Snodgrass, G: Holding the Line

An insider's sometimes shocking account of how Defense Secretary James Mattis led the US military through global challenges while serving as a crucial check on the Trump Administration.

For nearly two years as Trump's Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis maintained a complicated relationship with the President. A lifelong Marine widely considered to be one of America's greatest generals, Mattis was committed to keeping America safe. Yet he served a President whose actions were frequently unpredictable and impulsive with far-reaching consequences.

Often described as the administration's "adult in the room," Mattis has said very little about his difficult role, and since his resignation has kept his views of the President and his policies private. Now, Mattis's former chief speechwriter and communications director, Guy Snodgrass, brings readers behind that curtain. Drawing on meticulous notes from his seventeen months working with Mattis, Snodgrass reveals how one of the nation's greatest generals walked a political tightrope while leading the world's most powerful military.


Snodgrass gives us a fly-on-the-wall view as Mattis...
* Slow-rolled some of Trump's most controversial measures, with no intention of following through.
* Minimized the damage done to our allies and diplomatic partners.
* Reacted when learning about major policy decisions via Twitter rather than from the White House.

As the first book written by someone with firsthand knowledge of many key moments, Holding the Line is a must-read for readers who care about America's national security. It's filled with never-before-told stories that will both alarm and reassure, a testament to the quiet and steady efforts of General Mattis and the dedicated men and women he led at the Department of Defense.