My 2024 Reading List
A reading list with resources (not just books) from the classics of antiquity through to speculation about future conflict.
Perhaps the single best way a leader can learn can grow is through reading. Admiral Stavridis, The Leader’s Bookshelf
I love reading!
My passion for reading is something that I also like to share with others as much as I can. During my last job in the Army, I used to have lunch with officer trainees at the Australian Defence Force Academy. I always finished our meals together by asking each of them “what are you reading?”
I find reading to be one of my greatest joys. It is something that relaxes my mind after a busy day, and complements the formal learning opportunities that I received during three and half decades in the Australian Army.
Jim Mattis, a U.S. Marine Corps general and a Secretary of the Department of Defence, once wrote that “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. It doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.”
Reading widely and in depth was fundamental to my professional development as a soldier and remains a key part of my current daily routine. I normally read for 3–4 hours per day, with 1–2 history books and a non-fiction novel going at the same time. I also attempt to peruse as many journal articles and blog posts as I can daily. It is one of the ways I try to keep learning and to stay current with developments in modern war, national security affairs and geopolitics.
A few years ago, I began producing an annual reading list, with the first one being published in 2017 (you can read that list here). The aim of my lists was to provide a “starter kit” for young professionals that contains a few essential books, journals, blogs, podcasts, and Twitter feeds. To this end, I normally kept the annual list to a single, A4 page. It was tough, given the massive amount of high-quality material out there.
The list contains reading resources that stretch from the classics of antiquity through to speculation about future conflict. It has selections from military history and contemporary operations. I should emphasise that my reading lists aren’t ‘annual best books’ lists; there are plenty of such lists around.
My lists don’t only contain great books. They include a range of other resources that allow the military and national security professionals as well as interested citizens, to immerse themselves in a global professional discourse. Never before have we possessed the range of networking opportunities afforded by the digital age.
Finally, my reading list is not restricted to non-fiction. I have included several fictional novels, including science fiction, that feature military themes. I have written previously about why I think military officers should read sci-fi and have collaborated on three sci-fi reading lists.
Albert Einstein once noted that “I have no special talent; only that I am passionately curious.” Reading drives us to look beyond the tunnel vision of our day-to-day duties that often absorb much of our time. It also provides the military and national security practitioners, as well as interested citizens, with an excellent opportunity for vicarious learning.
My 2024 reading list is below. Happy reading!
My 2024 reading list can also be downloaded as a single-page pdf document at the link below.
Finally, a reminder that from now until 26 December 2024, I will be offering a discount on annual subscriptions. Whether you are upgrading from a free subscription or continuing an existing paid annunal subscription, you will recieve a 20% discount. You can access the discount here.