DIRECTOR’S

READING LIST

2019

COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN DEFENSE OF THE NATION

 DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
 The appearance of a title and accompanying summary on this reading list do not imply or constitute 

an endorsement or an approval by the Director of any of the products, services or opinions of the 

authors. However, these books contain thought-provoking ideas and viewpoints relevant to leadership, 

decision-making, and professionalism. The Defense Intelligence Agency bears no responsibility for the 

accuracy, legality or content of the books referenced in this reading list.
 Reading is at the heart of self-education. It enhances communication and 

 expands our experiences, enriching our efforts at home, at work, and in 

 the community. Together we pool our collective knowledge to better serve 

 and defend the United States of America.

 As a team, we can do remarkable things, and our efforts are stronger when 

 we collaborate with our friends and allies. We can operate decisively as a 

 unit and ensure our collective security and prosperity, but to do that we 

 must recognize and appreciate our teammates’ perspectives. 

 Therefore, the 2019 Director’s Reading List is not simply a personal list of 

 favorites—it is an aspiration. This is a collection of recommendations 

 from our own officers, and features an entirely new section from our 

 Five Eye partners.

 I hope you gain new insight and perspectives from this diverse collection. 

 And remember, you are always lending someone a helping hand when you 

 recommend a good book.

Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr., USA

Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
 "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

 "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought 

for with ardor and attended to with diligence."

 "Books, in all their variety, offer the human 

intellect the means whereby civilisation 

may be carried triumphantly forward."

WINSTON CHURCHILL

ABIGAIL ADAMS

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

60TH & 62ND PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

2ND FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES

NATIONAL LEADER OF THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

NELSON MANDELA

16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

1ST DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

 "Education is the great engine of personal development. 

It is through education that the daughter of a peasant 

can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can 

become the head of the mine, that a child of farm 

workers can become the president of a great nation. 

It is what we make out of what we have, not what we 

are given, that separates one person from another."

 "A capacity, and taste, for reading 

gives access to whatever has 

already been discovered by others."
TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less

BY JOSEPH MCCORMACK

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

BY JOCKO WILLINK AND LEIF BABIN

Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence

BY JAMES R. CLAPPER WITH TREY BROWN

The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable

BY PATRICK LENCIONI

Get It on: What It Means to Lead the Way

BY SGT KENI THOMAS

The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making 

of a Navy SEAL

BY ERIC GREITENS

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel 

Success and Performance at Work

BY SHAWN ACHOR

The Leader’s Bookshelf

BY ADM JAMES STAVRIDIS, (U.S. NAVY RETIRED) AND R. MANNING ANCELL

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

BY SIMON SINEK

Leaders: Myth and Reality

BY GENERAL STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL (U.S. ARMY RETIRED), JEFF EGGERS, JASON MANGONE

On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War 

and in Peace

BY DAVE GROSSMAN

Organizational Culture and Leadership

BY EDGAR H. SCHEIN WITH PETER SCHEIN

Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way 

of True Inspiration

BY ED CATMULL WITH AMY WALLACE

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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

BY SUSAN CAIN

Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us 

About Leadership

BY MARTIN DEMPSEY AND ORI BRAFMAN

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Thinker’s Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving

BY MORGAN D. JONES

The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader

BY JASON REDMAN WITH JOHN R. BRUNING

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements

BY ERIC HOFFER

War of Numbers: An Intelligence Memoir

BY SAM ADAMS

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Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living

BY BRUCE LEE

Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, 

and a Life in Perspective

BY PAT HEAD SUMMITT WITH SALLY JENKINS

Think Like a Freak

BY STEVEN D. LEVITT AND STEPHEN J. DUBNER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOBAL ANALYSIS 02 The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the 

United States: A Speculative Novel

BY JEFFREY LEWIS

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order

BY KAI-FU LEE

Battle for Syria

BY CHRIS PHILLIPS

The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

BY STEVEN PINKER

The Black Swan

BY NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB

Blink

BY MALCOLM GLADWELL

China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know

BY ARTHUR R. KROEBER

The Future of War: A History

BY LAWRENCE FREEDMAN

Fooled by Randomness

BY NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB

Freakonomics

BY STEVEN D. LEVITT AND STEPHEN J. DUBNER

Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI

BY PAUL R. DAUGHERTY AND H. JAMES WILSON

LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media

BY P. W. SINGER AND EMERSON T. BROOKING

Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

BY CHRIS CLEARFIELD AND ANDRÁS TILCSIK

The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age

BY DAVID E. SANGER

Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict

BY ELI BERMAN, JOSEPH H. FELTER, AND JACOB N. SHAPIRO

Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising 

Global Cyber Threat

BY JOHN P. CARLIN

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology

BY NEIL POSTMAN

Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

BY MALCOLM GLADWELL

Structured Analytical Techniques for Intelligence Analysis

BY RICHARDS J. HEUER JR. AND RANDOLPH H. PHERSON

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your 

Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

BY DAVID MCRANEY

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4 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

HISTORY 03

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II

BY LIZA MUNDY

American Generalship: Character Is Everything: The Art of Command

BY EDGAR F. PURYEAR, JR.

Gods and Generals

BY JEFF SHAARA

Haunted by Chaos: China's Grand Strategy from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping

BY SULMAAN WASIF KHAN

James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights

BY RICHARD LABUNSKI

The Last Full Measure: A Novel of the Civil War

BY JEFF SHAARA

Leadership: In Turbulent Times

BY DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN

The Lessons of History

BY WILL DURANT AND ARIEL DURANT

Major General George H. Sharpe and the Creation of American Military Intelligence 

in the Civil War

BY PETER G. TSOURAS

Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

BY WILLIAM T. SHERMAN

The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from Twentieth-Century Statesmanship

BY BRUCE W. JENTLESON

The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers

BY RICHARD MCGREGOR

Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942

BY IAN W. TOLL

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

BY KATE MOORE

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon 

to Mars

BY NATHALIA HOLT

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the 

Illusion of Safety

BY ERIC SCHLOSSER

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

With Lawrence in Arabia

BY LOWELL THOMAS

War: An Enquiry (Vices and Virtues)

BY A.C. GRAYLING

The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East

BY ABRAHAM RABINOVICH

The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For

BY DAVID MCCULLOUGH

The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely 

Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies

BY JASON FAGONE

Words of Wisdom from Ancient Greece

TRANSLATED BY ALEXANDER ZAPHIRIOU, 

ILLUSTRATED BY PANAGIOTIS STAVROPOULOS

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Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony

BY KORI SCHAKE

The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook

BY NIALL FERGUSON

South: The Endurance Expedition

BY ERNEST SHACKLETON 

The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

BY JON MEACHAM

The Shadow Warriors: OSS and the Origins of the CIA

BY BRADLEY F. SMITH

The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History

BY DON OBERDORFER AND ROBERT CARLIN

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FIVE EYE PARTNERS 04 The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One

BY DAVID KILCULLEN

Albaneta: Lost Opportunity at Cassino

BY RON CROSBY

The Anatomy of Courage: The Classic WWI Account of the Psychological 

Effects of War

BY LORD MORAN

Armed Conflict: The Lessons of Modern Warfare

BY BRIAN STEED

The Battle of Hamel: The Australians' Finest Victory

BY JOHN LAFFIN 

Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia

BY MICHAEL VATIKIOTIS

Strategy: The Classic Book on Military Strategy (Second Revised Edition)

BY B.H. LIDDELL HART

Conquest Without Victory: A New Zealander in the Greek and French Resistance

BY WILLIAM JORDAN

Defeat Into Victory

BY FIELD MARSHAL SIR WILLIAM SLIM

Defeating Communist Insurgency: Experiences from Malaya and Vietnam

BY SIR ROBERT THOMPSON

Echoes of Gallipoli: In the Words of New Zealand's Mounted Riflemen

BY TERRY KINLOCH

The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme

BY JOHN KEEGAN

The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today

BY THOMAS E. RICKS

The Game

BY KEN DRYDEN

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

BY ROGER FISHER, WILLIAM URY AND BRUCE PATTON

An Intimate History of Killing: Face to Face Killing in Twentieth-Century Warfare

BY JOANNA BOURKE

Leadership: 50 Points of Wisdom for Today’s Leaders

BY GENERAL RICK HILLIER (RET)

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Maneuver Warfare: An Anthology

EDITED BY RICHARD D. HOOKER, JR.

