Some summer 2026 reading suggestions…and more!
I
‘ve always believed summer is a great time to catch up on your reading! Vacations can provide time to read the books most Americans want to read, but too often they don’t get around to doing it. I’ll give you some recommendations, and then we’ll talk about why reading books in particular is so important these days.
Some recommendations:
1776 by David McCullough. This book appeared on my original 2006 reading list. At that time, I said:
This is a book that ought to be read by every American, so I’d recommend it as a “must have” for your family library. You will find it extremely well written (the author, incidentally, didn’t use a computer in writing it!), not too long, and easy to read. Recommend you put this one at the very top of your to-do list.
I still think that and it’s especially appropriate to read in connection with the 250th Anniversary. The book offers many insights into the nation’s birth. One point that stuck me was how close a thing the Revolution really was – lots of things could have gone wrong. Read this one for sure.
The law
Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasional Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court by Sarah Isgur. This is a fun but truly informative work. You’ll learn a lot about the Supreme Court, key cases, and lots of inside baseball. This is a book that will be enjoyed by lawyers, law students, and the general public.
One especially quirky aspect: it has an appendix entitled “‘Don’t Go to Law School’ and other advice for would-be lawyers.” One aspect that is a bit disappointing: there isn’t much discussion of national security cases. A plus: Ms. Isgur offers her own summer reading list. (Look for a full review by Lawfire® contributor Maggie McGinnis
The Court at War: FDR, His Justices, and the World They Made, by Cliff Sloan. This is a repeat from last year, but it is a great complement to Last Branch Standing. It’s an intriguing study of the justices during wartime, and especially their interactions with FDR. Speaks to the impact of wartime on the Court’s decisions. Goes a little off the rails at the end with its critique of the current Court (circa 2023), but still worth a read.
You’ll also want to read Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s book, Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and the Constitution. Justice Barrett speaks to her own journey in the law and life, and does so in a way that is accessible to everyone. She explains her approach to the law and shares insights into how the Court works. It is less frenetic than Last Branch Standing, but is a must-read for lawyers, law students, and others interested in the Court.
Artificial Intelligence
Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) these days, so I recommend Stephen Witt’s The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip. The author does a good job at explaining how AI works, and tells how Jensen Huang turned Nvidia into the world’s most valuable company.
But I found the most interesting part of the books to be Witt’s description of Huang’s leadership style. Let’s just say it upends much of what I thought I knew about effective leadership methods. It isn’t what I would do…or even recommend to others…but you can’t argue with Huang’s success.
Speaking of AI, you’ll want to read Ashley Deeks’ The Double Black Box: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and the Struggle for Democratic Accountability. Professor Deeks writes about the challenges of overseeing military/security AI when its capabilities are opaque, and it operates within the ‘black box’ of national security secrecy.
BTW, Ashley discussed her book at our 31st Annual National Security Law Conference, and you can watch the presentation here.
How about a novel about AI? There aren’t too many legal thrillers involving civil litigation, a fewer still that grapple with contemporary AI issues, but in his 18th book in his “Lincoln Lawyer” legal thriller series, author Michael Connelly does just that.
Connolly has his protagonist Micky Haller working as a public interest litigator after years as a criminal defense lawyer. The Proving Ground is about Haller suing an AI company, alleging that its chatbot caused a teenager to kill his girlfriend. The book is an entertaining way to learn a bit about AI and civil litigation.
Outer space
As vital as AI is, let’s not forget about the growing importance of outer space. Let’s start with Andy Weir’s novel, Project Hail Mary, now a major motion picture. You can learn a lot about the science part of outer space from this book, and also enjoy a thoughtful story. Read Trevor Darr’s review here.
Another novel where you an learn a bit about outer space is David Ignatius’ thriller, Phantom Orbit. It involves Russia, China, the U.S., history, spies, and more – all related to a critical space warfare capability. Lots of fun!
On a more serious note, there is Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, by Adam Higginbotham. To be candid, I am not quite finished reading this one, but I can tell you it is an amazing book. Among other things, you’ll learn how complicating it is to put people in space and the many, many tough decisions the must be made. This ‘deep dive; into the tragedy of the Challenger is a must-read for anyone interested in a serious understanding of the challenges of space exploration.
“Courtroom procedurals”
I enjoy what I call “courtroom procedural” which are lawyer mystery/thriller novels which have extensive scenes involving not just preparation for a trial but also courtroom scenes themself include virtual transcripts of witness examinations and counsel’s arguments. You can learn a bit about criminal procedures, and it is interesting and even educational to see how the characters questions witnesses and argue their cases.
My favorite of the subset of the legal thriller genre is Sheldon Siegel’s series featuring fictional San Francisco public defenders Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez. Siegel’s latest (his 18th) is Unfinished Business and it’s a true page-turner.
A new series which has even more intense courtroom passages is Peter Kirkland and Mike Avery’s Spencer Dunn Legal Thriller books. I ‘binge-listened’ (via audios books) to Small Town Trial, Small Town Judgment, and Small Town Conviction – and I really enjoyed them (and I especially recommend them for law students and new lawyers).
Some more history
I recommend Nick Holmes, Fall of Rome: End of a Superpower. Why another book on a topic that has been much-written about? The Amazon squib says it all: “In this gripping retelling of one of the most momentous chapters in history, Nick Holmes presents a new interpretation of an old story. The fate of Rome was decided not just by emperors, soldiers and barbarians but also by an environmental disaster.” Notably, the environmental disaster was not human-caused. This really is a fascinating book!
Prior to World War I, many people though that if a conflict came, it would be brief, and with relatively few casualties. In their intriguing book, Ring of Fire: A New History of the World at War: 1914, historians show how wrong that thinking was. They not only describe how quickly the war became a ghastly slaughter, but also explain how rapidly it went global. We can learn a lot from history!
