No better friend, no worse enemy

"When General James Mattis took command of the First Division in 2000, he took for their motto a paraphrase of Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla: "No better friend, no worse enemy." In 2003, General James N. Mattis shared a "Message to All Hands," to his soldiers. He shared with them the importance of the mission, the goal to act with honor, and ended with the motto he brought to his division from a paraphrase of Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla: "Demonstrate to the world that there is 'No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy' than a US Marine." Mattis was the first Trump presidential cabinet nominee and received nearly unanimous, bipartisan support for his nomination, with only one vote against. He received a rare waiver of the guidelines that exclude recently active military leaders from the position of Secretary of Defense. What could create such unprecedented unity, even enthusiasm, in the hyper-partisan political rancor of 2017? Beyond Mattis' obvious military competence for the position, he also possesses such personal integrity, fostering universal confidence. Told through Proser's insight and talent for storytelling, it is this unimpeachable character that is the primary subject of No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy. He leads with insight, humor, fighting courage and fierce compassion - not only for his fellow Marines who volunteer to follow him through hell's front door, but for the innocent victims of war. His martial and personal values have elevated him to the highest levels of personal success and earned him the trust of his Marines and many fellow Americans. We are stronger both from his service and his example."—Provided by publisher.