A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times [9780063144330]

Overview

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Former Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper reveals the shocking details of his tumultuous tenure while serving in the Trump administration.

A graduate of West Point, Mark Esper has always lived by the principles of Duty, Honor, and Country. For eighteen months while he served as secretary of defense under President Donald Trump, those ideals were put to the test.

From June of 2019 until his firing by President Trump after the November 2020 election, Secretary Mark T. Esper led the Department of Defense through an unprecedented time in history. Esper takes readers behind the scenes during dramatic moments in the Trump administration involving several foreign nations and as he worked to shore up the United States’ shaky relationships with its allies—all while facing a global pandemic that threatened America’s military readiness, a nationwide unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd, and a White House determined to politicize the armed forces.

Unvarnished and extraordinary in its candor, A Sacred Oath is a memoir critical to understanding the Trump administration during this tumultuous period in American history.

This essential first-hand account of the Trump years provides a stunning look inside the Oval Office and the Pentagon, revealing:

• The Commander in Chief: The surreal Oval Office moments, including President Trump’s shocking suggestion to “just shoot” American protestors.
• Upholding a Sacred Oath: An inside account of the struggle to keep the armed forces apolitical and uphold the Constitution when confronted by a White House determined to use them for political ends.
• Military Leadership in Crisis: The story of how the Pentagon’s leadership navigated a global pandemic, historic civil unrest, and volatile foreign policy decisions that often put them at odds with the President.
• An Unprecedented Presidency: A frank and unvarnished perspective on the high-stakes decisions regarding Iran, Afghanistan, and China, and the battle to keep America’s national security interests on track.