A couple more!
Would you like to know more about sanctions and economic warfare? If so, consider Edward Fisherman’s book “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare.” Read Maggie McGinnis’ review here.
Another book you may find of interest is Dr. John Hillen’s, The Strategy Dialogues: A Primer on Business Strategy and Strategic Management. John is currently a Distinguished Lecturing Fellow at Duke University’s Center for Politics (POLIS) and an Executive-in-Residence of the Political Science Department. We go back many years to his Army days, before he become s very successful businessman.
In his book he takes a unique approach to teaching strategy by doing it though a series of hypothetical dialogues with fictional company owners I think it is a very effective way to teach a subject that can otherwise get quite confusing. Though pitched as a book for business professionals, it is actually quite useful to anyone who want to understand strategy.
Best beach books
I’m going to repeat my recommendation from last year as this novel involves a fictional war with Iran. Here’s what I said in 2025:
Allow me to give a very strong recommendation to one of the best novels I have ever read: Mark Helprin’s, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, a War Story, a Love Story. Set in the near future, it tells the story of a senior Navy officer whose career is cut short when he gets crossways with the President over the officer’s advocacy of a new type of small but high-tech warship. With his career in tatters the officer is ordered to take the warship on its maiden cruise – a humiliation for an officer so senior. But he takes on the assignment with professionalism, only to find himself on a what becomes almost a suicide mission when war breaks out with Iran.
This book has it all, including multiple leadership lessons, insights into naval customs, explanations of high-tech weaponry, scenes of intense warfighting, deep philosophical musings, illustrations of the meaning of character, and, as the title indicates, a love story (involving a lawyer!). I listened to the audio version of the book, and I highly recommend that format.
Here’s another one I’ve frequently recommended: Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae. Here’s what I say about it in my original reading-list essay:
“A book along the lines of The Killer Angels but better in my opinion. Here’s what David Hackworth says about it: “A must read by warriors—past, present and future—for within the pages of this magnificent book are the secrets of developing the critical warrior ethic and what combat leadership, discipline, superior training techniques and the Brotherhood of arms are all about.” I could not agree more—I am very, very high on this book; it’s my all-time historical fiction favorite. Runner-up: Nevil Shute’s, A Town Like Alice, 1950. If you dismiss Shutes’ book as a romance novel, you lose the chance to enjoy a fantastic story of human courage and perseverance.”
Just FYI: how many books are Americans consuming, and in what format?
In recent years, I’ve listened to audiobooks a lot; in fact, I now consume most fiction novels that way (which, BTW, makes the audio book’s reader really important as some are much better than others).
Anyway, in a new report, the Pew Research Center says a growing number of people use audiobooks. Some more interesting info from Pew::
- 38% of U.S. adults say they read one to five books in the past year
- 13% read six to 10
- 10% read 11 to 20
- 14% read more than 20
And 25% of Americans say they read none.
Audio books aren’t for everyone, but they can be a good way to make walking or jogging more enjoyable. Also, loading a couple of books on your phone can make traveling easier these days (and yes, you’ll want to have some on hand if you get stranded somewhere!).
Some previous reading lists:
Summer 2025 Reading Suggestions, 24 June 2025
Summer additions to the 2024 reading list for national/international security enthusiasts, 25 June 2024
Some suggestions to kick off your 2024 reading plan! 21 January 2024
Your summer 2023 reading recommendations are here! 31 May 2023
BTW, one of my earliest (and most comprehensive) list of recommendations (2006) is found here.
Concluding thoughts
How important is reading? A lot – and especially these days/In a fascinating recent essay in the New York Times (“There’s a Good Reason You Can’t Concentrate”) the author cited his previous work where he “argued that email and instant messages were degrading our ability to concentrate on hard mental tasks.”
Now he adds:
In 2016 my main concern was helping people find enough free time for deep work. Today I think we’re rapidly losing the ability to think deeply at all, regardless of how much space we can find in our schedules for these efforts.
His solution? “[L]et’s consider exercise.” He explains:
The cognitive equivalent of aerobic activity is contemplation — the intentional focusing of your mind’s eye on a singular topic, with the goal of increased understanding. Just as the sedentary lifestyles that emerged in the mid-20th century degraded our bodies, our current lack of contemplation is degrading our brains.
What’s the equivalent of this cardio for our ailing brains? A good candidate is reading. Making sense of written text exercises our minds in important ways. We develop what the cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf calls “deep reading processes” that rewire and retrain neuronal regions in ways that increase the complexity and nuance of what we’re able to understand. “Deep reading is our species’ bridge to insight and novel thought,” she writes.
Perhaps consuming a few dozen book pages a day should become the new 10,000 daily steps — a basic foundation of activity to maintain cognitive fitness.
Indeed! Allow me to repeat something I’ve said in the past: Those who do read will enjoy an asymmetric advantage in their careers and, really, in life.
In his final book (Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy) Henry Kissinger observed that “Intense reading can help leaders cultivate the mental distance from external stimuli and personalities that sustains a sense of proportion.” It can also provide a “storehouse” of knowledge from which “leaders can reason analogically.” He then adds:
“More profoundly, books offer a reality that is reasonable, sequential and orderly—a reality that can be mastered, or at least managed, by reflection and planning. And, perhaps most importantly for leadership, reading creates a ‘skein of intergenerational conversation’, encouraging learning with a sense of perspective. Finally, reading is a source of inspiration. Books record the deeds of leaders who once dared greatly, as well as those who dared too much, as a warning.”
Reading is actually a lifelong project. General Jim Mattis puts it bluntly:
