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SELECT ALL AND COPY EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE. PASTE IT INTO THE INPUT BOX OF THE AI OF YOUR CHOICE.

After pasting, you may use the example questions below or delete them and replace them with your own questions.

Example Questions:
Q1: Please provide some examples of follow-up questions that I can ask this AI.
Q2: Please provide a more detailed explanation of key point number ____.

Feel free to disagree with the AI’s answer. Challenge it. An AI's response should be considered one stage in the learning process—not the final word.

Note: You may, if you wish, remove the restriction that requires the AI to limit itself to the approved bibliography.

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INSTRUCTIONS TO AI:

LEAVE IN OR DELETE THE FOLLOWING—YOUR CHOICE:
FOR THIS QUESTION, THE AI CAN USE ANY RESOURCES TO WHICH IT HAS ACCESS. IT IS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE APPROVED BIBLIOGRAPHY.
01. Use this AI prompt to answer the above question(s).
02. Everything must be supported by references sourced either from the prompt or from the following:
https://www.jb-gpt-prompts.com/jb-gpts-military-references
03. You are to use the extensive approved references when answering questions.
04. Your output must include:

• Five to ten key numbered points, each in its own paragraph.

• Each key point must be supported by a specific reference, including book title and chapter number.

• Include a full, separate Harvard-style bibliography at the end of your response.

• Each bibliography entry must appear in a separate paragraph and follow consistent formatting.

• Provide a minimum of five references drawn from the prompt or from the approved reference list:
  https://www.jb-gpt-prompts.com/jb-gpts-military-references

5. Do not include summaries, definitions, or commentary.

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Strategic Insights: A Guide to Foundational Readings in Military Thought and Leadership  (14 Key Books)

Overview

These books are recognized in some professional military education and strategic studies. In the past they have been recommended for military officers across various institutions due to the authors insights into leadership, strategy, ethics, operational art, and the evolving nature of conflict. While they may not be officially recommended by any current specific program, they may offer valuable perspectives to professionals involved in military, security, or policy-making roles.

Drawing on classical theory, modern conflict analysis, and practical experience, this body of literature supports a deeper understanding of how wars are planned, led, and experienced—both in terms of operational outcomes and human cost. The selection reflects both historical continuity in military thinking and adaptation to contemporary strategic challenges.

Glossary

1. Operational Art: The planning and execution of campaigns that connect tactical actions to strategic goals

2. Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW): Asymmetric conflict involving non-state actors and ideological strategies

3. Soft Power: The ability to attract and persuade rather than use coercion or force

4. Grand Strategy: The alignment of military, economic, and diplomatic means to achieve long-term objectives

5. Trinity (Clausewitzian): The dynamic interaction between the government, the military, and the people in war

Fourteen Key Books

1. Carrying the War to the Enemy: American Operational Art to 1945 – Michael R. Matheny
   This historical study of American operational art highlights how campaign-level thinking evolved to synchronize land, sea, and air power. Its lessons on planning and execution across theaters are applicable to anyone studying the coordination of large-scale military efforts.

2. Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace – Richard K. Betts (ed.)
   An anthology of major thinkers, this book introduces key debates on the causes of conflict and prospects for peace. It is useful for those analyzing how ideology, power, and institutions interact in shaping both state and non-state violence.

3. Counterinsurgency – David Kilcullen
   Kilcullen draws on field experience to offer a practitioner's view of modern insurgency. The book outlines tactical, strategic, and cultural considerations for irregular warfare and is especially relevant to understanding recent interventions in complex environments.

4. George F. Kennan: An American Life – John Lewis Gaddis
   This biography explores the intellectual development of one of America’s most influential strategists. It offers insights into diplomacy, containment, and the pressures of advising political leadership during crises.

5. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All – Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
   Collins and Hansen investigate why some organizations thrive amid volatility. Using empirical data, the book distills lessons in disciplined leadership, innovation, and decision-making under pressure—valuable in high-stakes environments.

6. Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought – Michael I. Handel
   A comparative study of strategic thought, this work examines classical theorists such as Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Jomini. It is a strong resource for understanding how timeless principles apply to both past and future military challenges.

7. Modern Strategy – Colin S. Gray
   Colin Gray provides an expansive survey of strategic thought in the nuclear and post-Cold War eras. The book discusses continuity and change in strategic practice across domains, including cyberspace and conventional deterrence.

8. On War – Carl von Clausewitz
   Clausewitz’s foundational treatise explores the nature of war, the role of chance and friction, and the influence of politics. His ideas about the moral and theoretical aspects of war remain critical to any serious military or strategic education.

9. The Future of Power – Joseph S. Nye Jr.
   Joseph Nye's analysis contrasts traditional military force with the increasing significance of soft power. His ideas on attraction, influence, and the “information age” help frame modern approaches to statecraft and strategic communication.

10. The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World – Daniel Yergin
    Daniel Yergin examines the global energy system and its influence on geopolitics. This book is relevant for understanding how access to resources shapes international relations and strategic competition, particularly in contested regions.

11. The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century – Thomas X. Hammes
    Thomas Hammes outlines fourth-generation warfare, emphasizing political will and strategic messaging over battlefield supremacy. His arguments challenge conventional military thinking and call for doctrinal adaptation in counterinsurgency.

12. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics – John J. Mearsheimer
    Mearsheimer’s offensive realism presents a theory of inevitable rivalry between major powers. His framework helps explain historical and current geopolitical tensions, especially where states seek to balance or contain rising powers.

13. The Practice of Strategy: From Alexander the Great to the Present – John Andreas Olsen and Colin S. Gray
    Olsen and Gray offer a historical exploration of strategy from antiquity to the present. Each chapter applies theory to a case study, providing a practical and comparative method to learn how strategy is formulated and adapted.

14. What It Is Like to Go to War – Karl Marlantes
    Karl Marlantes reflects on his experience as a Marine officer in Vietnam. The book candidly examines the psychological and moral costs of combat, making it a powerful text on the lived experience of warfare and the burdens of command.

Key Attributes ‘Possibly’ Sought in Senior Officers

1. Strategic Thinkers: Works like On War (Clausewitz) and Modern Strategy (Gray) emphasize enduring principles of strategic logic and the interaction of policy and violence.

2. Operational Artisans: Carrying the War to the Enemy (Matheny) and Masters of War (Handel) aim to develop competence in joint campaign planning and bridging tactics with grand strategy.

3. Adaptive Leaders in Uncertainty: Great by Choice (Collins & Hansen) highlights decision-making and resilience in volatile conditions, training officers to thrive amid chaos .

4. Critically Reflective Practitioners: Conflict After the Cold War (Betts) fosters intellectual confrontation with competing paradigms of war and peace.

5. Ethical and Emotionally Intelligent Warriors: What It Is Like to Go to War (Marlantes) and Counterinsurgency (Kilcullen) stress psychological resilience, ethical responsibility, and cultural competence .

6. Practically-Informed Innovators: The Sling and the Stone (Hammes) critiques legacy military systems and proposes training reforms for 4GW realities.

7. Global Strategists: The Future of Power (Nye) and The Quest (Yergin) develop understanding of non-military levers of influence—economic, informational, and cultural .

8. Geopolitical Realists: The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (Mearsheimer) cultivates a realist view of international competition and security dilemmas .

9. Historically Grounded Analysts: The Practice of Strategy (Olsen & Gray) integrates historical campaigns with theoretical concepts, reinforcing contextual awareness .

Conclusion

This selection of books reflects a broad cross-section of thought in strategic studies, military leadership, and conflict theory. Together, they support a comprehensive understanding of war’s complexity—covering not just tactics and planning, but also leadership, ethics, and the human condition. For professionals in defense, diplomacy, or policy, these texts offer enduring insights into how military power is conceived, directed, and experienced.