on West Point, ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN, about a modern post-9/11 class, powells.com/book/-97814000… and THE LONG GRAY LINE powells.com/book/-97808050…
Those are tonight's #GMGReads. What are your favorite books on the US military? What did you read this weekend? Share! #avidreadersunite
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