The Warrior Ethos: A Marine Officer's Critique and Counterpoint

In 2013, while serving a tour in Afghanistan, I encountered Steven Pressfield's 2011 monograph The Warrior Ethos at the top of a list of mandatory reading materials for all Marines, as prescribed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Having enjoyed several of Pressfield's historical novels in the past, I eagerly anticipated this latest volume. However, I was shocked by the content I discovered - a rambling mixture of Laconophiliac hero worship, Eastern mysticism, and pop psychology.

As a leader and an officer, I was deeply concerned by the disturbingly misogynistic and backwards-looking nature of this book. I felt compelled to write a critique to address its glaring deficiencies. However, I soon realized that such a critique would only be half the solution. It was equally important to provide a counterpoint that would illustrate the nature of a Warrior Ethos more suited for the Information Age, rather than the Bronze Age.

Pressfield's book was written with well-intentioned efforts to define and promulgate a "Warrior Ethos" to guide young (presumably American) fighting men and women towards success. Unfortunately, if followed to the letter, his principles would more likely result in personal and professional failure.

The present work has been written to accomplish Pressfield's intended purpose, but with a much different moral compass. Instead of the honor-bound, shame-based relic of dead cultures that my counterpart has offered, I propose a more useful way forward in considering the type of ethos that modern warriors of all ages, ranks, and nationalities may find beneficial in the years to come.

The book you are about to read represents my effort to suggest a constructive path, one that is better aligned with the realities and challenges of the contemporary world. It aims to provide a counterpoint to the disturbingly misogynistic and backwards-looking nature of Pressfield's work, offering a more progressive and inclusive vision of the Warrior Ethos.

Throughout this endeavor, I have sought to strike a balance between honoring the rich traditions and legacies of military excellence, while also acknowledging the need to adapt and evolve in response to the changing landscape of modern warfare and societal expectations. The resulting framework is one that I believe will resonate with a broader range of individuals, empowering them to embrace the warrior spirit in a manner that is both effective and ethically sound.

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