Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
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- Create Date：2021-04-08 11:53:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jim Mattis
- ISBN：0812986636
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Summary
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A clear-eyed account of learning how to lead in a chaotic world， by General Jim Mattis--the former Secretary of Defense and one of the most formidable strategic thinkers of our time--and Bing West， a former assistant secretary of defense and combat Marine。
"A four-star general's five-star memoir。"--The Wall Street Journal
Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis's storied career， from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East。 Along the way， Mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader， extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking， the importance of allies， and the strategic dilemmas--and short-sighted thinking--now facing our nation。 He makes it clear why America must return to a strategic footing so as not to continue winning battles but fighting inconclusive wars。
Mattis divides his book into three parts: Direct Leadership， Executive Leadership， and Strategic Leadership。 In the first part， Mattis recalls his early experiences leading Marines into battle， when he knew his troops as well as his own brothers。 In the second part， he explores what it means to command thousands of troops and how to adapt your leadership style to ensure your intent is understood by your most junior troops so that they can own their mission。 In the third part， Mattis describes the challenges and techniques of leadership at the strategic level， where military leaders reconcile war's grim realities with political leaders' human aspirations， where complexity reigns and the consequences of imprudence are severe， even catastrophic。
Call Sign Chaos is a memoir of a life of warfighting and lifelong learning， following along as Mattis rises from Marine recruit to four-star general。 It is a journey about learning to lead and a story about how he， through constant study and action， developed a unique leadership philosophy， one relevant to us all。
"A four-star general's five-star memoir。"--The Wall Street Journal
Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis's storied career， from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East。 Along the way， Mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader， extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking， the importance of allies， and the strategic dilemmas--and short-sighted thinking--now facing our nation。 He makes it clear why America must return to a strategic footing so as not to continue winning battles but fighting inconclusive wars。
Mattis divides his book into three parts: Direct Leadership， Executive Leadership， and Strategic Leadership。 In the first part， Mattis recalls his early experiences leading Marines into battle， when he knew his troops as well as his own brothers。 In the second part， he explores what it means to command thousands of troops and how to adapt your leadership style to ensure your intent is understood by your most junior troops so that they can own their mission。 In the third part， Mattis describes the challenges and techniques of leadership at the strategic level， where military leaders reconcile war's grim realities with political leaders' human aspirations， where complexity reigns and the consequences of imprudence are severe， even catastrophic。
Call Sign Chaos is a memoir of a life of warfighting and lifelong learning， following along as Mattis rises from Marine recruit to four-star general。 It is a journey about learning to lead and a story about how he， through constant study and action， developed a unique leadership philosophy， one relevant to us all。
Reviews
JOHN E
，
Well written！
Paul Brant
，
Here is a man whose life work is supporting the freedom of the United States， standing with other soldiers to protect their country as well as to stand up for those who are weak。 No better friend， no worse enemy。。。
James Files
，
Note to self: reread the last chapter at some point。
Christian
，
Masterpiece。
Derek Smith
，
Must read for all military officers and anyone wanting a look at how to empower your subordinates with clear leadership。
Stefanie Robinson
，
I would love to sit and talk to this man。 I love his personality and his mindset。 I learned a lot about the invasion of Iraq， and some of the key figures that I remember reading about in the news。 I really enjoyed this perspective and would recommend。
Mike Gremillion
，
Interesting mostly for its explanation of Mattis’ warrior paradigm and exculpatory review of world events （invasion of Iraq，etc）。 Veers a bit into the land of preachiness and can be a bit of a travelogue， but left me feeling like I wouldn’t want anyone else leading my armed forces
Lucas
，
Very interesting look inside executive and strategic leadership during the Global War on Terrorism。 I learned a tremendous amount about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq， as well as America's constant adversary， Iran。 General Mattis did it all。 He was a battalion commander and lead the ground assault during the Gulf War， lead Task Force 58 as a Brigadier General and established a foothold in southern Afghanistan， lead the invasion of Iraq as the 1st Marine Division Commander， and served as the CE Very interesting look inside executive and strategic leadership during the Global War on Terrorism。 I learned a tremendous amount about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq， as well as America's constant adversary， Iran。 General Mattis did it all。 He was a battalion commander and lead the ground assault during the Gulf War， lead Task Force 58 as a Brigadier General and established a foothold in southern Afghanistan， lead the invasion of Iraq as the 1st Marine Division Commander， and served as the CENTCOM Commander under President Obama。 He speaks only briefly on his time as SecDef under President Trump。 He is an absolute warfighting genius but some of the most fascinating parts were about him in diplomatic roles as a military man， meeting with sheiks who previously tried to kill him in order to pursue peace in the Middle East。 His leadership style focuses on initiative and aggression。 He clearly laid out his Commander's Intent and let his subordinate commanders execute， promoting decentralized decision-making， which lead to out cycling the enemy with bias for action and speed。"I come in peace。 I didn’t bring artillery。 But I’m pleading with you， with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me， I’ll kill you all。" -Mattis to Iraqi leaders after the invasion 。。。more
