In this essay for The New Republic, Elliot Ackerman reviews Elizabeth Samet’s No Man’s Land and expands the book’s argument into a broader reflection on military education, leadership, and creativity.
Drawing on his own experience after the Battle of Fallujah, Ackerman considers how literature can prepare officers for the uncertainty of war, peace, and everything between.
Literature and Military Leadership
Ackerman explores Samet’s work teaching literature at West Point and argues that reading, reflection, and imagination are not luxuries for military leaders, but essential tools.
Creativity in the Post-9/11 Military
The essay examines how rigid career paths, bureaucracy, and conventional promotion systems can discourage the intellectual flexibility junior officers need after years of complex war.
Preparing for War and Peace
At its center, the piece asks how the U.S. military can cultivate leaders capable of operating in a “no man’s land” between combat, peace, ambiguity, and future conflict.