Mark of the Lion: The Story of Charles Upham V.C. and Bar

BY KENNETH SANDFORD

Mission Command: The Who, What, Where, When and Why, an Anthology

EDITED BY DONALD VANDERGRIFF AND STEPHEN WEBBER

Modern Strategy

BY COLIN S. GRAY

No Picnic

BY JULIAN THOMPSON

Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939-45: Problems of 2 NZEF

BY MAJOR-GENERAL W.G. STEVENS

On Infantry (Revised Edition)

BY JOHN A. ENGLISH AND BRUCE I. GUDMUNDSSON

Once an Eagle

BY ANTON MYRER

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Operation Goodtime and the Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943

BY REG NEWELL

Overture to Overlord

BY SIR FREDERICK MORGAN

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The Rommel Papers

EDITED BY B.H. LIDDELL-HART

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer

BY MARGOT MORRELL AND STEPHANIE CAPPARELL

The Signal and the Noise—Why So Many Predictions Fail—but Some Don’t

BY NATE SILVER

Silent Invasion: China's Influence in Australia

BY CLIVE HAMILTON

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The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century

BY COLONEL THOMAS X. HAMMES, U.S. MARINE CORPS

The Stilwell Papers

BY GENERAL JOSEPH W. STILWELL, EDITED BY THEODORE H. WHITE

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Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace

BY EDWARD N. LUTTWAK

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tank Action: An Armoured Troop Commander's War 1944-45

BY DAVID RENDER WITH STUART TOOTAL

Think!: Before It's Too Late

BY EDWARD DE BONO

Wavell: Scholar and Soldier

BY JOHN CONNELL

When Britain Goes to War

BY B.H. LIDDELL HART

Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper

BY JODY MITIC

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and 

Threatens Democracy

BY CATHY O’NEIL

The U.S. Army Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual

GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS, LT GENERAL JAMES F. AMOS, AND 

LT COLONEL JOHN A. NAGL

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LEADERSHIP AND 

PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT
10 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces 

That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Joseph McCormack

Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace

The only way to survive in business today is to be a lean communicator. Busy 

executives expect you to respect and manage their time more effectively 

than ever. You need to do the ground work to make your message tight and to 

the point. The average professional receives 304 emails per week and checks 

their smart phones 36 times an hour and 38 hours a week. This inattention has 

spread to every part of life. The average attention span has shrunk from 12 

seconds in 2000 to eight in 2012. "Brief" will help you summarize lengthy 

information, tell a short story, harness the power of infographics and videos, 

and turn monologue presentations into controlled conversations.

“Creativity, Inc.” is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new 

heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, 

all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, 

postmortems, and brain trust sessions where some of the most successful 

films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about how to build a creative 

culture—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, 

“An expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”

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Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs 

Lead and Win

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the 

toughest leadership lessons, with absolutely everything at stake. As leaders of 

SEAL Team 3's Task Unit Bruiser, the author’s mission was one many thought 

impossible: Help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, Iraq. In firsthand accounts of 

heroism, loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership "at every 

level" is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails. 

Detailing the principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult 

combat missions, "Extreme Ownership" demonstrates how to apply them to 

any team or organization, in any leadership environment.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 11

Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life 

in Intelligence

James R. Clapper with Trey Brown

When he stepped down in January 2017 as the fourth U.S. Director of National 

Intelligence, James Clapper had been President Obama's senior intelligence 

advisor for six and a half years, which included such critical events as the 

discovery of Osama bin Laden, the leaks of Edward Snowden, the Benghazi 

attack, and Russia's influence on the 2016 U.S. election. In "Facts and Fears," 

Clapper traces his career through his rise in ranks of the military, the history 

of several decades of national intelligence operations, the growing threat of 

cyberattacks, his relationships with presidents and Congress, and the truth 

about Russia's role in the presidential election. 

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The Five Temptations of a CEO: 

A Leadership Fable

Get It On: What It Means to Lead the Way

Patrick Lencioni

Keni Thomas

 This is the tale of a young CEO, who is facing his first annual board review, and 

knows he is failing, but doesn't know why. Refreshingly original and 

utterly compelling, this razor-sharp novelette plus self-assessment serves 

as a timeless and potent reminder that success as a leader can come 

down to practicing a few simple behaviors—behaviors that are painfully 

difficult for each of us to master. Any executive can learn how to recognize 

the mistakes leaders can make and how to avoid them.

Decorated U.S. military veteran-turned-country musician, Keni Thomas gives 

a personal account of his heart-wrenching experiences during the Battle of 

Mogadishu to express a unique set of leadership lessons and inspired view of 

our greater purpose. “Get It On!” reminds readers, "That we, as individuals, 

do indeed matter, that we are anything but ordinary, fully capable of carrying 

out life-changing assignments at any level and in any situation. We can make 

a difference in this world." Thomas also shares stories from the stage of the 

Grand Ole Opry to overseas concerts for active soldiers, always passionate 

about the battle that still shapes his thoughts on a daily basis and eager to 

encourage the absolute best in others.

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12 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles 

of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and 

Performance at Work

Shawn Achor

Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, 

and if we are more successful then we’ll be happy. But recent discoveries in 

the field of positive psychology have shown this formula is actually backward: 

Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. In "The Happiness Advantage," 

Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at 

Harvard University, draws on his own research to fix this broken formula. 

Using stories and case studies, Achor explains how we can reprogram our 

brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.

07

The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a 

Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL

Eric Greitens

“The Heart and the Fist” shares one man’s story of extraordinary leadership and 

service as both a humanitarian and a warrior. In a life lived at the raw edges of 

the human experience, Eric Greitens has seen what can be accomplished when 

compassion and courage come together in meaningful service. 

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Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull 

Together and Others Don't

Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is an optimist, a visionary thinker, and a leader of the cultural 

revolution of WHY. Determining a company's why is crucial, but only 

the beginning. The next step is how to get people on board with your why? 

How do you inspire deep trust and commitment to the company and 

one another? He cites the Marine Corps for having found a way to build a 

culture in which men and women are willing to risk their lives because 

they know others would do the same for them. Drawing on powerful and 

inspiring stories, Sinek shows how to sustain an organization's WHY, while 

continually adding people to the mix.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 13

Leaders: Myth and Reality

General Stanley McChrystal (U.S. Army Retired), Jeff Eggers, 

Jason Mangone

General McChrystal served for 34 years in the U.S. Army, rising from a second 

lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division to a four-star general in command of 

all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. During those years, he worked 

with countless leaders and pondered an ancient question: “What makes a leader 

great?” He came to realize that there is no simple answer. "Leaders: Myth and 

Reality" profiles 13 famous leaders from a wide range of eras and fields—from 

corporate CEOs to politicians and revolutionaries. He uses their stories to explore 

how leadership works in practice and to challenge the myths that complicate our 

thinking about this critical topic.

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The Leader’s Bookshelf

ADM James Stavridis, (U.S. Navy Retired) and R. Manning Ancell

"The Leader's Bookshelf" identifies the top 50 books that can help virtually anyone 

become a better leader. Each of the works—novels, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, management publications—are summarized and the key leadership 

lessons extracted and presented. Whether individuals work their way through 

the entire list and read each book cover to cover, or read the summaries provided 

to determine which appeal to them most, "The Leader's Bookshelf " will provide 

a roadmap to better leadership. Highlighting the value of reading in both a 

philosophical and a practical sense, "The Leader's Bookshelf" provides sound 

advice on how to build an extensive library.

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On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of 

Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace

Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Grossman with Loren Christensen

“On Combat” looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses 

of deadly battle and discusses new research findings as to what measures 

warriors can take to prevent such debilitations. The authors reveal the 

nature of the warrior, brave men and women who train their minds and 

bodies to go to that place from which others flee. After examining the 

incredible impact of a few true warriors in battle, "On Combat" presents 

new and exciting research as to how to train the mind to become 

inoculated to stress, fear, and even pain.

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14 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Organizational Culture and Leadership

Edgar H. Schein with Peter Schein

Edgar Schein shows how to transform the abstract concept of culture into 

a practical tool, which managers and students can use to understand 

the dynamics of organizations and change. Organizational pioneer Schein 

updates his influential understanding of culture—what it is, how it is 

created, how it evolves, and how it can be changed. Focusing on today's 

business realities, Schein draws on a wide range of contemporary research 

to redefine culture, offers new information on the topic of occupational 

cultures, and demonstrates the crucial role leaders play in successfully 

applying the principles of culture to achieve organizational goals. 

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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That 

Can’t Stop Talking 

Susan Cain

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who 

prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; 

who favor working on their own over working in teams. "In Quiet," Susan Cain 

argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we 

lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the "extrovert ideal" throughout the 20th 

century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also 

introduces us to successful introverts from a witty, high-octane public speaker 

who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who 

quietly taps into the power of questions. 