Ty Heslop
，
Very good memoir！ Biggest takeaway was to read， read， and read some more。 Read from history and people who have achieved great things。 To not learn from those who have conquered greatness， persevered through unimaginable odds， and gone through trials and tribulations would be an absolute waste。 This book has inspired me to read much more history as well as more memoirs/biographies。 Highly recommend！
Swe Chan
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Great perspectives from America's leading general。 Great perspectives from America's leading general。 。。。more
Oliver
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Not a typical book choice for me， but it got good reviews and I decided to get the audiobook。 Have to say it was interesting to learn about a high level military reader。 Seems to be a sensible person， quite frequently caught in flimsy decisions by civilian superiors without any ideas of the end game of the conflicts the US started in Iraq and Afghanistan。 Also liked that Mattis obviously reads a lot and thinks about things in a historical and wider context， with Aurelius Meditations being on the Not a typical book choice for me， but it got good reviews and I decided to get the audiobook。 Have to say it was interesting to learn about a high level military reader。 Seems to be a sensible person， quite frequently caught in flimsy decisions by civilian superiors without any ideas of the end game of the conflicts the US started in Iraq and Afghanistan。 Also liked that Mattis obviously reads a lot and thinks about things in a historical and wider context， with Aurelius Meditations being on the top of his reading recommendations 。。。more
Matt
，
The book was best when it covered big picture strategy and recounted his interactions with leaders during the Obama administration （Part 3 of the book）。 The rest of the book had some interesting bits but also dragged quite a lot。 I think he must have explained his communication methods and command structures like ten times。 Might be more applicable for someone looking to become a military leader
Michael Griswold
，
Pretty much a "lessons learned" from a 4-star marine general with some good history about the United States' involvement in the middle east from the mid-nineties until 2017。 Mattis was the Secretary of Defense under Trump and resigned after two years。 Pretty much a "lessons learned" from a 4-star marine general with some good history about the United States' involvement in the middle east from the mid-nineties until 2017。 Mattis was the Secretary of Defense under Trump and resigned after two years。 。。。more
Justin Goldman
，
I really enjoyed this work， but I recognize I bring a personal bias to the book。 I'm glad I read it with some distance from the release date back in September 2019。 While those who expected （especially around the time of release） for inside baseball on his time as Secretary of Defense were very disappointed， I believe this work is exactly what he had set out to write， long before being in the limelight as a Cabinet Secretary or concluding he needed to resign from that position。 For those looking I really enjoyed this work， but I recognize I bring a personal bias to the book。 I'm glad I read it with some distance from the release date back in September 2019。 While those who expected （especially around the time of release） for inside baseball on his time as Secretary of Defense were very disappointed， I believe this work is exactly what he had set out to write， long before being in the limelight as a Cabinet Secretary or concluding he needed to resign from that position。 For those looking for more for that perspective I'd say that "Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis" from his speechwriter Guy "Bus" Snodgrass would be more to your liking。 What comes through across the pages of Call Sign Chaos is the deep affection that Secretary Mattis has for his Marines， most especially young Marines who fill the ranks of Marine infantry units。 On the leadership focus of the book which he seeks to pass on to the generations that have followed him， I liked how he organized the book into three areas: direct， executive and strategic leadership in which over his career he had to lead in a different manner。 His reading habits are a real highlight of the story of his career and how he implored all those Marines in his charge on the importance of reading widely describing those who fail to read as "functionally illiterate。" He includes a reading list which is filled with great works， many that I have read and others I need to get ahold of that cap this excellent book。 。。。more
Asa Calloway
，
