First published 2022
Mark Esper opens his memoir during his controversial tenure as Secretary of Defense from June 2019 until President Trump fired him after the 2020 election. Esper navigated the Pentagon through mounting international threats, a devastating global pandemic, massive domestic protests, and a White House that repeatedly challenged established governmental norms for political gain. His candid account reveals previously untold events from this turbulent period in American history. Esper describes the impossible position of leading the military while facing pressure from an administration willing to break conventions. The book captures the weight of defending democratic institutions while serving a president who viewed loyalty as paramount. This unvarnished memoir exposes the tension between duty to country and service to a volatile commander in chief during one of America's most dangerous political moments.
Genres: history, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, military-history, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: duty-to-country, institutional-conflict
Setting: Pentagon, White House
Period: 2019-2020
752 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow