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UNCLAS //N01500//
ALMAR 026/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CG MCCDC QUANTICO VA//
SUBJ/U. S. MARINE READING PROGRAM//
REF/A/MSG/CMC/031500ZJUL96//
AMPN/REF A IS ALMAR 244/96 - ESTABLISHES THE COMMANDANT'S INTENT FOR
THE MARINE CORPS PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM.  THIS ALMAR UPDATES
AND MODIFIES REFERENCE A.//
RMKS/1.  READING IS BOTH OUR LINK TO THE PAST, AND THE KEY TO OUR
FUTURE.  WE MUST MAKE TIME FOR READING -- MUCH AS WE DO FOR PHYSICAL
TRAINING.  IT IS NOT ENOUGH THOUGH, TO SIMPLY READ ALONE -- WE MUST
READ AND DISCUSS.  ON MESS DECKS, AROUND SANDTABLES, AT HAPPY HOUR,
IN FIRST SERGEANTS' OFFICES AND COMMANDING GENERALS' HOMES -- WE
MUST READ AND DISCUSS AS TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS.
2.  TO CREATE A SENSE OF PERSONAL OWNERSHIP OF OUR READING PROGRAM BY
EACH MARINE, I HAVE RENAMED IT THE "U. S. MARINE READING PROGRAM."
WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE "COMMANDANT'S READING LIST," I
HAVE ALSO RENAMED THE "U. S. MARINE READING LIST."  "STRENGTH OF
THE PACK...STRENGTH OF THE WOLF" -- I REEMPHASIZE THE POWER OF THAT
METAPHOR AS OUR GUIDING THEME FOR READING AND DISCUSSING.
3.  THE U. S. MARINE READING LIST CONTAINS THOSE CLASSICS TO BE READ
BY ALL MARINES AS THEY SERVE OUR NATION.  IT IS A LIVING LIST, WHICH
I SHALL UPDATE AS NECESSARY BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE
MARINE READING BOARD AT MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY.  THE CURRENT LIST
MAY BE ACCESSED OVER THE INTERNET AT:
WWW.MCU.USMC.MIL/READING/READINGLIST.HTM.  ALL REFERENCE TO READING
BY GRADE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LIST.  I WANT MARINES TO FREELY
READ SELECTIONS FROM THE ENTIRE LIST BASED ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL
INTERESTS AND LOCAL COMMANDERS' GUIDANCE.  THE LIST IS DIVIDED INTO
SECTIONS BY GENERAL TOPIC.  WITHIN EACH SECTION, FOUNDATION BOOKS ARE
LISTED FIRST, WITH MORE ADVANCED BOOKS TOWARD THE END OF THE LIST.
MARINES SHOULD READ AND DISCUSS BOOKS FROM ALL SECTIONS.
   A.  TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW WORKS, THE FOLLOWING TITLES HAVE BEEN
DELETED FROM THE U.S. MARINE READING LIST:
       "THE US MARINE CORPS AND DEFENSE UNIFICATION," BY GORDON
        KEISER
       "ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SEAPOWER," BY GEORGE BAER
       "RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH NAVAL MASTERY," BY PAUL KENNEDY
       "REMINISCENCES," BY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
   B.  THE FOLLOWING TITLES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE U.S. MARINE
READING LIST:
       "THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE," BY THOMAS JEFFERSON
       "GATES OF FIRE," BY STEVEN PRESSFIELD
       "TIP OF THE SPEAR," BY SGT C. J. MICHAELS, USMC
       "A MARINE NAMED MITCH," BY COL MITCH PAIGE, USMC (RET.)
       "PHASE LINE GREEN - THE BATTLE FOR HUE 1968," BY NICHOLAS
        WARR
       "CITIZEN SOLDIERS," BY STEPHEN E. AMBROSE
       "BREAKOUT," BY MARTIN RUSS
       "BLACKHAWK DOWN," BY MARK BOWDEN
       "DEVIL DOGS - FIGHTING MARINES OF WORLD WAR I," BY GEORGE B.
        CLARK
       "THREE WAR MARINE," BY COL FRANCIS FOX PARRY, USMC (RET.)