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Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World 

Should Have Taught Us about Leadership

Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman

 "Radical Inclusion" examines today’s leadership landscape and describes the 

change it demands of leaders. Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman persuasively 

explain that today’s leaders are in competition for the trust and confidence 

of those they lead more than ever before. They assert that the nature of power 

is changing and should not be measured by degree of control alone. They offer 

principles for adaptation and bring them to life with examples, from business, 

academia, government, and the military. The principles discussed in "Radical 

Inclusion" are memorable and the book is full of engaging stories.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 15

Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom 

for Daily Living

Bruce Lee

Within the pages of "Striking Thoughts," you will find the secrets of Bruce Lee's 

amazing success—as an actor, martial artist, and inspiration to the world. 

"Striking Thoughts" covers 72 topics and 825 aphorisms—from spirituality to 

personal liberation and from family life to filmmaking—all of which Lee lived 

by. His ideas helped energize his life and career, and made it possible for him to 

live a happy and assured life, overcoming difficult obstacles with seeming 

ease. His ideas inspired his family, friends, students, and colleagues to achieve 

success in their own lives and this personal collection will help you in your 

journey too.

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Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant 

Losses, and a Life in Perspective 

Think Like a Freak

Pat Summitt with Sally Jenkins

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and 

bestselling author of "Reach for the Summitt and Raise the Roof," tells, for 

the first time, her story of victory and resilience, as well as facing down her 

greatest challenge: early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

With “Think Like a Freak,” Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner take us inside their 

thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, 

more rationally—to think, that is, like a freak. Levitt and Dubner offer a blueprint 

for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor 

life hacks or major global reforms. As always, no topic is off-limits. They range 

from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining 

your brain. Along the way, you’ll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating 

champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous 

bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they’re 

from Nigeria.

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The Thinker’s Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques 

for Problem Solving

Morgan D. Jones

 “The Thinker's Toolkit” is an invaluable resource for every professional—a unique 

collection of proven, practical methods for simplifying any problem and making 

faster, better decisions every time. Thanks to the computer and communications 

revolutions, business people today are inundated with more data than ever before. 

But making sense of the information and using it to make smart, profitable 

decisions has never been tougher. "The Thinker's Toolkit" comes to the rescue. 

Morgan Jones explains how to replace seat-of-the-pants decision-making 

methods with 14 little-known, yet surprisingly powerful, techniques for solving 

problems of all kinds, creatively. Armed with this toolkit, anyone in business can 

start making better decisions today, with immediate benefits to the bottom line.

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The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a 

Navy SEAL Leader

Jason Redman with John R. Bruning

Decorated U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jason Redman was critically wounded in 

2007 while leading a mission against a key al-Qaida commander, when his mobility 

and assault forces team was ambushed and he was struck by machine-gun fire 

at point-blank range. During the intense recovery that followed, Redman gained 

national attention after posting a sign on his hospital door that went on to become 

a symbol for wounded warriors everywhere. Vivid and emotionally resonant, The 

Trident traces the evolution of a modern warrior, husband, and father—a man 

who has come to embody the never-say-die spirit that defines America's elite 

fighting force.

20

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of 

Mass Movements

Eric Hoffer

A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote 

philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad 

yards. "The True Believer"—the first and most famous of his books—was 

made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during 

one of the earliest television press conferences. Completely relevant and 

essential for understanding the world today, "The True Believer" is a 

visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a 

penetrating study of how an individual becomes one.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 17

War of Numbers: An Intelligence Memoir

Sam Adams

Sam Adams loved intelligence work, and that enthusiasm shines throughout 

this memoir. His career with the Central Intelligence Agency was dominated 

by an epic struggle over Vietnam—with military attempts to hide the true size 

of the enemy forces there, and over the integrity of the intelligence process. 

Adams' insistence on telling the truth caused a ruckus in both Washington and 

Saigon at the time, and years later, after the CIA had threatened to fire him, he 

quit the agency in disgust. Adams brought his story back up to the surface more 

loudly than ever in a CBS television documentary, which eventually resulted 

in a notorious trial on libel charges brought by General William Westmoreland.

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GLOBAL

ANALYSIS
DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 19

The 2020 Commission Report on the North 

Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United 

States: A Speculative Novel 

Jeffrey Lewis

 “The skies over the Korean Peninsula on March 21, 2020, were clear and blue.”

So begins this sobering report on the findings of the commission on the nuclear 

attacks against the United States, established by law by Congress and President 

Donald J. Trump to investigate the horrific events of the next three days. An 

independent, bipartisan panel led by nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis, the commission 

was charged with finding and reporting the relevant facts, investigating how 

the nuclear war began, and determining whether our government was adequately 

prepared for combating a nuclear adversary and safeguarding U.S. citizens.

23

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the 

New World Order

The Battle for Syria: International Rivalry in the 

New Middle East

Kai-Fu Lee

Christopher Phillips

 "AI Superpowers" argues that because of unprecedented developments in AI, 

dramatic changes will be happening much sooner than many of us expected. 

Indeed, as the U.S.-Sino AI competition begins to heat up, the author urges 

the U.S. and China to both accept and to embrace the great responsibilities that 

come with significant technological power. He predicts Chinese and American 

AI will have a strong impact on white-collar jobs as well, and provides a 

clear description of which jobs will be affected and how soon, which jobs can 

be enhanced with AI, and, most importantly, how we can provide solutions 

to some of the most profound changes in human history that are coming soon.

Most accounts of Syria’s brutal, long-lasting civil war focus on a domestic contest 

that began in 2011 and only later drew foreign nations into the escalating violence. 

Christopher Phillips argues instead that the international dimension was never 

secondary, but that Syria’s war was, from the very start, influenced by regional 

factors, particularly the vacuum created by a perceived decline of U.S. power in 

the Middle East. This precipitated a new regional order in which six external 

protagonists have violently competed for influence, with Syria as a key battleground. Without absolving the brutal Bashar al-Assad regime, the author 

untangles the key external factors, which explain the acceleration and endurance 

of the conflict.

24

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20 GLOBAL ANALYSIS

 The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence 

Has Declined

Steven Pinker

Today we may be living in the most peaceful moment in our species' existence. 

In this gripping and controversial new work, the author shows that despite 

the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually 

been in decline over long stretches of history. Exploding myths about 

humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious 

book continues the exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing 

psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly 

enlightened world.

26

The Black Swan: The Impact of the 

Highly Improbable

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It 

is unpredictable, it carries a massive impact, and we concoct an explanation that 

makes it appear less random and more predictable than what it was. For Nassim 

Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world. Why 

do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? 

According to Taleb, humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should 

be focused on generalities. Therefore, we are unable to estimate opportunities; 

vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize; and not open 

enough to rewarding those who can imagine the “impossible.” 

27

 Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell

In “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell revolutionizes the way we understand the world 

within, and about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to 

be made in an instant—in the blink of an eye—that actually aren't as simple as 

they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are 

consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while 

others end up stumbling into error? And why are the best decisions often those 

that are impossible to explain to others? “Blink” reveals that great decision 

makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time 

deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing"—filtering 

the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 21

China’s Economy: What Everyone 

Needs to Know

Arthur R. Kroeber

In the 1980s, China was an impoverished backwater, struggling to escape the 

political turmoil and economic mismanagement of the Mao era. Today it is the 

world's second biggest economy, the largest manufacturing and trading nation, 

the consumer of half the world's steel and coal, the biggest source of international 

tourists, and one of the most influential investors in developing countries. How 

did China grow so fast for so long? How long can its vibrant economy co-exist 

with the repressive one-party state? What do China's changes mean for the rest 

of the world? "China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know" answers these 

questions with a wealth of detail.

29

Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle 

Against Russia, China, and the Rising 

Global Cyber Threat

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of 

Chance in Life and in the Markets

John P. Carlin with Garrett M. Graff

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

John Carlin has spent 15 years on the frontlines of America's ongoing cyber war 

with its enemies. In this dramatic book, he tells the story of his years-long secret 

battle to keep America safe, and warns us of the perils that await us as we embrace 

the latest digital novelties—smart appliances, artificial intelligence, self-driving 

cars—with little regard for how our enemies might compromise them. The potential 

targets for our enemies are multiplying: our electrical grid, our companies, our 

information sources, our satellites. As each sector of the economy goes digital, a 

new vulnerability is exposed.

 "Fooled by Randomness" is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark 

Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human 

error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books 

in the series are "The Black Swan," "Antifragile," "Skin in the Game," and "The Bed 

of Procrustes." This book is about luck—or more precisely, about how we perceive 

and deal with luck in life and business. Set against the backdrop of the most 

conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill. "Fooled by Randomness" 

provides captivating insight into one of the least understood factors in all our lives.

30

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Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores 

the Hidden Side of Everything

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Steven Levitt and co-author 

Stephen Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how 

people get what they want or need, especially when other people want or need 

the same thing. In "Freakonomics," they set out to explore the hidden side of... 

well, everything. “Freakonomics” establishes this unconventional premise: 

If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics 

represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will 

be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. 