There are definitely some good take aways， especially for anyone that serves in the military。 Mattis tells it how it is and keeps it simple。 Be a master of your craft， take care of your brothers and sisters and kill the bad guy。 If the bad guy is a coward and hides in a crowd in innocent people， let him live to die another day。 It was nice to hear where Matt's gets a lot of his good ideas。 Towards the end， he even shares some of his favorite reads。 I'd recommend this book to anyone that has serv There are definitely some good take aways， especially for anyone that serves in the military。 Mattis tells it how it is and keeps it simple。 Be a master of your craft， take care of your brothers and sisters and kill the bad guy。 If the bad guy is a coward and hides in a crowd in innocent people， let him live to die another day。 It was nice to hear where Matt's gets a lot of his good ideas。 Towards the end， he even shares some of his favorite reads。 I'd recommend this book to anyone that has served。 。。。more
Jeremy Boody
，
“If you haven't read hundreds of books， you are functionally illiterate， and you will be incompetent， because your personal experiences alone aren't broad enough to sustain you。” “If you haven't read hundreds of books， you are functionally illiterate， and you will be incompetent， because your personal experiences alone aren't broad enough to sustain you。” 。。。more
Tauri Laane
，
A great example of integrity， wisdom and courage。 But It's hard to listen the pathetic inside-rotten system of the United States。 Attacking nations with great forces when there is no point to。 And then stopping and retreating when those citizens need help the most （leading to the creation and power of ISIS etc）。 The would would be a much better place today when author Jim Mattis would have been heard all the times （Afghanistan， Iraq， Iran etc） his wisdom was overruled by nearsighted people at th A great example of integrity， wisdom and courage。 But It's hard to listen the pathetic inside-rotten system of the United States。 Attacking nations with great forces when there is no point to。 And then stopping and retreating when those citizens need help the most （leading to the creation and power of ISIS etc）。 The would would be a much better place today when author Jim Mattis would have been heard all the times （Afghanistan， Iraq， Iran etc） his wisdom was overruled by nearsighted people at the top。 。。。more
Hector
，
A window into the mind of a great leader， willing to admit he didn't know it all and open to learning from anyone who offered。 A window into the mind of a great leader， willing to admit he didn't know it all and open to learning from anyone who offered。 。。。more
Trinity Lizalde
，
One of the best books on leadership that I have yet to read。 I had the privilege of meeting Gen。 Mattis in 2019 and had high hopes to gain much wisdom from the signed copy I acquired that day。 Needless to say he did not disappoint。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serving in uniform or serves in a leadership role。
Drew
，
Insightful leadership wisdom as well as an interesting personal history of US geopolitics and military engagement in the last few decades。 Most of all， I love how much Mattis insists that we learn to lead in part by reading and， in particular， by studying history。
Abigail
，
His view on the importance of reading is critical in this digital age。 “If your haven’t read hundreds of books， learning from others who went before you， you are functionally illiterate—you can’t coach and you can’t lead。” Great insight into a long and tenured career where he spoke his mind and remained true to himself and those left in his care。
Kent Anderson
，
While I found this book to be interesting from a historical point of view， I did not green too many leadership pieces from the book。 I liked reading about a perspective from someone that was boots on the ground in the Middle East。 But I felt the book was not really all that well written or organized。 Still an interesting read。
Meghan Brooks
，
General Mattis gives an inspiring account of his leadership experiences throughout his ranks。 I recommend this for anyone who is a leader， in business， military， etc。 This is a must read！！
Jay P。 Dodge
，
I am as much a Mattis fan as any Marine， and admire a man who so completely dedicated himself to his calling in the military。 It is fairly well written and certainly draws in the reader， however， this is definitely catered to veterans and particularly Marines。 I would recommend it to anyone though if they want a better idea of what makes service members tick。 He is definitely an idealist， and it comes through in his writing。 Overall a good book， from a great Marine。 From many， one。
Jordan
，
A direct and to the point account of events and opinions from a direct and to the point man。I’ll be honest that when reading a book I usually like to note where that book mentions other books， and as this book includes those in a list in the appendix I was bound to enjoy it。 General and later Secretary Mttis gives us his view on what makes leaders lead。The surprise in this book is that he doesn’t recommend the reckless determination that we would expect。 Instead he focuses on the wisdom leaders A direct and to the point account of events and opinions from a direct and to the point man。I’ll be honest that when reading a book I usually like to note where that book mentions other books， and as this book includes those in a list in the appendix I was bound to enjoy it。 General and later Secretary Mttis gives us his view on what makes leaders lead。The surprise in this book is that he doesn’t recommend the reckless determination that we would expect。 Instead he focuses on the wisdom leaders need and the trust that makes their organizations work。 Wisdom for the leaders， and trust and communication in their organizations would make you think this is a business book。 That it comes from one of the most respected American generals should reiterate to everyone how important these concepts are。As someone who likes to read， and I assume you are as well if you’re reading this， I inherently respected Mattis more as he talked of the benefits of reading。 His email about the importance of reading and how there is no excuse （an email sent to commanders preparing for war mind you） should be the rallying cry for bookworms everywhere。The book walks us through Mattis’s life and how these traits helped him succeed。 One of the few imperfect parts of the book is that it isn’t clear why it covers the content that it does。 The appendix includes his letter of resignation as secretary of defense but the book makes hardly any mention of it。It seems the book covered his past in the Iraq war， which is a great detailed analysis and history for those of us who want to understand it better， but then it jumps to the present。 It seems he avoided the modern political climate and as hotly debated as that is today I understand。 He also seems to tiptoe around showing political favoritism to make the book have a wider appeal。 This book delivers great content and advice by a man who succeeded directly because of them。 His story emphasizes the points he makes explicitly， and does so in an enjoyable read。 A book for readers， by a reader。 。。。more
