Worthy Fights

A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace

By Leon Panetta; Jim Newton

About Worthy Fights

Leon Panetta, writing with Jim Newton, recounts a public-service career spanning Congress, budget leadership, the White House, the CIA, and the Department of Defense.

The memoir places policy decisions within the pressures and relationships of government service. It offers a personal account of leadership during moments with substantial national consequences.

The selection closes the civic-leadership sequence with a first-person perspective to compare with Whipple’s institutional account and Haass’s discussion of civic duties.

Why I include it

This memoir helped me prepare for an interview to become Leon Panetta’s chief of staff and understand leadership with integrity and purpose.

Collection 07 · Read 3

Political Leadership & Civic Duty

Close the core leadership collection with a personal account of public service across institutions.

What to look for while reading

How are integrity, loyalty, and purpose tested in practice? Compare the memoir with the institutional and civic arguments earlier in the collection.

Perspective & context

I brought these books together to compare perspectives and develop judgment. No single author has the final word.

Key themes

Public service
Institutional leadership
Integrity

Related books

The Bill of ObligationsRichard Haass
Leadership: Six Studies in World StrategyHenry Kissinger
Call Sign ChaosJim Mattis and Bing West

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Praise & Reviews

“Very readable, with the frank descriptions of personalities and events that distinguish this genre at its best.”
— David Ignatius, The Washington Post

Review source