Call Sign Chaos is an audiobook by Jim Mattis, narrated by Danny Campbell. The unabridged Audible edition runs 12 hrs 1 mins.
Publisher’s Summary
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A clear-eyed account of learning how to lead in a chaotic world, by General Jim Mattis—the former Secretary of Defense and one of the most formidable strategic thinkers of our time—and Bing West, a former assistant secretary of defense and combat Marine.
“A four-star general’s five-star memoir.”—The Wall Street Journal
Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis’s storied career, from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East. Along the way, Mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peacemaking, the importance of allies, and the strategic dilemmas—and short-sighted thinking—now facing our nation. He makes it clear why America must return to a strategic footing so as not to continue winning battles but fighting inconclusive wars.
Mattis divides his book into three parts: Direct Leadership, Executive Leadership, and Strategic Leadership. In the first part, Mattis recalls his early experiences leading Marines into battle, when he knew his troops as well as his own brothers. In the second part, he explores what it means to command thousands of troops and how to adapt your leadership style to ensure your intent is understood by your most junior troops so that they can own their mission. In the third part, Mattis describes the challenges and techniques of leadership at the strategic level, where military leaders reconcile war’s grim realities with political leaders’ human aspirations, where complexity reigns and the consequences of imprudence are severe, even catastrophic.
Call Sign Chaos is a memoir of a life of warfighting and lifelong learning, following along as Mattis rises from Marine recruit to four-star general. It is a journey about learning to lead and a story about how he, through constant study and action, developed a unique leadership philosophy, one relevant to us all.
Audiobook Details
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs 1 mins
- Publisher: Random House Audio
- Release year: 2019
- Audible category: Biographies & Memoirs / Military & War / Business & Careers
Listener Ratings
Call Sign Chaos holds an average listener rating of 4.8/5 from 5829 Audible ratings.
On Audible, ratings for this title break down into narration performance and story separately:
- Performance (narration): 4.7/5
- Story: 4.8/5
- 5-star ratings: 83% of all ratings
What Audible Listeners Are Saying
5/5 stars — “This is a MUST read. Stop whatever you’re reading and go get this! “
I have never pre-ordered a book before this, but General and former Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a personal hero of mine. I named my son after him… But why? Because he embodies values that I long to embody, and hope is passed to that son: nobility, servant leadership, humility while being self confident, intelligence & wisdom, pure heart and motives, decisiveness and being willing to act aggressively and boldly in a cause he believes in with all his heart, patriotic without being nationalist. That’s my assessment, based on what I’ve read and seen… but I believe I’m right. Therefore, I was very excited about this book, and stopped reading two other books to get to this. It did not disappoint. His discussion of military history, doctrine, strategy, and even organization management make this book required reading. Stop whatever book you’re reading and go get this.— J, Audible listener
5/5 stars — “Eye opening, point blank view and something we need. “
I have many options with a limited knowledge of the real facts. I need to be aware of this when I talk to anyone politically. This book helps me realize nothing happens in a vacuum. We need to first stick to our rule of law and our constitution. We need to value our institutions.
I thank the authors for sharing this.— K. Irvine, Audible listener
5/5 stars — “Crises Response Handbook “
Secretary Mattis highlights and brings to life the fundamentals of leadership and empowering team members to act. From Commander’s Intent to Trust, he brings the concepts to life.— Verified purchase, Audible listener
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