Jane Viviano
，
This book contained a lot of Mattis's deployment descriptions。 I was hoping for more insight on leadership， especially for civilians， but he didn't touch on this until the end and it was always in a military context。 He seems like an brilliant individual and I think he has a lot to offer， but the book could have been written differently， and geared towards a more general audience。 This book contained a lot of Mattis's deployment descriptions。 I was hoping for more insight on leadership， especially for civilians， but he didn't touch on this until the end and it was always in a military context。 He seems like an brilliant individual and I think he has a lot to offer， but the book could have been written differently， and geared towards a more general audience。 。。。more
Mike
，
"Rebellions， no matter how idealistic in origin， can as often as not， produce chaos which leads to tyranny。" - On the Arab Spring in Egypt， citing the Russian Revolution and French Revolution"Our liberal democracy must be protected by a bodyguard of lethal warriors organized， trained and equipped to dominate in battle。""There's no substitute to constant study to master one's craft。 Living in history builds your own shock absorber， because you'll learn there's lots of old solutions to new problem "Rebellions， no matter how idealistic in origin， can as often as not， produce chaos which leads to tyranny。" - On the Arab Spring in Egypt， citing the Russian Revolution and French Revolution"Our liberal democracy must be protected by a bodyguard of lethal warriors organized， trained and equipped to dominate in battle。""There's no substitute to constant study to master one's craft。 Living in history builds your own shock absorber， because you'll learn there's lots of old solutions to new problems。 If you haven't read hundreds of books， learnings from others who went before you， you are functionally illiterate。 You can't coach and you can't lead。 History lights the dark path ahead。 Even if its a dim light， its better than none。"This was a pretty interesting memoir of Jim Mattis' time serving in the Marines， NATO and as Secretary of Defense from which he resigned during the Trump Admin。 It was interesting to hear him slam Obama for pulling troops from Iraq， despite being warned of the strong possibility that enemy forces would fill the void， at a time which Mattis describes as being unstable in Iraq。 This power insurgency did happen in the form of ISIS。 Mattis' point on this incident is that leadership should consider intelligence and act appropriately no matter the inconvenience。 He also slams Obama for drawing a line in the sand that if Syria were to use chemical weapons the US would be forced to respond。 Then Syria used chemical weapons， but the US did nothing。 Mattis characterized this as weakening the word of the US among enemies and among our allies。He included his resignation letter to Trump which makes a point of stressing the need to protect the relationships with our allies， something that Trump could be criticized for not doing very well。 It seems like there could have been much more that Mattis could have said about Trump but since the book was published in 2019， he probably felt like it would be inappropriate to criticize a sitting president too much。 I imagine he will write a book about his time with Trump at some point。He did say that no one knows how he votes because he does not want to be perceived as having a political allegiance。 He served the leadership of the government no matter which political party they were in。 。。。more
Andrew
，
Chaos’s directness is apparent throughout the book and offers great insight into what is asked of our military leaders。 He offers plenty of leadership lessons throughout this book that are applicable for any leader。 If you aren’t a history/military buff， the book has stretches that will read very dry。 For me personally， being a military vet， I loved reading about operations I was involved in that he was involved in on a much larger scale。 Mattis and West did an outstanding job bringing along the Chaos’s directness is apparent throughout the book and offers great insight into what is asked of our military leaders。 He offers plenty of leadership lessons throughout this book that are applicable for any leader。 If you aren’t a history/military buff， the book has stretches that will read very dry。 For me personally， being a military vet， I loved reading about operations I was involved in that he was involved in on a much larger scale。 Mattis and West did an outstanding job bringing along the reader into what goes into， and often ignored， when making national policy。 A wonderful read for anyone looking to sharpen their leadership tool box or just looking for a first-hand account of the last 20 years of major military events in American history。 。。。more
Brian Miracle
，
James Mattis led troops in combat in 3 wars and served as Secretary of Defense under Donald Trump。 Mattis discusses his philosophy of leadership and his insights on the foreign policy of our recent wars。 Interesting read。
Caylee
，