2020 USMC Reading List & How to order it for your Command
The 2020 Marine Corps Reading list was recently published in ALMAR 023/20 and with some major updates. The USMC Reading List contains 50 books and is broken up between Profession Of Arms, innovation, Leadership, Strategy, CMC Choice, Fundamentals, podcast & Periodicals.

Profession of Arms
- AFTER ACTION: THE TRUE STORY OF A COBRA PILOT’S JOURNEY by
- BLACK HEARTS: ONE PLATOON’S DESCENT INTO MADNESS IN IRAQ’S TRIANGLE OF DEATH by
- FIRST TO FIGHT: AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS by
- FORGOTTEN WARRIORS: THE 1ST PROVISIONAL MARINE BRIGADE, THE CORPS ETHOS, AND THE KOREAN WAR by
- HESITATION KILLS: A FEMALE MARINE OFFICER’S COMBAT EXPERIENCE IN IRAQ by
- THE LAST STAND OF FOX COMPANY: A TRUE STORY OF U.S. MARINES IN COMBAT by
- MARINE SNIPER: 93 CONFIRMED KILLS by
- THE MARINES OF MONTFORD POINT: AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK MARINES by
- NEPTUNE’S INFERNO: THE U.S. NAVY AT GUADALCANAL by
- WE WERE ONE: SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THE MARINES WHO TOOK FALLUJAH by
- WOMEN AT WAR: IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND OTHER CONFLICTS by
Innovation
- ASSAULT FROM THE SEA: ESSAYS ON THE HISTORY OF AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE by
- CODE TALKER: THE FIRST AND ONLY MEMOIR BY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL NAVAJO CODE TALKERS OF WWII by
- CURIOUS: THE DESIRE TO KNOW AND WHY YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT by
- ISSUES ON MY MIND: STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE by
- LEARNING WAR: THE EVOLUTION OF FIGHTING DOCTRINE IN THE U.S. NAVY, 1898–1945 by
- THE MASTER ALGORITHM: HOW THE QUEST FOR THE ULTIMATE LEARNING MACHINE WILL REMAKE OUR WORLD by
- MILITARY INNOVATION IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD by
- ON CALL IN HELL: A DOCTOR’S IRAQ WAR STORY by
- SGT RECKLESS: AMERICA’S WAR HORSE by
- THE WHITE DONKEY: TERMINAL LANCE by
- WIRED FOR WAR: THE ROBOTICS REVOLUTION AND CONFLICT IN THE 21ST CENTURY by
Leadership
- CALL SIGN CHAOS: LEARNING TO LEAD by
- DARE TO LEAD: BRAVE WORK. TOUGH CONVERSATIONS. WHOLE HEARTS by
- IT WORKED FOR ME: IN LIFE AND LEADERSHIP by
- THE LEADER’S BOOKSHELF by
- LEGACY by
- RESILIENCE: HARD-WON WISDOM FOR LIVING A BETTER LIFE by
- SMARTER FASTER BETTER: THE SECRETS OF BEING PRODUCTIVE IN LIFE AND BUSINESS by
- START WITH WHY: HOW GREAT LEADERS INSPIRE EVERYONE TO TAKE ACTION by
- TRIBE: ON HOMECOMING AND BELONGING by
- UNBROKEN: A WORLD WAR II STORY OF SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION by
- YOU ARE WORTH IT: BUILDING A LIFE WORTH FIGHTING FOR by
Strategy
- CYBERSECURITY AND CYBERWAR: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW by
- FLEET TACTICS AND NAVAL OPERATIONS (3rd ED.) by
- GOOD TO GREAT: WHY SOME COMPANIES MAKE THE LEAP AND OTHERS DON’T by
- HUMILITY IS THE NEW SMART: RETHINKING HUMAN EXCELLENCE IN THE SMART MACHINE AGE by
- LIKEWAR: THE WEAPONIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA by
- MONSOON: THE INDIAN OCEAN AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN POWER by
- A NEW CONCEPTION OF WAR: JOHN BOYD, THE U.S. MARINES, AND MANEUVER WARFARE by
- ONE HUNDRED DAYS : THE MEMOIRS OF THE FALKLANDS BATTLE GROUP COMMANDER by
- RED STAR OVER THE PACIFIC: CHINA’S RISE AND THE CHALLENGE TO U.S. MARITIME STRATEGY by
- THINKING, FAST AND SLOW by
- THE UNDOING PROJECT: A FRIENDSHIP THAT CHANGED OUR MINDS by
CMC Choice
- THE KILL CHAIN: DEFENDING AMERICA IN THE FUTURE OF HIGH-TECH WARFARE by
Foundational
- CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA by
- LEARNING (MCDP-7) by
- WARFIGHTING (MCDP-1) by
Podcasts
- Sea Control (CIMSEC)
- DODReads: What Are You Reading?
- The Dead Prussian
- Horns of a Dilemma
- Net Assessment (War on the Rocks)
- Modern War Institute Podcast
- War Room (US Army War College)
- Wavell Room: Contemporary British Military Thought
- TED Talks Daily
- WSJ The Future of Everything
- Global News Podcast (BBC)
- The Truth of the Matter
- The Security Studies Podcast
- US-China Dialogue Podcast
- Council on Foreign Relations
- The Backstory
Periodicals
- The Cove
- The Forge
- Grounded Curiosity
- Journal of Advanced Military Studies (JAMS)
- Leatherneck
- Marine Corps Gazette
- Modern War Institute
- Proceedings (US Naval Institute)
- Small Wars Journal
- The Strategy Bridge
- War on the Rocks
- Yellow Sheet (Marine Corps Aviation Association)
How to Order the Commandants Reading List
Marine Unit Library Program — The Marine unit library program is a program run by the Marine Corps Association & Foundation, a professional military organization founded over 100 years ago by General John Lejeune and are noted for their two iconic magazines “Leatherneck” and “Marine Corps Gazette”. The foundation arm of the MCAF provides money for the Marine Unit Library Program. This an unconditional gift from MCAF to the unit commanding officer for the purchase of the Marine Corps Reading List.
Once approval for funding is given units will have 90 days to fill out and return the book selection form for processing. Units are able to receive library support every 12 months.
For questions or additional information regarding the Marine Unit Library program, please contact SgtMaj Kevin Bennett, USMC (Ret) at k.bennett(at)mca-marines.org, 703-640-0132 or Mrs Beth Murphy at b.murphy(at)mca-marines.org, 703-640-0144.
DODReads: If the above option does not meet your needs the Army, Navy, Air Force, USMC and Coast Guard reading list can be purchased directly from us. DODReads can process online purchases, quotes, and for larger purchases, we accept payments through Contracting / SAM. We also reinvest our profits into connecting military leaders with reading that challenges. Get a quote here