Books like Duty by Robert M. Gates

James Comey, former FBI director, offers a candid look at twenty years of public service, examining how ethical leadership shapes decisions in government and the justice system.

Donald Rumsfeld tells the story of his career serving as a Congressman, and working for several Presidents in different capacities including two stints as Secretary of Defense. He describes Rumsfeld's Rules, his list of guidelines for behavior and action, and how they were proven over a lifetime of service as well as his use of 'snowflakes', informal memos designed to stimulate action in others. This work gives good insights into the inner workings and thought processes of an ethical administration. Rumsfeld shares in detail how decisions were made in the George W. Bush administration and where he thinks they might have been done differently. A long book worth the effort of serious study.

A sweeping study of American soldiering across three 20th‑century wars through the lives of Sam Damon and Courtney Massengale.

Bob Woodward interviewed dozens of high-ranking government officials to compile this record of the discussions and thought processes behind President Obama's decision to increase the American presence in Afghanistan by 30,000 military in early 2010 and begin phase-out of American involvement in mid-2011. The author used his access well in documenting secret discussions and public pronouncements. This glimpse behind the curtain of a Commander in Chief at war allows us to understand some of the many inputs a president is expected to process before making a decision. It is an interesting study of personalities and interests at high levels of governmental service. Spicing up the account are the career-busting comments of General Stanley McChrystal and how they led to the appointment of General David Petraeus to command in Afghanistan. This is the book, of course, where President Obama mentioned that America could absorb several attacks by terrorists and come out stronger for it.

Jawbreaker is a first‑person memoir by former CIA officer Gary Berntsen that recounts his intense, on‑the‑ground role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, detailing covert operations, alliances with Afghan fighters, and the battle at Tora Bora.

Journalistic chronicle of President George W. Bush’s decision‑making and candid interviews during the early years of the War on Terror.