LtGen James Mattis' Reading List

by SWJ Editors
SWJ Blog Post | June 5, 2007 - 3:32pm
Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces, Central Command Reading List
Commander's Intent: The Global War on Terrorism is a long war, and as such we need to continue our preparation
to be engaged in all aspects of this war. For our current fights the MARCENT Reading List provides a collection of
readings to be read dependent upon your grade and how long you have before deploying. Whether part of a unit or
an individual augment, my intent is to prepare you for the operational, tactical, cultural and environmental factors
affecting your specific fight. This reading list is not all inclusive and your local command may require you to
accomplish other tasks in preparation for deployment as well. All of these actions will ensure we send educated,
well-trained and properly prepared Marines into the fight. Turn-to, get it done, you and your Marines will be better
for your efforts.
LtGen James N. Mattis
Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command
Section I is a list of articles, books and publications that are required reading for all hands to prepare for your
upcoming deployment to the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR).
Section II is recommended reading separated into specific regions within the AOR. Applicable ranks are assigned
and each item is marked by the estimate amount of time that the item can be completed prior to deployment. The
time allotted permits prioritization of the reading requirements should a Marine receive late notification for
deployment.
I. Require reading list for all Marines and Sailors deploying to USCENTCOM AOR.
All Ranks
Small Units Leaders Guide to Counterinsurgency MCCDC (MCIP 3-33.01) (Ed. note, pardon the alternate online
source, it is no longer available via FAS)
Closing Ranks Leslie Susser, Jerusalem Post, 8 January 2007
Israels Lebanese War, A Preliminary Assessment Dr. Martin van Creveld, The RUSI Journal, October 2006
Gates of Fire: Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae Setphen Pressfield
Squad Leaders, Non-Commissioned Officers / Petty Officers and Above
The Village Bing West
Ethics and Combat: Thoughts for Small Unit Leaders Steven Silver, Marine Corps Gazette, November 2006
Twenty-Eight Articles: Fundamentals of Company-level Counterinsurgency Dr. David Kilcullen
Blood Stripes David Danelo
Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned Website (PKI / CAC Card Login Required)
Staff NCOs, CPOs, Company Grade Offices and Above
Winning the Peace, The Requirement for Full Spectrum Operations MG Peter Chiarelli, Military Review, October
2006 (COIN Reader)
Tentative Manual for Countering Irregular Threats: An Updated Approach to Counterinsurgency Operations
MCWL (MCIP 3-33.02)
Learning Counterinsurgency: Observations from Soldiering in Iraq LTG David Petraeus, Military Review,
October 2006 (COIN Reader)
Seven Months in Ar Ramadi: Observations from 2nd Battalion 4th Marines - Marine Corps Center for Lessons
Learned Website (PKI / CAC Card Login Required)
A Bell for Adano John Hersey
Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned Website (PKI / CAC Card Login Required)
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer Nathaniel Fick
Field Grade Officers, First Sergeants and Master Sergeants, CPOs / Above
Marine Corps Operating Concepts for a Changed Security Environment MCCDC Pamphlet dated March 2006
Tentative Manual for Countering Irregular Threats: An Updated Approach to Counterinsurgency Operations
MCWL (MCIP 3-33.02)
Winning the Peace, The Requirement for Full Spectrum Operations MG Peter Chiarelli, Military Review, October
2006 (COIN Reader)
Counterinsurgency US Army Field Manual 3-24 / Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 33.3.5
Multi-Service Concept for Irregular Warfare MCCDC / USSOCOM Pamphlet dated 2006
The Army in Vietnam Andrew Krepenivich
Achilles in Vietnam Jonathan Shay
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes Amin Maalouf
The Small Wars Manual FMFRP 12-15
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice David Galula
Combat Stress Marine Corps Reference Publication 6-11C
Colonels and General Officers
Thoughts on Operational Art Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, October 2006
The Utility of Force General Rupert Smith
The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror Bernard Lewis
Tentative Manual for Countering Irregular Threats: An Updated Approach to Counterinsurgency Operations
MCWL (MCIP 3-33.02)
Counterinsurgency US Army Field Manual 3-24 / Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 33.3.5
Knowing the Enemy: Can Social Scientists Redefine the "War on Terror" George Packer, The New Yorker
Magazine dated 18 December 2006
Advising Foreign Forces: Tactics, Techniques and Procedures - Center for Army Lessons Learned Special Edition
No. 06-01 dated January 2006 (requires AKO account)
II. Recommended Reading for Marines and Sailors Deploying to Specific Regions of USCENTCOMs AOR
Afghanistan
Corporals and Below
Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia Ahmed Rashid
Taliban Ahmed Rashid
Imperial Grunts Robert Kaplan
Sergeants and Above and Company Grade Officers
Reaping the Whirlwind: Afghanistan, Al Qa'ida and the Holy War Michael Griffin
Afghan Guerilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters Ali Ahmad Jalali and Lester Grau
Imperial Grunts Robert Kaplan
Tactics of the Crescent Moon H. John Poole and Ray Smith
Afghanistans Cave Complexes 1979 2004 Mir Bahmanyar
Soldier Sahibs Charles Alan
The Village Bing West
What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East Bernard Lewis
From Beirut to Jerusalem Thomas Friedman
Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan Lester Grau