But “Freakonomics” can provide more than that. It will redefine the way we 

view the modern world.

32

The Future of War: A History

Lawrence Freedman

As Lawrence Freedman shows, the future of war has a past and a present. Ideas 

of war, strategies for warfare and its practice, and organizing principles of war 

all have rich and varied origins, which have shaped the minds of those who 

conceive the next war. Freedman shows how war can be studied systematically 

and empirically to provide a firm foundation for enlightened policy. "The 

Future of War" is filled with insight and fascinating nuggets of military history 

and culture.

33

Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the 

Age of AI

Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a futuristic notion. It's here right now—in 

software that senses what we need, supply chains that "think" in real time, and 

robots that respond to changes in their environment. Twenty-first-century 

pioneer companies are already using AI to innovate and grow fast. The bottom 

line is this: Businesses that understand how to harness AI can surge ahead. Those 

that neglect it will fall behind. Which side are you on? In "Human + Machine," the 

authors show that the essence of the AI paradigm shift is the transformation of 

all business processes within an organization—whether related to breakthrough 

innovation, everyday customer service, or personal productivity habits. 

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 23

LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media

P. W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking

Through the weaponization of social media, the internet is changing war 

and politics, just as war and politics are changing the internet. Terrorists 

livestream their attacks, “Twitter wars” produce real-world casualties, and 

viral misinformation alters not just the result of battles, but the very fate 

of nations. The result is that war, tech, and politics have blurred into a new 

kind of battlespace that plays out on our smartphones. The authors tackle the 

mind-bending questions that arise when war goes online and the online world 

goes to war. "LikeWar" outlines a radical new paradigm for understanding 

and defending against the unprecedented threats of our networked world.

35

Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We 

Can Do about It

The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in 

the Cyber Age

Chris Clearfield and András Tilcsik

David E. Sanger

A groundbreaking take on how complexity causes failure in all kinds of 

modern systems—from social media to air travel—Chris Clearfield 

and András Tilcsik reveal how we can prevent meltdowns in business and 

life. Weaving together cutting-edge social science with riveting stories 

that take us from the frontlines of the Volkswagen scandal to the top of 

Mount Everest. But, “Meltdown” isn’t just about failures, it’s also about 

solutions. It explains why the ugly designs make us safer, why teams with 

fewer experts are better at managing risk, and why diversity is one of 

the best safeguards against failure.

In less than a decade, cyberweapons have displaced terrorism and nuclear missiles 

as the biggest immediate threat to international security and to democracy. In 

"The Perfect Weapon," New York Times correspondent David E. Sanger takes us 

from the White House Situation Room to the dens of Chinese government hackers 

and the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, piecing together a remarkable picture 

of a world now coming face-to-face with the most sophisticated—and arguably 

most dangerous—weapon ever invented. "The Perfect Weapon" is the dramatic 

story of a new era of constant sabotage, misinformation, and fear, in which 

everyone is a target.

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24 GLOBAL ANALYSIS

Small Wars, Big Data: The Information 

Revolution in Modern Conflict

Eli Berman, Joseph H. Felter, and Jacob N. Shapiro

 The way wars are fought has changed starkly over the past 60 years. International 

military campaigns used to play out between large armies at central fronts. 

Today's conflicts find major powers facing rebel insurgencies that deploy 

elusive methods, from improvised explosives to terrorist attacks. "Small Wars, 

Big Data" presents a transformative understanding of these contemporary 

confrontations and how they should be fought. The authors show that a 

revolution in the study of conflict—enabled by vast data, rich qualitative 

evidence, and modern methods—yields new insights into terrorism, civil 

wars, and foreign interventions.

38

Structured Analytical Techniques for 

Intelligence Analysis

Richards J. Heuer Jr. and Randolph H. Pherson

Richards J. Heuer Jr. and Randolph H. Pherson turn a lifetime of expertise toward 

formalizing, adapting, and standardizing a set of 50 of the most robust analytic 

techniques in use in intelligence analysis today. This ready reference showcases 

current and cutting-edge best practices and represents a significant leap forward 

in depth, detail, and utility from existing handbooks. Logically organized and 

richly illustrated, “Structured Analytic Techniques” makes it easy to navigate, 

reference, and put the tools to use right away. Each technique is clearly and 

systematically explained: when to use, value added, the method, potential pitfalls, 

examples of how it can be used, its relationship to other techniques, and its origins.

39

 Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology

Neil Postman

Mixing provocative insights and oft-heard criticism, "Technopoly: The Surrender 

of Culture to Technology," defines the U.S. as an emerging “technopoly,” or a society 

in which machines and technology are deified to a near-totalitarian degree. This 

system elevates experts to “priestly” status, whether in economics or in childrearing; it maintains a bureaucracy to control the flow of information; it likens 

human beings to computers in reductionist fashion, misapplies statistics in IQ 

tests and public opinion polls, and uses advertising to “devour the psyches of 

consumers” through symbolic manipulation. In medicine, technopoly is evident 

in doctors who aggressively overuse machines and X-rays. The author presents a 

stark, often terrifying, vision of a soulless society beholden to machines.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 25

Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make 

a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell

The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior 

crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can 

start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a 

fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. Malcolm 

Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon and 

introduces us to the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of 

new ideas and trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. 

He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail, and the 

early days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious.

41

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many 

Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is 

Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're 

Deluding Yourself

David McRaney

Growing out of David McRaney’s popular blog, "You Are Not So Smart" reveals 

that every decision we make, every thought we contemplate, and every emotion 

we feel, comes with a story we tell ourselves to explain them, but often these 

stories aren’t true. Each short chapter—covering topics such as "Learned 

Helplessness," "Selling Out," and the "Illusion of Transparency"—is like a 

psychology course with all the boring parts taken out. Bringing together 

popular science and psychology with humor and wit, "You Are Not So Smart" 

is a celebration of our irrational, thoroughly human behavior.

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HISTORY
DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 27

American Generalship: Character is Everything: 

The Art of Command

Edgar F. Puryear Jr.

 Throughout his life, Edgar F. “Beau” Puryear Jr. has studied America’s top military 

leaders. In his research for this book, he has sought to discover what allowed 

them to rise above their contemporaries; what prepared them for the terrible 

responsibilities they bore as the commanders of our Armed Forces during World 

War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, and on to today; and how they are different from 

you and me. Ultimately, first and foremost, Puryear discovered that character 

is the single most important and the most distinctive element shared by these 

individuals. Character is everything!

43

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American 

Women Code Breakers of World War II

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the 

Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

Liza Mundy

Eric Schlosser

Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more 

than 10,000 women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their 

brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and 

learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, 

saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. 

A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history. Now, through 

research and interviews with surviving code girls, Liza Mundy brings to life this 

vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.

 “Command and Control” interweaves the minute-by-minute story of an accident 

at a nuclear missile silo in rural Arkansas with a historical narrative that 

spans more than 50 years. It depicts the urgent effort by American scientists, 

policymakers, and military officers to ensure nuclear weapons can’t be stolen, 

sabotaged, used without permission, or detonated inadvertently. Eric 

Schlosser also looks at the Cold War from a new perspective, offering history 

from the ground up. He tells the stories of bomber pilots, missile commanders, 

maintenance crews, and other ordinary servicemen who risked their lives to 

avert a nuclear holocaust.

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28 HISTORY

Gods and Generals

Jeff Shaara

In a prequel of sorts to his father Michael Shaara's 1974 epic novel, "The 

Killer Angels," Jeff Shaara explores the lives of Generals Lee, Hancock, 

Jackson, and Chamberlain as the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg approaches. 

Shaara captures the disillusionment of both Lee and Hancock early in their 

careers, Lee's conflict with loyalty, Jackson's overwhelming Christian 

ethic and Chamberlain's total lack of experience, while illustrating how 

each compensated for shortcomings and failures when put to the test. 

The perspectives of the four men, particularly concerning the battles at 

Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, make vivid the realities of war.

46

Haunted by Chaos: China's Grand Strategy from 

Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping

Sulmaan Wasif Khan

Before the Chinese Communist Party came to power, China lay broken and 

fragmented. Today it is a force on the global stage, and yet its leaders have 

continued to be haunted by the past. For all their considerable costs, China's 

grand strategies have been largely successful. But the country faces great 

challenges today. Its population is aging, its government is undermined by 

corruption, its neighbors are arming out of concern over its growing power, 

and environmental degradation threatens catastrophe. A question "Haunted 

by Chaos" raises is whether China's time-tested approach can respond to the 

looming threats of the 21st century.

