Person
H. R. McMaster's book recommendations
Key facts
- H. R. McMaster has recommended or discussed 9 books on podcasts, as of January 16, 2025.
- H. R. McMaster has talked about books on 3 podcasts, as of January 16, 2025.
- Those books came up in 3 episodes, as of January 16, 2025.
- The 3 books H. R. McMaster has mentioned in the most episodes, not counting H. R. McMaster's own, as of January 16, 2025: A Sense Of The Enemy The High Stakes History Of Reading Your Rivals Mind, On the Origins of War and Dying Every Day.
- The latest episode with a book mention from H. R. McMaster aired on January 16, 2025.
Updated
Across 3 podcasts. Every show H. R. McMaster appears on, in one place — not just one.
H. R. McMaster’s most recommended books
- A Sense Of The Enemy The High Stakes History Of Reading Your Rivals Mind by Zachary Shore
- On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan
- Dying Every Day by James Romm
- Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
- Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel, Gary Sheffield
- Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
- The Real North Korea by Andrei Lankov
Herbert Raymond McMaster is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018, and is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Appearing on podcasts such as The Daily Stoic and Honestly with Bari Weiss, McMaster discussed several books related to military history and strategic thinking. He recommended Donald Kagan's On the Origins of War and Prospects for Peace, calling Kagan's work brilliant for understanding historical conflict. He also recommended Zachary Shore's A Sense of the Enemy to introduce the concept of strategic empathy and the importance of reading a rival's mind. Discussing his own writing, McMaster spoke about the origins of the title for his book At War with Ourselves. Furthermore, during his conversations, he reflected on works by Ryan Holiday, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and Lives of the Stoics, noting that he was a big fan of Holiday's writing. He also referenced James Romm's Dying Every Day and Erwin Rommel's Infantry Attacks to illustrate practical military literature and historical court dynamics.
Books recommended by H. R. McMaster
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A Sense Of The Enemy The High Stakes History Of Reading Your Rivals Mind
A Sense of the Enemy: The High Stakes History of Reading Your Rivals' Mind by Zachary Shore is a historical examination of how political and military leaders have attempted to understand the perspectives of their adversaries.
Recommended“so so but but uh but the historian named zachary shore wrote a great book called a sense of the enemy in which he develops this this idea of strategic empathy”
Where to get it
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On the Origins of War
On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan is a comprehensive historical study analyzing the underlying causes and catalysts behind major global conflicts throughout antiquity and modern history.
Recommended“uh don kagan's one volume of that is brilliant or his essay on it in the book called on the origins of war and prospects for peace”
Where to get it
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At War with Ourselves
At War with Ourselves by H.
Discussed“so you know I it was I it was at war with ourselves I mean that's why the that why that's the the title of the book”
Where to get it
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Dying Every Day
Dying Every Day by James Romm is a historical account examining how the Roman philosopher Seneca became entangled with Emperor Nero and the compromises he made under a tyrannical ruler.
Discussed“There's a fascinating book called 'Dying Every Day' about Seneca and Nero's court by James Romm, who I love.”
Where to get it
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Ego Is the Enemy
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a philosophical exploration of how unchecked ambition, arrogance, and a bloated sense of self-importance can derail success and personal fulfillment.
Discussed“and you know the and as well as the eagles the enemy and now the lives of the stoics you know so i'm um i'm a big fan”
Where to get it
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Infantry Attacks
Discussed“now the rommel papers read that way as well very practical you know solutions or rommel's earlier book infantry attacks”
Where to get it
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Lives of the Stoics
Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is a comprehensive biographical exploration of ancient philosophy, tracing the history of Stoicism from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius through the personal stories of its most notable practitioners.
Discussed“and you know the and as well as the eagles the enemy and now the lives of the stoics you know so i'm um i'm a big fan”
Where to get it
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The Obstacle Is the Way
The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday is a popular modern guide to applying ancient Stoic philosophy to overcome adversity, drawing inspiration from historical figures who turned trials into triumphs.
Discussed“so so uh uh shake talk noon who's a friend of mine and we worked together on a number of initiatives in the middle east and beyond uh we he's he's an author himself he's very intellectually curious and he said hey i just i just read this great book called the obstacles the way and i and i'm going”
Where to get it
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The Real North Korea
Discussed“i i cite this book by uh by lankov called the real north korea and i used it heavily as i was writing the chapters really well done”
Where to get it
Books by H. R. McMaster
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. McMaster’s Tell-all on Trump | Honestly with Bari Weiss | 2025-01-16 | 1 |
| H.R. McMaster on the Power of Strategic Empathy | The Daily Stoic | 2021-10-29 | 7 |
| Confronting National Security Advisor on US Downfall | Ep. 410 | The Jordan Harbinger Show | 2020-10-01 | 1 |
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and i read about this in battlegrounds about how i took with me you know into the white house a determination to at least make different mistakes than those that i had written about during the uh during the period in which vietnam became an american war”
“i read about this in the conclusion of battlegrounds because i i tell the story of when i was when i was leaving uh to go to the white house quite unexpectedly right the president hired me on you know president's day in in uh 2017 after interview of mar-a-lago and uh and i flew back on air force one”
“it's essentially you know viewing you know these complex challenges that we're facing uh from the perspective of others and in particular as you mentioned our rivals and adversaries and our enemies and and and what he also argues for and what i argue for in the book is to also pay attention to the emotions and the aspirations and”
“and i i had really this this benefit as i mentioned of writing dereliction of duty you know the book about how why vietnam became an american war”
“and you know i wrote a book on vietnam years ago titled dereliction of duty and it's about how and why vietnam became an american war”