Indian Strategic Studies: LtGen James Mattis' Reading List

LtGen James N. Mattis

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.

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

Israel’s 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 USCENTCOM’s 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

Afghanistan’s Cave Complexes 1979 – 2004 – Mir Bahmanyar