47

James Madison and the Struggle for the 

Bill of Rights

Richard Labunski

Today we hold the Constitution in such high regard that we can hardly imagine 

how hotly contested was its adoption. In fact, many of the 13 states saw fierce 

debate over the document, and ratification was by no means certain. Virginia, 

the largest and most influential state, approved the Constitution by the barest 

of margins, and only after an epic political battle between James Madison and 

Patrick Henry. Now Richard Labunski offers a dramatic account of a time when 

the entire American experiment hung in the balance, only to be saved by the 

most unlikely of heroes—the diminutive and exceedingly shy Madison.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 29

The Last Full Measure: A Novel of the Civil War

Jeff Shaara

As "The Last Full Measure" opens, Gettysburg is past and the war advances to 

its third brutal year. On the Union side, the gulf between the politicians in 

Washington and the generals in the field yawns ever wider. Never has the 

cumbersome Union Army so desperately needed a decisive, hard-nosed 

leader. It is at this critical moment that President Lincoln places Ulysses S. 

Grant in command—and turns the tide of war.

49

Leadership: In Turbulent Times

The Lessons of History

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Will Durant and Ariel Durant

In "Leadership," Doris Kearns Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has 

studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. 

Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson—to show how they recognized leadership 

qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking 

back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their 

paths were filled with confusion, fear, and hope. "Leadership" tells the story 

of how they all collided with dramatic reversals that disrupted their lives and 

threatened to shatter forever their ambitions. Nonetheless, they all emerged 

fitted to confront the contours and dilemmas of their times.

A concise survey of the culture and civilization of mankind, "The Lessons of 

History" is the result of a lifetime of research from Pulitzer Prize–winning 

historians. With their accessible compendium of philosophy and social 

progress, the authors take us on a journey through history, exploring the 

possibilities and limitations of humanity over time. Juxtaposing the great 

lives, ideas, and accomplishments with cycles of war and conquest, the 

authors reveal the towering themes of history and give meaning to our own.

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30 HISTORY

Major General George H. Sharpe and the Creation 

of American Military Intelligence in the Civil War

Peter G. Tsouras

George H. Sharpe is celebrated as one of the most remarkable Americans 

of the 19th century. He built an intelligence organization (The Bureau of 

Military Information - BMI) from a standing start beginning in February 

1863. He was the first man in military history to create a professional allsource intelligence operation, defined by the U.S. Army as "the intelligence 

products, organizations, and activities that incorporates all sources of 

information, in the production of intelligence." Renowned historian Peter 

Tsouras contends that this creation under Sharpe's leadership was the 

combat multiplier that ultimately allowed the Union to be victorious.

52

Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

William T. Sherman

Hailed as a prophet of modern war and condemned as a harbinger of modern 

barbarism, William Tecumseh Sherman is the most controversial general of 

the American Civil War. Written with the propulsive energy and intelligence 

that marked his campaigns, "Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman" describes 

striking incidents and anecdotes and collects dozens of his incisive and often 

outspoken wartime orders and reports. This complex self-portrait of an 

innovative and relentless American warrior provides vivid, firsthand accounts 

of the war’s crucial events—Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the Atlanta 

campaign, and the marches through Georgia and the Carolinas.

53

Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 

1941-1942

Ian W. Toll

On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes 

appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific 

Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four 

Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Encompassing both the 

high command and the "sailor's-eye" view from the lower deck, "Pacific 

Crucible" tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, 

when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history 

and seized the strategic initiative.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 31

The Party: The Secret World of China’s 

Communist Rulers

Richard McGregor

The Chinese Communist Party not only has a grip on every aspect of government, 

from the largest, richest cities to the smallest far-flung villages in Tibet and 

Xinjiang, it also has a hold on all official religions, the media, and the military. 

In his book, Richard McGregor delves deeply into China's inner sanctum for 

the first time, showing how the Communist Party controls the government, 

courts, media, and military, and how it keeps all corruption accusations against 

its members in-house. The CPC’s decisions have a global impact, yet the party 

remains a deeply secretive body, hostile to the law, and unaccountable to 

anyone or anything other than its own internal tribunals.

55

The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from 

Twentieth-Century Statesmanship

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's 

Shining Women 

Bruce W. Jentleson

Kate Moore

In the 20th century, great leaders played vital roles in making the world a 

fairer and more peaceful place. How did they do it? What lessons can be 

drawn for the 21st-century global agenda? Those questions are at the heart 

of "The Peacemakers," a kind of global edition of John F. Kennedy’s "Profiles 

in Courage." Bruce W. Jentleson shows how 20th-century leaders of a variety 

of types―national, international, institutional, sociopolitical, nongovernmental―

rewrote the zero-sum scripts they were handed and successfully made 

breakthroughs on issues long thought intractable.

“The Radium Girls” illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the 

"wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the 

face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to 

life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately 

saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

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32 HISTORY

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who 

Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars 

Nathalia Holt

In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed 

quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they 

didn't turn to male graduates. Rather, they recruited an elite group of young 

women who transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American 

satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible. "Rise of the 

Rocket Girls" tells the stories of these women who broke the boundaries of both 

gender and science. Based on extensive research and interviews with all the 

living members of the team, "Rise of the Rocket Girls" offers a unique perspective 

on the role of women in science.

58

Safe Passage: The Transition from British to 

American Hegemony

Kori Schake

History records only one peaceful transition of hegemonic power: the passage 

from British to American dominance of the international order. What made that 

transition uniquely cooperative and non-violent? Does it offer lessons to guide 

policy as the United States faces its own challengers to the order it has enforced 

since the 1940s? To answer these questions, Kori Schake explores nine points 

of crisis or tension between Britain and the United States, from the Monroe 

Doctrine in 1823 to the establishment of the unequal “special relationship” 

during World War II. Over this period, “Safe Passage” shows the United States 

gradually changed the rules that Britain had established at its imperial height.

59

The Shadow Warriors: OSS and the Origins 

of the CIA

Bradley F. Smith

"The Shadow Warriors" begins with the rise of William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan 

and the relinquishing of control of intelligence by Assistant Secretary of State 

Adolf A. Berle due to the distasteful nature of the business. Bradly F. Smith 

tells the story of the forming of the O.S.S. month by month, document by 

document, in an interestingly human way that simultaneously addresses 

moral and military questions.

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DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 33

The Soul of America: The Battle for Our 

Better Angels

Jon Meacham

Our current climate of partisan fury is not new, and in "The Soul of America" 

Jon Meacham shows us how what Abraham Lincoln called the "better angels 

of our nature" have repeatedly won the day. Painting surprising portraits 

of Lincoln and other presidents, and illuminating the courage of influential 

citizen activists, Meacham brings vividly to life turning points in American 

history. He writes about the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the birth of the 

Lost Cause; the backlash against immigrants in the First World War and the 

resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s; the fight for women's rights; and 

Lyndon Johnson's crusade against Jim Crow, among other topics.

61

South: The Endurance Expedition

The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, 

from the Freemasons to Facebook 

Ernest Shackleton

Niall Ferguson

In 1914, as the shadow of war falls across Europe, a party led by veteran explorer 

Sir Ernest Shackleton sets out to become the first to traverse the Antarctic 

continent. Their initial optimism is short-lived, however, as the ice field slowly 

thickens; encasing the ship, Endurance, in a death-grip; crushing their craft; 

and marooning 28 men on a polar ice floe. In an epic struggle of man versus the 

elements, Shackleton leads his team on a harrowing quest for survival over 

some of the most unforgiving terrain in the world. What happened to those 

brave men forever stands as a testament to their strength of will and the 

power of human endurance. 

The 21st century has been hailed as the Age of Networks. However, in "The 

Square and the Tower," Niall Ferguson argues that networks have always 

been with us, from the structure of the brain to the food chain, from the family 

tree to freemasonry, from the cults of ancient Rome to the dynasties of the 

Renaissance, from the Founding Fathers to Facebook. "The Square and the 

Tower" tells the story of the rise, fall and rise of networks, and shows how 

network theory—concepts such as clustering, degrees of separation, weak 

ties, contagions and phase transitions—can transform our understanding 

of both the past and the present.

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The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History

Don Oberdorfer and Robert Carlin

North Korea is an impoverished, famine-ridden nation, but it is also a nuclear 

power, whose dictator Kim Jong-un regularly threatens his neighbors and 

adversaries, the United States in particular, with destruction. However, 

the idea that North Korea is a menace is not a new one. Indeed, ever since 

Korea was first divided at the end of World War II, the tension between its 

northern and southern halves has riveted—and threatened to embroil—the 

rest of the world. In this landmark history, the authors grippingly describe 

how a historically homogenous people became locked in a perpetual 

struggle for supremacy—and how other nations, including the United 

States, have tried, and failed, to broker a lasting peace.

64

War: An Enquiry

A.C. Grayling

For residents of the 21st century, a vision of a future without warfare is almost 

inconceivable. Though wars are terrible and destructive, they seem unavoidable. 

