Posted on 11/22/2016 7:35:24 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
Just before Marine Gen. James 'Mad Dog' Mattis was getting ready to deploy with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force to Iraq in early 2004, one of his colleagues asked him about the importance of reading for military officers who sometimes found themselves "too busy to read."
The legendary general sometimes referred to as "The Warrior Monk" carted around a personal library of 6,000 books with him everywhere, and he had plenty to say on the topic. His response went viral over email...
Here's what he wrote, on Nov. 20, 2003:
... The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men's experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others' experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men...
(Excerpt) Read more at aol.com ...
8i don’t know much about the general, but just reading that leaves me me quite impressed.
I remember the scene from Patton when the priest says he is surprised to see The Bible at Patton’s bedside. He asked him if he actually read it. Patton replied, “Every damn night.”
Slim’s is an excellent work. I have a modest collection of books written by or about WW2 combat commanders. I read them to keep my own life in perspective, and to better understand (and hopefully emulate) what composure and courage under pressure looks like.
Outstanding!
Some of the best generals were avid students of military history, Lee and Patton. Stonewall Jackson actually taught it.
Too busy to read? . . . .now it is too dumb to read.
This guy is GREAT! A MUST (no joke) read.
MUST Read:
19 unforgettable quotes from legendary Marine Gen. James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis
And who can forget Patton viewing the smoking wrecks of German tanks and shouting "Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I READ YOUR BOOK!"
Enjoyed
“Every goddamn day.”
The coolest thing about that is that in the script the line was, “stupid bastard.” Somewhere between script and “print,” either George C. Scott or Franklin Schaffner made the incredibly insightful change.
I guess its true:
“The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know.”
My son’s a former Marine, served under Mattis in Afghanistan. He would be a great Sec’y Defense.
What the hell????
A Marine that can read!!!!!
It’s looking better every day.
The point is missed.
It isn’t that Mattis read a lot of books.
The point is that he had a heart for his Marines and he read to take better care of them.
It is that heart for “Joe” that is important.
“...carted around a personal library of 6,000 books with him everywhere”
He should just bring a Kindle.
Guess he didn’t approve of Nancy saying to pass it to see what’s in it.
Hah —I immediately thought of General Patton too! He was a prolific reader and military historian, may he rest in peace.
Succinct.
Wow! That was refreshing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.