Ex-US defense secretary Jim Mattis has book coming this summer

Former US secretary of defense Jim Mattis has a book coming out this summer, but he warns that it will not be a “tell-all” about President Donald Trump.

“Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead” will be published July 16, Random House announces.

Co-written with Bing West, the book will be an “expansive account” of the retired general’s military career, according to the publisher.

“My purpose in writing this book is to convey some of the lessons I learned in 43 years of service for those who might benefit, whether in the military or in civilian life,” Mattis, 68, says in a statement.

“I’m old-fashioned: I don’t write about sitting Presidents, so those looking for a tell-all will be disappointed. I want to pass on the lessons and experiences that prepared me for challenges I could not anticipate, not take up the hot political rhetoric of our day.”

Trump initially had high praise for Mattis, a 4-star Marine general who for a time seemed to enjoy a level of respect Trump rarely showed to other cabinet officials. Foreign policy officials viewed him as a stabilizing force within a tumultuous White House and a leading advocate for traditional alliances. But Trump and Mattis would differ on a wide range of issues, from the president’s desire to withdraw troops from Syria to his harsh talk about NATO. Mattis announced late last year he was leaving, writing in his resignation letter that Trump had “the right” to have a defense secretary whose views were aligned with his.

Trump responded by disparaging Mattis’ leadership at the Pentagon and by stating, falsely, that he had “effectively” fired his defense secretary. Mattis has since been virtually silent about his time in the administration.

— AP