In this original and deeply considered book, A. C. Grayling examines, tests, 

and challenges the concept of war. He proposes that a deeper, more accurate 

understanding of war may enable us to reduce its frequency, mitigate its horrors, 

and lessen the burden of its consequences. Grayling explores the long, tragic 

history of war and how warfare has changed in response to technological 

advances. He probes much-debated theories concerning the causes of war and 

considers positive changes that may result from war.

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With Lawrence in Arabia

Lowell Thomas

It was 1918 in Jerusalem, when the admiring young American scholar and 

journalist Lowell Thomas first met T. E. Lawrence. He went on to write 

"With Lawrence in Arabia," a book that sparked the Lawrence of Arabia 

legend and was the basis of the celebrated film. With brilliant narrative 

verve, Lowell recounts the exploits of the young British agent who managed 

to weld disparate and warring Arab tribes into a formidable mobile fighting 

force—a guerilla army that would defeat the Turks in the Arab Revolt, 

sealing the fate of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East during World War I.

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The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story 

of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who 

Outwitted America's Enemies 

Jason Fagone

Jason Fagone chronicles the life of this extraordinary woman, who played an 

integral role in our nation's history for 40 years. After World War I, Elizabeth 

Smith used her talents to catch gangsters and smugglers during Prohibition, 

then accepted a covert mission to discover and expose Nazi spy rings that 

were spreading like wildfire across South America, advancing ever closer to 

the United States. Fagone unveils America's code-breaking history, bringing 

into focus the unforgettable events and personalities that would 

help shape modern intelligence.

67

Words of Wisdom from Ancient Greece

The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That 

Transformed the Middle East

Translated by Alexander Zaphiriou, 

Illustrated by Panagiotis Stavropoulos

Abraham Rabinovich

"Words of Wisdom from Ancient Greece" gathers the best of a thousand years 

of philosophy, history and literature, in a compilation of writing spanning 

from 800 BC to 200 AD. With selections from the five major schools of Greek 

thought—the Platonists, the Aristotelians, the Stoics, the Epicureans, and 

the Skeptics—this survey of ancient wisdom offers guidance for a life well 

lived from luminaries of Greece's legendary past. 

Abraham Rabinovich, who covered the war for The Jerusalem Post, draws on 

extensive interviews and primary source material to shape his enthralling 

narrative. We learn of two Egyptian nationals, working separately for the 

Mossad, who supplied Israel with key information that helped change the 

course of the war; of Defense Minister Moshe Dayan’s proposal for a nuclear 

“demonstration” to warn off the Arabs; and of Chief of Staff David Elazar’s 

conclusion on the fifth day of battle that Israel could not win. Newly available 

transcripts enable us to follow the decision-making process in real time 

from the prime minister’s office to commanders studying maps in the field.

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36 HISTORY

The American Spirit: Who We Are and What 

We Stand For

David McCullough

A timely collection of speeches by David McCullough—winner of two Pulitzer 

Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom—that 

reminds us of fundamental American principles. Over the course of his 

distinguished career, McCullough has spoken before Congress, the White House, 

colleges and universities, historical societies, and other esteemed institutions. 

Now, at a time of self-reflection in America following a bitter election campaign 

that has left the country divided, McCullough has collected some of his most 

important speeches in a brief volume designed to identify important principles 

and characteristics that are particularly American.

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FIVE EYE 

PARTNERS
As a young officer I was once told by a very smart leader, "If you want a 

new idea read an old book." Over my career I have found this to be very 

sound advice.

This reading should offer you a pathway toward understanding our 

world and, in time, should bring diversity of thought to our profession.

Challenge yourself to read broadly, widely, and often. The voices of the 

past have much to offer us all if we can find time to hear them.

Onward.

Major General John Howard, MNZM

Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration

Defense Intelligence Agency
DIRECTOR'S READING LIST 2019 39

The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in 

the Midst of a Big One

David Kilcullen

NEW ZEALAND AUSTRALIA CANADA UNITED KINGDOM

In "The Accidental Guerrilla," David Kilcullen provides a remarkably fresh 

perspective on the War on Terror. Kilcullen takes us "on the ground" to uncover 

the face of modern warfare, illuminating both the global war on terror and 

its relation to the associated "small wars" across the globe: Iraq, Afghanistan, 

Indonesia, Thailand, the Pakistani tribal zones, East Timor, and the horn of 

Africa. Kilcullen sees today's conflicts as a complex interweaving of contrasting 

trends—local insurgencies seeking autonomy caught up in a broader 

pan-Islamic campaign.

71

Albaneta: Lost Opportunity at Cassino

Ron Crosby

In mid-winter 1944, massive infantry losses were incurred at Cassino as the 

Allies fought to batter their way through heavily fortified positions to advance 

on Rome. Kiwi and Indian engineers created a golden opportunity to outflank 

Cassino through the construction of a road carved high up into the hills to the 

north of the German encampment. A surprise attack by 15 Kiwi Sherman tanks 

on 19 March saw the capture of Albaneta, a key German stronghold and supply 

line. This book details the brilliant opportunity afforded by the Kiwi engineers, 

the surprise and success that resulted, and the inevitable failure.

72

 The Anatomy of Courage: The Classic WWI Account 

of the Psychological Effects of War

Lord Moran

Fear, and man's attempt to master it, is of eternal interest and just as significant 

today as when Moran, as a young medical officer, went to the trenches in 1914 to 

research the subject scientifically. He asked "what can be done to delay or prevent 

the using up of courage?" First published in 1945, this early groundbreaking 

account of the psychological effects of war, recounted by means of vivid first-hand 

observation and anecdote, came at a time when shell shock was equated with 

lack of moral fiber. His humane, considered observations, scientific analysis and 

proposed solutions constitute one of the great First World War sources.

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40 FIVE-EYE

Armed Conflict: The Lessons of 

Modern Warfare

Brian Steed

What challenges will America face in armed conflicts of the future and how 

will we prepare for them? National security depends upon the ability of 

the military to "predict" the future nature of war. A military theorist and 

experienced armor officer, Brian Steed provides insights into the future of 

armed conflict by focusing on what has occurred in the past. Not because 

the past repeats itself, but because it reveals timeless principles of warfare. 

Five battles, one each in Korea, Vietnam, the Falklands, the Persian Gulf, 

and Somalia are analyzed historically, geographically, and strategically. The 

author focuses on why the events occurred as they did, and explores the 

significance of each battle’s political and military ramifications.

74

 The Battle of Hamel: The Australians' 

Finest Victory

Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern 

Southeast Asia

John Laffin

Michael Vatikiotis

The amazing and inspiring story of the capture of the German front line in July 

of 1918. It was the turning point of World War I, which came to a victorious 

end shortly after. John Laffin is one of the world's most distinguished military 

historians and has written more than 60 books concerning war.

This first-hand account shows what it's like to sit at the table with deadly Thai 

Muslim insurgents, mediate between warring clans in the Southern Philippines, 

and console the victims of political violence in Indonesia—all in an effort to 

negotiate peace and understand the reasons behind endemic violence. "Blood 

and Silk" tells the story of modern Southeast Asia using vivid portraits of 

the personalities who pull the strings, mixed with revealing analysis that is 

underpinned by decades of experience in the countries involved. The result 

is a study of the dynamics of power and conflict in one of the world's fastest 

growing regions.

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Strategy: The Classic Book on Military Strategy 

(Second Revised Edition)

B.H. Liddell Hart

During his long life, B. H. Liddell Hart was considered one of the world's 

foremost military thinkers. In his writing, he stressed movement, flexibility, 

and surprise. He saw that in most military campaigns, it was vital to take 

an indirect approach. Rather than attacking the enemy head-on, one must 

dislocate their psychological and physical balance. With key examples from 

World War I and II, Liddell Hart defines the practical principles of waging war 

and proves they are as fundamental in the worlds of politics and business as 

they are in warfare.

77

Conquest without Victory: A New Zealander in the 

Greek and French Resistance

William Jordan

Here for the first time is the personal story of a hero of the Second World War 

whose bravery has become a legend in his own country. William “Major Bill” 

Jordan, a New Zealander on loan to the British Army “for special purposes,” 

parachuted into Greece in December 1942. There he played an important part 

in organizing a Resistance movement, which faced two separate enemies. 

Jordan showed uncommon courage and an inflexible hostility to Communism, 

which threatened, as much as Nazism did, the future of the countries in which 

he fought. His story is a testimonial to the ideal of freedom for which the 

Second World War was fought.

78

Defeat into Victory

Field Marshal Sir William Slim

Field-Marshal Sir William Slim (1891-1970) led shattered British forces from 

Burma to India in one of the lesser known but more nightmarish retreats of 

World War II. He then restored his army's fighting capabilities and morale 

with virtually no support from home and counterattacked. His army's defeat 

of Japanese troops ultimately liberated India and Burma. The updated version 

of "Defeat Into Victory," published in 1956, tells the harrowing tale of this 

military campaign.