The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War Ali Ahmad Jalali and Lester Grau
The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power Max Boot
Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan Robert Kaplan
Staff NCOs and Field Grade Officers
Afghanistan Stephan Taylor (ed. note - unable to locate online)
The Osama Bin Laden I Know: An Oral History Peter Bergen
Charlie Wilsons War George Crile
Afghanistan: A Military History Stephen Tanner
Culture and Customs of Afghanistan Hafizullah Emadi
War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet Eric Margolis
The Soviet Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost Russian General Staff
Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia Ahmed Rashid
The Punishment of Virtue Sarah Chayes
Afghan Guerrilla Warfare Ali Ahmad Jalali
The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of Americas Power and Purpose General Anthony Zinni
Djibouti / Horn of Africa
Sergeants and Company Grade Officers
What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam John Esposito
The Battle for God Karen Armstrong
Islamism and its Enemies in the Horn of Africa Alex De Waal
Staff NCOs and Field Grade Officers
A Modern History of the Somali I. M. Lewis
Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia Paul Henze
Famine Crimes Alex De Waal
The Horn of Africa: Politics and International Relations Peter Woodward
The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror Bernard Lewis
Iraq
Sergeants and Company Grade Officers
No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle of Fallujah Bing West
Imperial Grunts Robert Kaplan
The Revolt on the Tigris Mark Etherington
Greater Middle East
Corporals and Below
Hatreds Kingdom Dore Gold
The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islams War Against America Daniel Benjamin
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam Reza Aslan
The Idea of Pakistan Stephen Cohen
Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times Margaret Nydell
The Arab Mind Raphael Patai
The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future Vali Nasr
Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution Nikki Keddie
Failure of Political Islam Oliver Roy
Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism Robert Pope
Sergeants and Company Grade Officers
Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda Gary Bernsten and Ralph Pezzullo
Global Responses to Terrorism: 9/11, Afghanistan and Beyond Mary Buckley
Staff NCOs and Field Grade Officers
All the Shahs Men Stephen Kinzer
Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napolean to Al-Qaeda John Keegan
The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power Max Boot
Battle Ready Tom Clancy
The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future Vali Nasr
Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution Nikki Keddie
Failure of Political Islam Oliver Roy
Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism Robert Pape
A Peace to End All Peace David Fromkin
The Arab Israeli Wars Chaim Herzog
What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East Bernard Lewis
The Easter Offensive Colonel G. H. Turley
The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror Bernard Lewis
MARCENT Coordination Elements
MCWP 0-1.1 Componency (Required Reading for all MCE Assigned Personnel MCWP 3-40.8
USMARCENT Theater Campaign Plan MARCENT G-5 (not on NIPRNET)

Comments
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by negotiator6 | July 31, 2010 - 8:41am
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I would also recommend several others books with specific reference to Afghanistan..they are:
1. Decent Into Chaos by Ahmed Rashid: Afghan reconstruction and reconciliation opportunities missed with the
onset of Iraqi Freedom.
2. Mission, Men and Me by Pete Bladber: Operation Anaconda, Paktia Province March of 2002 by Senior Delta
operator.
3. Not a Good Day to Die by Sean Naylor: Chaos atop Takur Ghar during Anaconda resulting in deaths of Ranger
QRF. Lessons learned...or not learned in the early days.
4. SOG by John Plaster: Vietnam..Where daily missions then would be spectacular missions/achievements today-
heros of another time. 5th Grp SF operating in Laos and in "real bad guy" territory.
5. The Devil We Know by Bob Baer (this is a must read). Iran and the consequence of the war in Iraq; involvement
in Lebanon & Gaza.
Paktia/Khost-2003
by "MAC" McCallister (not verified) | July 30, 2010 - 9:08am
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WARNING...WARNING... DANGER, WILL ROBINSON... SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS!!!
Add "COIN and Irregular Warfare in a Tribal Society Primer version 2" by yours truly to the reading list. The
primer can be found in the SWJ.
Shamelessly yours,
MAC
by soldiernolonger... | July 29, 2010 - 1:39pm
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You are correct! I withdraw that criticism in order to concentrate on some of the lower brow works!
by carl (not verified) | July 29, 2010 - 11:11am
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Isn't FMFRP 12-15 the 1940 Small Wars Manual?
by soldiernolonger... | July 29, 2010 - 9:47am
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We insult the intelligence of junior enlisted and officers by recommending that they read middlebrow nonsense or
the gleanings from pundits. Much of this doesn't inform the work that they shall do, and some it likely is counter-
productive.
The fact that the USMC's own Small Wars Manual (1940) doesn't even appear on a list compiled by a Marine is
bracing. I guess it had to make way for COIN genius Tom Friedman.
Also, it's Pape, not Pope.
I'm glad that Bing made the cut. It might have been nice to have seen a few selections from actual insurgents!
Empathy matters.
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