Holding the Line

Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis

By: Guy M. Snodgrass

Narrated by: Guy M. Snodgrass

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

"This is the memoir America wishes Jim Mattis had written." (The Washington Post)

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' former chief speechwriter and communications director, Guy M. Snodgrass, brings listeners behind that curtain. Drawing on his 17 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....

• Reacted when learning about major policy decisions via Twitter rather than from the White House.
• Minimized the damage done to our allies and diplomatic partners.
• Slow-rolled some of Trump's most controversial measures, with no intention of following through.

As the first book written by an insider with firsthand knowledge of key decisions and moments in history, Holding the Line is a must-listen for those who care about the presidency and 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.

©2019 Guy Snodgrass (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"For all of you who've been waiting for a tell-all account of Jim Mattis' 710 days as President Trump's first Pentagon chief, that book has now been written." (NPR)

"[A] fly-on-the-wall view of how the retired general operated at the Pentagon amid myriad crises, from issues with North Korea and Iran to trying to get on the same page with a chaotic White House." (Task & Purpose)

"Snodgrass’s account of the wild briefing provides a taste of his on-the-record, eyewitness candor about the two years Mattis spent trying to keep things from spinning out of control - a candor readers will not find in the former defense secretary’s own circumspect memoir.... Snodgrass...has stepped forward to fill some of the vacuum created by Mattis’s silence.... Snodgrass saw more than enough for his memoir to take its place in the growing annals of government dysfunction." (NYT)

"[A] must-read (if not a cautionary tale) for any professionals - military or otherwise - who desire access to the biggest levers of power." (Military.com)

Good Context

Author does a good job providing context from the Secratarie's office. I do feel that he held back feelings and thoughts (good or bad) on the sentiments of DoD leadership at the time tied to the West Wing. Wasn't looking for a political hit job, but some deeper thought, not just topical, into the thoughts and feelings and the "why" behind the scenes.

Great insider's view

An insider with firsthand knowledge of key decisions and moments in history, Very fair and thoughtful.

Good book. Insightful

Interesting book. Finished this in 3 days. Gives people an idea what it's like to work in the Trump administration.

Insightful and balanced

The author does a great job in his goal to write a book in an apolitical manner. He provides positives and negatives of the administration during his time of service. The author narrating his own book was a good decision as it makes the book more authentic and his voice sounds crisp and refreshing.

Narrator has marbles in his mouth.

I’m going to have to order this book on Kindle, because I just can’t listen to it for another minute. I typically listen at 1.25x speed, but even at 1.0, this narrator is rushed and garbled.

I didn't know

This writing brings an inside perspective that is rarely provided. I have to admit that this book was not only enlightening but revealing. I've read Maddis's recent book about his career. Having the author's perspective brings clarity to questions one may have after Maddis's book. the question still looms - who stifled the author's career?

very enlightening

to understand the challenges of military leadership and the lessons we get to watch a maverick of chaos manage the most tumultuous administration we have seen in years. It is sad that there is a 25% gap in the administrative support needed but hope for the system to grow and stabilize. history and personality meet.

Surprisingly Lackluster

Did not expect this to be an autobiography of Guy Snodgrass. It’s marketed as an inside scoop of the defense department under Mattis, yet content wise that’s only about a quarter of it. Speaking for myself, I’m not interested in a memoir of a staff officer.

They worked long and hard to make it work

The story fills in how hard and long staff worked to keep our country going. I was struck that Trump’s approach to international relations was similar to his building projects. As a business man, Trump was always convince that someone was always cheating him, stealing his money and not being fair, making him pay too much. That was how he saw the world and other countries. They are taking advantage of us. There was so much Trumpet didn’t know about how a country runs. Those staffing the department of defense tried valiantly to be loyally in step with Trump while promoting the needs of America. It was tough. In the end , the author choose to protect his family and not take a promotion in the Navy. The promotion would mean ten years away from his family to command an aircraft carrier. The Navy needs to rethink its procedures. Weakening families is not good for the country or the Navy. It is a bittersweet tale.

great, interesting

would listen to more, very good word smiting, enjoyable listen due to words chosen to convey the message.