C.S. Forester's 1936 novel 'The General' has been reread by newly appointed chief of staff John Kelly each time he gets a new promotion since the age of 25

  • John Kelly was appointed President Trump's new chief of staff on Monday
  • Since he was 25, he has reread the same book each time he gets a promotion
  • Kelly notes how he interprets C.S. Forester's 1936 novel 'The General' differently with each promotion
  • Kelly reread the book when he appointed Secretary of Homeland Security and again with his promotion at the White House
  • The novel explains the dangers of ignorance and stubborn pride 

By DANIEL ROTH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

President Donald Trump's new chief of staff has a reputation of being studious as he is disciplined. 

John Kelly has cultivated that standing through every step of his career, from a distinguished Marine General, to Secretary of Homeland Security, and now as the President's most senior adviser. 

And it was revealed recently that the man who will act as the White House's most stalwart gatekeeper has a peculiar affinity for a piece of historical literature that has guided him since he was a 25-year-old Marine officer heading off to fight in Vietnam.

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John Kelly (pictured) was appointed President Donald Trump's chief of staff on Monday, replacing Reince Priebus

John Kelly (pictured) was appointed President Donald Trump's chief of staff on Monday, replacing Reince Priebus

C.S. Forester's 1936 novel 'The General' has never left Kelly's side since those young adult years, reading the book each time he's ever received a promotion in his esteemed career.

The feat is a testament to the incredible rigor he's applied in becoming 'a real professional,' as he put it in the 'The Leader's Bookshelf,' a collection of essays written by four-star generals about their favorite books.  

Kelly, 67, recalls how a young captain's simple words seared an impression on his character that has propelled him to highest echelon's of power both in the military and in government.

'A doctor who doesn't read peer articles and stay attuned to the developments in his field is not the kind of doctor you would want to go to, and the same is true for officers in the Marine Corps,' Kelly recalls the young captain telling him. 

'He got me going on reading,' Kelly continues, 'specifically focused on military things, and I just never stopped.' 

Kelly rereads the same book, Forester's 1936 novel 'The General', every time he receives a promotion

Kelly rereads the same book, Forester's 1936 novel 'The General', every time he receives a promotion

The novel explains the dangers of ignorance and stubborn pride set against the backdrop of World War I

The novel explains the dangers of ignorance and stubborn pride set against the backdrop of World War I

That affinity for the written word, especially on 'military things,' steered him towards Forester's tome, about the perils of hubris, the pitfalls of patriotism and duty unaccompanied by critical thinking.

Kelly went through it once again after he was sworn in as chief of staff on Monday, according to The Wall Street Journal, to reacquaint himself 'of what to avoid as a leader.'

'The General' tells the fictional story of an unremarkable British soldier who rises to power mostly through dumb-luck and the incompetence of his superiors. 

Set against the backdrop of World War I, he is eventually put in charge of 100,000 men... the majority of which meet their demise under his command.

Despite his incompetence, he's hailed as a hero on his arrival back to Britain.

The book is essentially a critique on the unexamined ethos of military culture at the time, marked by a reckless close-mindedness and stubborn pride. A blind-sense of patriotism in lieu of critical thinking that led, in Forester's mind, to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of British lives. 

Kelly served as Secreatry of Homeland Security before taking the job at the White House

Kelly served as Secreatry of Homeland Security before taking the job at the White House

'It might have been more advantageous for England if the British Army had not been quite so full of men of high rank who were so ready for responsibility, so unflinchingly devoted to their duty, so unmoved in the face of difficulty, of such unfaltering courage,' Forester wrote.

Kelly writes in 'The Leader's Bookshelf' that each time he picks up the novel, he notes where he is at that point in his life, and how the novel's lesson resonates with him.

He wrote: 'Depending on as you get older and higher in rank, it's a different book every time you read it.' 

'When a lieutenant reads that book it's different from when a lieutenant general reads it. ... it's just [something] I've done over the years and with this book in particular just to remind me of the critical importance of thinking.'

Lets hope for the sake of the nation those lessons are always present in the mind of Trump's new chief of staff.

 

 

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