Books Jocko Willink recommends

Asked by OutKick for a must-read book, Willink named Hackworth's war memoir. He said he read it in the mid-1990s and calls it a book about Hackworth's life rather than a leadership book. He also wrote the foreword to a new edition and covered it on Jocko Podcast episodes 249-250.

“not a leadership book”Jocko Willink

Source: Jocko Willink Talks with OutKick About Top Workouts, Jiu-Jitsu, The Must-Read Book for Men, and More (interview, 27 Oct 2024)

Jocko Podcast #251-256 (multi-part series)

Willink spent a six-part series of episodes, starting with episode 251, working through General Clarke's leadership guide.

Source: 251: Set The Standard. Set The Example. How to LEAD. "Guidelines for the Leader and Commander" (podcast, 14 Oct 2020)

Jocko Podcast #78

Episode 78 of Jocko Podcast covers Frankl's book about surviving the concentration camps. The theme was how adversity reveals human nature.

Source: 78: How Adversity Reveals Human Nature. Are You Worthy of Your Suffering? (podcast, 6 June 2017)

Jocko Podcast #524 (continued in #525)

Willink and Echo Charles discussed Wavell's collected writings, including the essay 'In Praise of Infantry'.

Source: 524: How Soldiers and Soldiering Reflect Real Life Every Single Day (podcast, 21 Jan 2026)

Jocko Podcast #159

Episode 159 of Jocko Podcast covers Machiavelli's treatise on warfare and the rules it offers for war and life.

Source: 159: Machiavellian Rules for Warfare, and Life. "The Art of War", Niccolo Machiavelli. (podcast, 9 Jan 2019)

Jocko Podcast #80

Willink devoted episode 80 to Musashi's samurai strategy text and how its ideas apply to life today.

Source: 80: How the Way of the Samurai Translates to Life Today. Musashi, The Book of Five Rings (podcast, 20 June 2017)

Jocko Podcast #33

Downs' Vietnam memoir was the book reviewed in episode 33 of Jocko Podcast.

Source: 33: The Killing Zone (F. Downs), Male Psyche & Fighting, BJJ Frustrations, Talking about Yourself, Fear of Failure (podcast, 27 July 2016)