The Online Office of Congressman Mac Thornberry

Mac’s Reading List

	"There Is No Alternative” – Why Margaret Thatcher Matters By: Claire Berlinski An interesting, rather informal look at Margaret Thatcher and the reasons she was important to Britain in the 1980’s, as well as the reasons she is still important to us today. Reading of what she faced then will remind you of what Americans are facing now. Studying her courage will inspire you.
	Churchill By Himself Editor: Richard Langworth There are so many quotations attributing to Sir Winston Churchill that the great authentic ones get sometimes get lost, or at least confused. This book is the ultimate authority on what the great man really said and on some of the most frequent misquotes attributed to him.
	The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One By: David Kilcullen Interesting analysis of the threats we face. The author talks about the combination of globally oriented terrorists with regional allies and local guerrillas who get used by them. He sheds light on the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere and has testified before Congress several times.
	Once An Eagle By: Anton Myrer An article noted that our commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, had read this book several times, so I decided to try it. It is a long novel that tells an incredible story of a military man who lives with truth and honor and with his eyes wide open. The lessons and the inspiration from this book apply not just to those in the military but to all of us.
	The World is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy by David M. Smick Very interesting look at today’s economy and the problems we face. Among other points, the author notes that the political and economic worlds increasingly do not understand each other, which produces devastating consequences for our country.
	Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson
	Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan (Hardcover- October 28, 2008) With the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, there is a flood of new books on our greatest President. These two are excellent. One surveys Lincoln’s role in directing the war. The other is an in-depth look at his influences and development as a writer.
	Redefining Health Care by Michael E. Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg Argues that our health care system should be reformed to have competition based on value for the patient. The book says that mandatory measurement and reporting of results is perhaps the single most important step in reforming the health care system.
	The Shack by William P. Young An amazing work of Christian Fiction that is sweeping the country.
	Fixing Failed States by Ashraf Ghani and Claire Lockhart Insightful look at what does and does not work in building nations.
	Congressman Mac Thornberry's Review of Future Jihad: by Walid Phares Terrorist Strategies against America by Walid Phares "The war on terror is winnable if the war of ideas is won." Lebanon-born Walid Phares helps provide the kind of deep understanding of our adversary needed to wage successfully that war of ideas in Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against America. Emphasizing that the jihadists are "on a mission to resume what their ancestors began," Phares describes movement's history, objectives and strategies, as well as the danger and the vulnerabilities posed by its ideological prison. He argues, correctly in my view, that the West has reacted to individual terrorist events rather than pursuing a long-term strategy that undermines the root cause of the movement - its ideas. Much has been written on terrorism and jihad in six years since 9/11, but only a few works provide the penetrating insight that will help equip us to wage effectively the broader ideological struggle. This book is one.
	Patriotic Grace by Peggy Noonan Pg. 43 “What we need most right now, at this moment, is a kind of patriotic grace- a grace that takes the long view, apprehends the moment we’re in, comes up with ways of dealing with it, and eschews the politically cheap and manipulative.”
	The Forgotten Man, A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes Insightful study of the Great Depression and government actions that made it longer and deeper.
	7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century (Hardcover) by Andrew Krepinevich One of the top national security thinkers in the country spells out some nightmare scenarios to help focus our planning and better understanding the security challenges we face. Highly recommended.