Jeffrey J. Matthews is the George Frederick Jewett Distinguished Professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. He teaches American history and leadership and has written or edited four previous books, including Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019), winner of the Foreword INDIES War and Military Book of the Year Award and finalist for the Army Historical Foundation Book Award. The University of Notre Dame Press is thrilled to publish his newest book, Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership in the U.S. Military (October 2023). He recently answered some of our questions about his research and writing processes.
When did you first get the idea to write this book?
In 2017, I read an article in USA Today reporting that over five years some 500 senior military and civilian defense executives had violated ethics regulations. I thought how is that possible? Worse, the misconduct of generals and admirals has continued. I grew determined to investigate these failures of leadership.
Certainly these are unprecedented times in the United States and around the world. What can readers find in your book that will resonate with them during this era?
Broadly speaking, this book is about unethical and criminal leadership, and we ALL have experienced bad leaders of various types. Unfortunately, they are ubiquitous in society. In recent times, we have witnessed considerable bad leadership pertaining local, national, and international COVID responses, and there remain, of course, brutal dictators on the global stage, including Vladimir Putin (Russia), Kim Jong Un (North Korea), Bashar al-Assad (Syria), and Isaias Afewerki (Eritrea).
How did you research this book?
My first task was to find as many contemporary (1990-2022) examples of unethical and criminal military leaders as possible. This information came from many sources but especially newspaper accounts, court records, and inspector general investigations. Then, after having identified the focus of each chapter, I began reading a voluminous quantity of primary and secondary literature. Some chapters benefitted tremendously from the work of many other historians, while others were more dependent on excellent military journalism and government records.
What did you learn while writing it?
I was shocked by how many generals and admirals have behaved unethically, even illegally. And the problem persists. I also learned much more about American history. Even though I am a historian, I had not engaged in deep study of famous leaders such as General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Hyman Rickover or lesser known figures like Brigadier General Jacob Smith, General Johnny Johnson, and Rear Admiral John Poindexter.
In what way is the book you wrote different from the book you set out to write?
Originally, I was going to write about bad military leadership more broadly defined, including problems related to battlefield incompetence. But instead, I chose to focus on unethical and criminal behavior because there was overwhelming material that needed to be sorted out and organized.
Who is the biggest influence on you and your work?
I have been mentored by so many brilliant and generous people, but if forced to choose one main influence it is my late father, Lieutenant Colonel Cleve E. Matthews, U.S. Army. My dad was a poor farm boy from Kansas who joined the army as a private and later became an officer who served two tours in Vietnam. His work ethic, love of family, and integrity motivates me and keeps me honest.
What is your writing schedule like?
Pretty disciplined. When not teaching or doing other university service, I worked full-time on this project, twenty to thirty hours a week during the semester and probably fifty-hours a week during break periods and summers. I typically started writing at 7:30 AM and continued until 5 or 6 PM. This lasted for two and half years. I loved it.
What advice would you give to a writer who wants to start a book?
Go for it. I believe that writing is a high form of contemplation, so even if a book project doesn’t get completed, it’s worth the endeavor. I recommend that writers begin by answering author questionnaires that most publishers make available online. This exercise will clarify what the proposed book is about and who it is intended for. And, there is nothing more helpful than a clear, working title and subtitle. That’s an author’s North Star to keep one focused.
Who would you like to read Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks and why?
I am seeking a wide audience. Citizens in a democratic republic should be keenly interested in the leadership of their senior government leaders, especially those guilty of misconduct. The more we learn about bad leadership, the better equipped we are to contest it and to hold people accountable. I hope too that people interested in American and military history will be drawn to the book. It is remarkable the things we don’t know or have long forgotten. I especially hope that people working in the Defense Department, both military and civilian officials, will consider the book, and that it will be read by aspiring field grade officers.
What books are you currently reading?
I recently finished former Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s memoir and Marc Wortman’s new biography of Admiral Hyman Rickover. I am looking forward to Craig Symond’s new book Nimitz at War and Joseph Fry’s Letters from the Southern Home Front: The American South Responds to the Vietnam War.
What book or project are you working on next?
There are a couple things brewing. First is a project about current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a trailblazing soldier-leader who is largely unknown to the American public. I am also interested in our current political culture. The predominance of misinformation, fear, intimidation, and moral cowardice has chilling parallels to McCarthyism during the Cold War.