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Defeating Communist Insurgency: Experiences 

from Malaya and Vietnam

Sir Robert Thompson

 "Defeating Communist Insurgency" is a study of the basic theories of communist 

insurgency and of counter insurgency as they operate on the ground and affect 

the population of a threatened country. Written approximately 16 years ago, 

Sir Robert Thompson based most of the book on his experiences during the 

insurgencies in Malaya and Vietnam.

80

Echoes of Gallipoli: In the Words of New 

Zealand's Mounted Riflemen

The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, 

Waterloo, and the Somme 

Terry Kinloch

John Keegan

First published 10 years ago, "Echoes of Gallipoli" tells the story of Gallipoli 

through the eyes of the men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade 

using their letters and diaries. The book tells the full story, including the 

call-up, sea journey, camp in Egypt, eventual arrival in Gallipoli, all the 

battles and skirmishes fought there, and, finally, the remarkable 

evacuation several months later.

 "The Face of Battle" is military history from the battlefield. It's a look at the direct 

experience of individuals at the "point of maximum danger." Without the mythmaking elements of rhetoric and xenophobia, and breaking away from the 

stylized format of battle descriptions, John Keegan has written what is probably 

the definitive model for military historians. In his scrupulous reassessment 

of three battles, which represents three different time periods, he manages to 

convey what the experience of combat meant for the participants, whether 

they were facing the arrow cloud at the battle of Agincourt, the musket balls at 

Waterloo, or the steel rain of the Somme.

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The Game

Ken Dryden

Lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, 

 "The Game" is a thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Former Montreal 

Canadiens goalie and former president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken 

Dryden captures the essence of hockey and what it means to fans. He gives 

us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters that made the 1970s 

Canadiens one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, 

Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight and on the ice, offering up 

a rare inside look at the game of hockey, and an incredible personal memoir.

83

The Generals: American Military Command from 

World War II to Today

Thomas E. Ricks

While history has been kind to the American generals of World War II, it has 

been less kind to the generals of the wars that followed. In this book, Thomas 

E. Ricks sets out to explain why that is. In chronicling the widening gulf 

between performance and accountability among the top brass of the U.S. 

military, Ricks tells the stories of great leaders and suspect ones, generals 

who rose to the occasion and generals who failed themselves and their 

soldiers. The story resounds with larger meaning: about the transmission 

of values, about strategic thinking, and about the difference between an 

organization that learns and one that fails.

84

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without 

Giving In

Roger Fisher and William Ury

One of the primary business texts of the modern era, "Getting to Yes" is based 

on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, a group that deals with all 

levels of negotiation and conflict resolution. "Getting to Yes" offers a proven, 

step-by-step strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in 

every sort of conflict. Thoroughly updated and revised, it offers readers a 

straightforward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal 

and professional disputes.

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An Intimate History of Killing: Face to Face 

Killing in 20th Century Warfare

Joanna Bourke

 The characteristic act of men at war is not dying, but killing. Politicians and 

historians may gloss over human slaughter, emphasizing the defense of 

national honor, but for men in active service, warfare means being—or 

becoming—efficient killers. In "An Intimate History of Killing," historian 

Joanna Bourke asks: What are the social and psychological dynamics of 

becoming the best "citizen soldiers?" What kind of men become the best 

killers? How do they readjust to civilian life? This graphic, unromanticized 

look at men at war is sure to revise many long-held beliefs about the 

nature of violence.

86

Leadership: 50 Points of Wisdom for 

Today’s Leaders

Maneuver Warfare: An Anthology

General Rick Hillier (Ret)

Edited by Richard D. Hooker Jr.

General Rick Hillier's views on leadership evolved over his three decades as a 

soldier. Early in his career he watched as many of his superiors made bad 

decisions. Later, he learned about leadership as the head of emergency rescue 

operations in Canada and international task forces in eastern Europe and 

Afghanistan. For Hillier, leadership is all about people—embracing those you are 

in charge of and winning over those you need to work with—not risk aversion 

or management fads. "Leadership" is an inspirational, easy-to-read and, in true 

Hillier fashion, often humorous collection of 50 principles that will challenge the 

way you run your business, start a project, or take that next step in life.

Several of the writers in this collection suggest that a smaller army could actually 

be a stronger one, if it is trained and equipped to fight in the maneuver-warfare 

mode. Topics covered in the book include defining maneuver warfare, German 

tactics in World War I as a model, why World War II German General Erwin 

Rommel is thought of as a sterling maneuverist, and how maneuver warfare 

is taught and some of its training methods. This anthology is a thorough 

discussion of the primary doctrine of American ground forces now and in the 

foreseeable future.

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Mark of the Lion: The Story of Charles Upham 

V.C. and Bar

Kenneth Sandford

One of the few people in history to have won the Victoria Cross twice, Charles 

Upham was the great New Zealand war hero who set new standards of 

personal heroism during World War II. At the front in Crete and North Africa, 

he destroyed enemy machinegun posts single-handedly and led a frontal 

assault on enemy guns. He then spent the rest of the war in prisoner-of-war 

camps, including the famous Colditz Castle, where he made life a misery 

for the German guards. His exploits and individual heroism are the stuff of 

Kiwi legend.

89

Mission Command: The Who, What, Where, When 

and Why, an Anthology

Edited by Donald Vandergriff and Stephen Webber

While the U.S. military and many of our allies have formally adopted mission 

command, much work remains to truly understand and implement this 

style of leadership. In this anthology, 12 authors from three nations (United 

States, United Kingdom, and Norway) offer diverse perspectives on the 

topic of mission command as it relates to their service in the military, law 

enforcement, government, and private sector. Real-world examples supported 

by in-depth research provide the who, what, when, where, and why of mission 

command, identifying opportunities to improve how we lead our teams.

90

Modern Strategy

Colin S. Gray

 "Modern Strategy" explains the permanent nature, but ever changing character 

of strategy in light of the whole strategic experience of the 20th century. The 

book is a major contribution to the general theory of strategy; the classic 

writings of Carl von Calusewitz are reconsidered for their continuing relevance, 

while possible successors are appraised. This is the first comprehensive 

account of all aspects of modern strategy since the Cold War ended.

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No Picnic

Julian Thompson

Of course, fighting a war is always difficult—but when you're conducting 

an amphibious campaign over 8,000 miles from home, the task becomes 

herculean. Such were the circumstances in the Falklands in 1982, where in the 

unforgiving climate of the South Atlantic, the outnumbered British struggled 

to defeat Argentina's troops. Written by the commander of England's land 

forces there, this first major account of the war reveals the frustrations, 

hardships, and, ultimately, the success of a campaign regarded by many as a 

mission impossible.

92

Official History of New Zealand in the Second 

World War, 1939-45: Problems of 2 NZEF

On Infantry (Revised Edition)

Major-General W.G. Stevens

John A. English and Bruce I. Gudmundsson

 "The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45" is a 

48-volume series published by the War History Branch of the Department of 

Internal Affairs, which covered New Zealand involvement in the Second World 

War. The series was published during the period 1949 to 1986.

Part of Praeger's "The Military Profession" series, this revised edition of the 1984 

Praeger classic tells the story of infantry in the 20th century and its impact on 

the major conflicts of our time. Its purpose is to provide the reader—whether 

infantry or not—with hitherto unavailable insights on the role that infantry 

plays in the larger battle and how that has helped shape the world that we live 

in today. Combat motivation and combat refusal, the role played by small units 

(such as the squad and fire team), the role of infantry in the blitzkrieg, and 

many other issues often papered over in the literature of infantry are discussed 

and analyzed in detail in this revised edition.

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Once an Eagle

Anton Myrer

A study in courage, honesty, and selflessness, "Once An Eagle" is the story 

of one special man, a soldier named Sam Damon, and his adversary over a 

lifetime, fellow officer Courtney Massengale. Damon is a professional who 

puts duty, honor, and the men he commands above self-interest. Massengale, 

however, brilliantly advances by making the right connections behind 

the lines and in Washington's corridors of power. Beginning in the French 

countryside during the Great War, the conflict between these adversaries 

solidifies in the isolated garrison life marking peacetime, intensifies in the 

deadly Pacific jungles of World War II, and reaches its treacherous conclusion 

in the last major battleground of the Cold War—Vietnam. 

95

Operation Goodtime and the Battle of the 

Treasury Islands, 1943

Reg Newell

On October 27, 1943, a force of New Zealanders and Americans invaded the 

Treasury Islands in the South Pacific, retaking them from their Japanese occupiers. 

