The Commandant’s Reading List: Strategy (Part 3)
A deeper look at strategic judgment, command, adaptation, and the ideas behind military decision-making
The Commandant’s Professional Reading Program does not treat strategy as a narrow subject. It treats it as a way of thinking that connects national purpose, military judgment, leadership, institutions, and the conduct of war. That broader understanding gives this third Strategy installment its particular focus.
The books in Part 3 approach strategy from several directions at once. John Lewis Gaddis examines the problem of aligning ends, ways, and means. Allan Bloom pushes readers to think about the intellectual and moral foundations that shape judgment in a democratic society. L. David Marquet and Alex Vohr bring strategy down into organizations, showing how command climate, initiative, learning, and tempo affect performance. Hal Brands expands the frame through the long history of strategic thought, while Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor ground it in a real campaign shaped by coalition war, command friction, and senior-level decisions.
Taken together, these books show that strategy is not only about plans or theories. It is also about the quality of thought inside institutions, the habits leaders cultivate in others, and the ability to turn ideas into action under pressure. That makes this an especially useful entry in the Strategy section, and a strong one for Military Reading Room readers who want to think more seriously about how strategy is formed, tested, and carried out.
On Grand Strategy
By John Lewis Gaddis, Penguin Books (April 2, 2019), Paperback, 384 pages
On Grand Strategy examines how leaders tried to match large ambitions to limited means, and what happened when they failed. John Lewis Gaddis makes strategy a study of judgment, restraint, and the difficult task of aligning ends, ways, and means. For the Commandant’s reading program, it fits because Marine professional reading is meant to deepen understanding of warfare and strengthen decision-making, critical thinking, and strategic judgment; for Military Reading Room readers, it offers a serious and accessible way to think about leadership at the highest level.
The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students
By Allan Bloom, Simon & Schuster (April 3, 2012), Paperback, 400 pages
Allan Bloom argues that American higher education has turned away from the serious study of enduring ideas, leaving students less prepared to examine their beliefs or understand the intellectual foundations of democratic society. His critique asks readers to consider how relativism, cultural fragmentation, and weakened academic standards affect individual judgment and public life. The book fits the Strategy category because it challenges military professionals and other serious readers to examine the assumptions, values, and institutions that shape national purpose and strategic decision-making.
Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
By L. David Marquet, Portfolio (May 16, 2013), Hardcover, 272 pages
L. David Marquet recounts how he transformed the struggling USS Santa Fe by replacing a command model built on obedience with one that gave sailors greater authority and responsibility. His experience shows how clear intent, technical competence, and disciplined initiative can produce better decisions throughout an organization. The book fits the Strategy category because it demonstrates how command structures shape adaptability and performance, offering Military Reading Room readers a practical study of leadership under demanding conditions.
The second half of this list moves from leadership and judgment into tempo, modern strategic thought, and campaign command.
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