       "UTMOST SAVAGERY," BY COL J. H. ALEXANDER, USMC (RET)
       "CLASHES - AIR COMBAT OVER NORTH VIETNAM 1965-1972," BY
        MARSHALL L. MICHEL, III
       "GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL," BY JARED DIAMOND
       "DERELICTION OF DUTY," BY H. R. MCMASTER
4.  I ENCOURAGE MARINES TO MAKE NOMINATIONS OF BOOKS THEY'VE READ BY
SENDING A SHORT REVIEW TO THE PRESIDENT, MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY,
2076 SOUTH STREET, QUANTICO, VA 22134.  ELECTRONIC NOMINATIONS MAY
BE MADE THROUGH THE U. S. MARINE READING PROGRAM WEBSITE NOTED ABOVE.
5.  THE CURRENT ISSUES READING LIST ESTABLISHED IN REFERENCE A IS
REPLACED BY THE WAR ROOM REPORT OF OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES GROUP
AT HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS.  ALL MARINES SHOULD ACTIVELY
READ CURRENT ISSUES OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING AND AS DIRECTED BY THEIR
COMMANDS.  GATHER THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION SO AS TO INCREASE
YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF WORLD AFFAIRS.  FOLLOW THE
EXAMPLE OF PLATOON SERGEANT MITCH PAIGE "A MARINE NAMED MITCH" IN
UNDERSTANDING CURRENT ISSUES WHICH IMPACT US DIRECTLY IN OUR
WORLDWIDE SERVICE.
6.  REPORTING SENIORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE FITNESS REPORT
COUNSELING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS READING AND TO GIVE
APPROPRIATE CREDIT TO MARINES IN THE INTELLECT AND WISDOM
JUSTIFICATION SECTION.
7.  TO FURTHER ENCOURAGE MARINES TO READ ACTIVELY, I HAVE ASKED
THE PRESIDENT OF THE MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY TO COORDINATE WITH THE
AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH RECOMMENDED COLLEGE CREDIT
FOR READING AND DISCUSSION OF TITLES ON OUR READING LIST.  DETAILS OF
THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY SEPARATE CORRESPONDENCE.
8.  IN PLACE OF THE "COMMANDANT'S CHOICE" I HAVE ESTABLISHED THE
"COMMANDANT'S FAVORITES" -- A SELECTION OF WORKS WHICH FRAME MY OWN
PERSONAL READING EXPERIENCES.  I HAVE DIVIDED MY FAVORITES INTO TWO
GROUPS.  THE FIRST FIVE ARE THE ETERNAL BEDROCK FOUNDATION OF MY
THOUGHT; THESE WILL NOT CHANGE DURING MY COMMANDANCY.  THE SECOND
FIVE ARE MY CURRENT FAVORITES WHICH I WILL UPDATE PERIODICALLY.  IF
YOU WISH TO LEARN HOW I THINK - WHAT HAS INFLUENCED ME MOST -- I
RECOMMEND THESE WORKS:
   A.  COMMANDANT'S BEDROCK FOUNDATION:
       "BRIGHT SHINING LIE," BY NEIL SHEEHAN
       "GODS OF WAR," BY JOHN TOLAND
       "BATTLE CRY," BY LEON URIS
       "CIGARS, WHISKEY, AND WINNING," BY AL KALTMAN
       "THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER," BY GUY SAJER
   B.  COMMANDANT'S CURRENT FAVORITES:
       "GATES OF FIRE," BY STEVEN PRESSFIELD
       "CITIZEN SOLDIERS," BY STEPHEN AMBROSE
       "MY AMERICAN JOURNEY," BY COLIN POWELL
       "BREAKOUT," BY MARTIN RUSS
       "BLACKHAWK DOWN," BY MARK BOWDEN
       "MARINES OF AUTUMN," BY JAMES BRADY
9.  I ENCOURAGE ALL MARINES TO CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH OF KNOWLEDGE.
ACTIVELY USE YOUR TIME IN SERVICE TO PREPARE YOURSELVES NOT ONLY
FOR YOUR NEXT BATTLE, BUT ALSO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES.
SHARE WHAT YOU LEARN BY DISCUSSING YOUR READING WITH YOUR FELLOW
MARINES.  BE BETTER PREPARED TO MAKE YOUR NEXT DECISION.
10.  J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//
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