Jim Mattis may not have been a household name before President Trump nominated him as Secretary of Defense, but he's been a prominent, dedicated Marine officer for decades. In Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead, Mattis talks about his formative years, his military career, and, briefly, his time with Trump.
To the disappointment of many, Mattis makes clear that "I'm old-fashioned: I don't write about sitting presidents." So if you're looking for dirt on the Trump administration, or criticism from one who served under Trump, you'll have to wait until Trump is no longer president to hear from Mattis. That said, I'm not sure Mattis would be one to write a "tell-all" or critical book about Trump. He does say that he is pleased to have served under presidents of both parties, and that he has never made public his voting preferences.
So this book is not about politics, but about Mattis's experiences in the Marines and the lessons he's learned along the way. He earned his reputation for being outspoken, hard-edged, and effective at leadership and strategy. He fits any stereotypes I may have about Marine officers. He's not someone I would enjoy hanging out with, I don't think, but he is exactly the kind of person who I am glad to know is leading our military.
Military historians will be interested in Mattis's insider view of some the United States's conflicts in the Middle East. Their publishers will be pleased with Mattis's repeated insistence on the importance of the voracious consumption of military histories. Don't expect any great revelations, but you can certainly expect interesting insights and background on military conflicts of the last couple of decades.
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