11 books the US Army's top officer recommends to help understand the world

Secretary James Mattis has been heralded as a "warrior monk" for his prodigious knowledge and voracious reading habits.

But Mattis, a retired Marine general, is not the only US military officer who has supplemented his martial knowledge with academic achievement.

In that spirit, the US Army has distributed reading recommendations so soldiers and civilians alike are able "to sharpen their knowledge of the Army's long and distinguished history, as well as the decisive role played by landpower in conflicts across the centuries."

Below are some of the books recommended by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to help better understand the world's current strategic environment, along with his explanations for their inclusion.