Codenamed Operation Goodtime, the action marked the first time New Zealand 

forces took part in an opposed landing since Gallipoli in 1915. In an unusual 

allocation of troops in the American-dominated theater, New Zealand provided 

air, naval, and logistical support. The Allies succeeded with relatively few 

casualties, however due to the need for operational security, Operation Goodtime 

received little publicity. This first complete account of the Allied seizure of the 

Treasury Islands stands as a tribute to the warriors who fought in this struggle.

96

Overture to Overlord

Sir Frederick Morgan

General Frederick Morgan was the British officer in charge of planning the 

invasion of Northwestern France. This book recounts the dramatic achievement, 

which made D-Day possible and led to the success of one of the greatest invasions 

in history. It offers a fairly meaty report to the assembled public of the 

ramifications—personal as well as official—of "Operation Overlord" by the 

chief of staff to the supreme allied commander (designate). "Overture to Overlord" 

is filled with anecdotes, sketches of famous personalities, and incidents, 

which are frequently as amusing as they are illuminating.

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The Rommel Papers

Edited by B.H. Liddell Hart

When Erwin Rommel died he left behind the papers that recorded the story of 

his dramatic career and the exact details of his masterly campaigns. It was his 

custom to dictate, each evening, a running narrative of the day's events and, 

after each battle, to summarize the lessons learned. He wrote, almost daily, 

intimate and outspoken letters to his wife in which he expressed his private 

feelings and forebodings. An engrossing human document and a rare look at 

the mind of the "Desert Fox," "The Rommel Papers" throws an interesting light 

on the Axis alliance and on the inner workings of Hitler's high command.

98

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the 

Great Antarctic Explorer

The Signal and the Noise—Why So Many 

Predictions Fail—but Some Don’t

Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell

Nate Silver

Sir Ernest Shackleton has been called "the greatest leader that ever came on God's 

earth, bar none" for saving the lives of the 27 men stranded with him in the 

Antarctic for almost two years. Because of his courageous actions, he remains 

to this day a model for great leadership and masterful crisis management. Now, 

through anecdotes, the diaries of the men in his crew, and Shackleton's own 

writing, Shackleton's leadership style and time-honored principles are translated 

for the modern business world.

Drawing on his own groundbreaking work, Nate Silver examines the world of 

prediction; investigating how we can distinguish a true signal from a universe 

of noisy data. Most predictions fail, often at great cost to society, because most 

of us have a poor understanding of probability and uncertainty. Both experts 

and laypeople mistake more confident predictions for more accurate ones. But 

overconfidence is often the reason for failure. If our appreciation of uncertainty 

improves, our predictions can as well. This is the "prediction paradox." The 

more humility we have about our ability to make predictions, the more 

successful we can be in planning for the future.

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Silent Invasion: China's Influence 

in Australia 

Clive Hamilton

In 2016, it was revealed that wealthy Chinese businessmen linked to the 

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had become the largest donors to both major 

Australian political parties. An investigation into the Chinese government's 

influence in Australia unveiled shocking results. From politics to culture, real 

estate to agriculture, universities to unions, and even in primary schools, 

there was compelling evidence of the CCP's infiltration of Australia. It is no 

exaggeration to say the CCP and Australian democracy are on a collision 

course, with the CCP determined to win, while Australia looks the other 

way. "Silent Invasion" is a sobering examination of the mounting threats to 

democratic freedoms Australians have for too long taken for granted. 

101

The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 

21st Century

Colonel Thomas X. Hammes, USMC

David’s sling-and-stone fight against Goliath isn't that far from Iraqi insurgents 

fighting against coalition forces. While DoD continues to build a high-tech American 

military to win wars against other, albeit second-tier, Goliaths, insurgents have 

adopted and are practicing sling-and-stone, low-tech, fourth generation warfare 

(4GW). These 4GW warriors rely on networks of people over networks of stateof-the-art, high-tech weapons. Colonel Thomas X. Hammes, explores the evolution 

and current practice of 4GW. DoD’s focus on technology drives its doctrine, 

organization, training, and education. It teaches people to take advantage of 

technology, instead of thinking about fighting and win wars. 

102

The Stilwell Papers

General Joseph W. Stilwell

After two and a half years of bitter struggle in the China-Burma-India theater 

during the dog days of World War II, General Joseph W. Stilwell was abruptly 

relieved of his command and brought back to the U.S. in an "atmosphere of crime." 

From the time he flew to China to assume command of the handful of American 

forces in CBI theater until his recall in 1944, General Stilwell was engaged 

in one of the most complex, difficult, and confidential operations in American 

military history. "The Stilwell Papers," brilliantly edited and arranged by 

Theodore H. White, is the striking self-portrait of a man and his struggle.

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Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace

Edward N. Luttwak

In his book Edward Luttwak unveils the peculiar logic of strategy level by 

level, from grand strategy down to combat tactics. In the tradition of Carl 

von Clausewitz, "Strategy" goes beyond paradox to expose the dynamics of 

reversal at work in the crucible of conflict. As victory is turned into defeat 

by over-extension, as war brings peace by exhaustion, ordinary linear logic 

is overthrown. Citing examples from ancient Rome to our own days, from 

Barbarossa and Pearl Harbor down to minor combat affrays, from the strategy 

of peace to the latest operational methods of war, this book reveals the ultimate 

logic of military failure and success, of war and peace.

104

Tank Action: An Armoured Troop Commander's 

War 1944-45

Think!: Before It's Too Late

David Render with Stuart Tootal

Edward de Bono

In 1944, David Render was a 19-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst 

when he was sent to France. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days 

after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did 

not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting, 

his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements earned him 

the nickname of the “Inevitable Mr. Render.” In "Tank Action," Render tells his 

remarkable story, spanning every major episode of the last year of World War II. 

It is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted 

as a leader in combat.

The world is full of problems and conflicts. So why can we not solve them? 

According to Edward de Bono, current thinking cannot solve world problems 

because current thinking is, in itself, the problem. And this is getting worse: 

We are so accustomed to readily available information online that we search 

immediately for the answers rather than thinking about them. De Bono 

examines why we think the way we do from a historical perspective, and uses 

some of his famous thinking techniques combined with new ideas to show us 

how to change the way we think.

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Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper

Jody Mitic

Elite sniper Jody Mitic loved being a soldier. His raw, candid, and engrossing 

memoir follows his personal journey into the Canadian military, through 

sniper training and firefights in Afghanistan, culminating on the fateful night 

when he stepped on a landmine and lost both of his legs below the knees. 

"Unflinching" is a powerful chronicle of the honor and sacrifice of an ordinary 

Canadian fighting for his country, and an authentic portrait of military life. 

It's also an inspirational memoir about living your dreams, even in the face of 

overwhelming adversity, and having the courage to soldier on.

107

The U.S. Army Marine Corps Counterinsurgency 

Field Manual

General David H. Petraeus, Lt. General James F. Amos, and 

Lt. Colonel John A. Nagl

This field manual establishes a framework for military operations in a 

counterinsurgency environment based on lessons learned from previous 

counterinsurgencies and contemporary operations, as well as existing interim 

and recently developed doctrine. This is a comprehensive manual that details 

every aspect of a successful counterinsurgency operation from intelligence 

to leadership to diplomacy. It also includes several useful appendices, which 

provide key supplementary material.

108

Wavell: Scholar and Soldier

John Connell

"Wavell" was written by an English author who served under Field Marshall 

Sir Archibald. This first volume of a biographical study of "one of the greatest 

soldiers and noblest characters of his age" ends in June, 1941, when General 

Auchinleck replaced him as commander-in-chief of the Middle East. With 

many excerpts from Wavell's terse and humorous personal and official papers, 

the book has a strong autobiographical flavor.

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Weapons of Math Destruction: 

How Big Data Increases Inequality 

and Threatens Democracy 

Cathy O’Neil

We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives 

are being made not by humans, but by mathematical models. In theory, this should 

lead to greater fairness: Everyone is judged according to the same rules, and bias is 

eliminated. But as Cathy O'Neil reveals in this urgent and necessary book, the opposite 

is true. The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and uncontestable, 

even when they're wrong. Models are propping up the lucky and punishing the 

downtrodden, creating a "toxic cocktail for democracy." O'Neil calls on modelers to 

take responsibility for their algorithms and on policy makers to regulate their use. 

110

When Britain Goes to War

B.H. Liddell Hart

 "When Britain Goes to War" is an examination of the British Grand Strategy. 

After experiencing World War I, Captain B.H. Liddell Hart questions how 

Great Britain could have been “seduced by Continental fashions” of warfare, 

which compromised their advantages. He attempts to answer the question 

of to what extent should Britain involve itself in the politics of mainland 

Europe. In this analysis, Liddell Hart assesses the very conduct of war with 

the principles of indirect approach and limited liability. Liddell Hart’s 

investigation incorporates the emerging concept of armored warfare, where 

he unknowingly predicts the World War II blitzkrieg. 

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