In Digital Era, Marine Corps Commandant Bets Big on Books

As the US military increasingly turns to podcasts and digital content, the Marine Corps Commandant's 2026 reading list stands as a countercultural assertion that deep, sustained reading remains vital to developing strategic military leaders. The curated selection spanning heritage, innovation, leadership, and strategy reflects a comprehensive view of professional development that recognizes books' unique ability to cultivate the nuanced thinking required in complex military challenges. This commitment to a reading tradition, increasingly abandoned by other US armed services, underscores the Marine Corps' belief that intellectual rigor built through serious reading is inseparable from military excellence.