Skelton develops reading list for national security

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Ike Skelton, an influential Democrat on military matters, warned Monday that American policy makers may be forgetting history's lessons as clashes escalate between Iraqis and American troops.

As a remedy for that ignorance, the 14-term Missouri congressman is recommending a reading list of 50 books to U.S. military officers, members of Congress and anyone else who cares about national security.

"I don't believe the statement that history repeats itself, but I do believe that those who don't study history tend to repeat the mistakes of the past," said Skelton, who serves as senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee

Twenty of the books he recommends are biographies, and two of those are his favorites: biographies of Daniel Boone -- a distant relative of Skelton's -- and Tecumseh.

Three of his recommendations are autobiographies: Ulysses S. Grant, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Field-Marshal Viscount William Slim, who led British forces on a retreat from Burma to India during World War II.

Skelton mentioned a series of recent attacks that have killed dozens of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis since the war ended two months ago. He drew parallels to assaults that pelted French troops sent to Algiers following French defeat in the 1954 battle of Dien Bien Phu and attacks on U.S. forces occupying Saigon before the 1968 Tet Offensive.

"You had static forces in both places, and they were sitting ducks for people who wanted to cause harm," Skelton said.

The only way to stop today's skirmishes is to have well-trained Iraqi police enforcing order, because they will attract less hostility, Skelton said. It's a difficult task, but history makes clear what should be done, he said.

Skelton frequently draws on decades of personal study when he questions witnesses during hearings. However, many witnesses are unfamiliar with the background and context on which he draws, Skelton said.

His office began mailing copies of the list Monday to hundreds of people, including chiefs of staff of all the military branches, war college officials, various military officers and every member of the U.S. House.

The most important of the 50, he said, is an 1851 volume by Edward Sheperd Creasy called "Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: From Marathon to Waterloo."

He learned of the book a decade ago when CBS anchor Dan Rather sat next to Skelton's wife, Suzy, during a luncheon and recommended her husband read it.

The books are particularly geared toward military officers. Skelton said that reading the entire list, beginning with the U.S. Constitution, would fully prepare an officer to attend war college.

The military captivated Skelton as a boy, but history mostly bored him until he attended the University of Missouri.

Skelton has also been promoting history in Missouri schools with a series of lectures he calls "History Matters."

"Every American citizen ought to have a basic understanding of the story of America, the history of America," he said. "We have a very unique story. No other country comes close."

As far as he knows, no other member of Congress has issued such a reading list. Skelton said his timing has nothing do to with current events; he just never thought of making a book list until recently.

"Why now? It's a good question. Just because," Skelton said. "It ought to be done."

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On the Net:

The list can be found on Skelton's website, http://www.house.gov/skelton/