--- title: H.R. McMaster: 'Dereliction of Duty' Is Now a Best Seller description: The book criticized the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War canonical: https://time.com/4678741/hr-mcmaster-national-security-adviser-book-dereliction-duty-best-seller/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-22T16:43:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:11.974Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster's Book 'Dereliction of Duty' Rockets to Top of Best Seller List og:description: The book by President Trump's new national security adviser criticized the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War og:url: https://time.com/4678741/hr-mcmaster-national-security-adviser-book-dereliction-duty-best-seller/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87ca7f816a2d753c/6988bb5eab6d7724836acf0c/mcmaster.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3802 og:image:height: 2139 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP-NSC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster's Book 'Dereliction of Duty' Rockets to Top of Best Seller List twitter:description: The book by President Trump's new national security adviser criticized the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87ca7f816a2d753c/6988bb5eab6d7724836acf0c/mcmaster.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster's Book _Dereliction of Duty_ Rockets to Top of Best Seller List > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: President Trump Names Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as New National Security Adviser [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Names Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as New National Security Adviser](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Sto4dYbp.m3u8) (1:11)  _Published 2017-02-20. President Donald Trump has named Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his National Security Adviser, ending a week of upheaval at the highest tier of the nation's foreign policy decision-making apparatus._ by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Feb 22, 2017 4:43 PM UTC  US President Donald Trump announces US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster (L) as his national security adviser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2017. US President Donald Trump announces US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster (L) as his national security adviser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2017. NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty Images by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Feb 22, 2017 4:43 PM UTC Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster earned critical acclaim for his book [_Dereliction of Duty_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060929081/?tag=timecom-20)when it was published in 1997\. Twenty years later, after President Trump named McMaster as his new [national security adviser,](http://time.com/4676723/meet-president-trumps-new-national-security-advisor/) the book has taken the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s [best selling books list](https://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-books-Amazon/zgbs/books). _Dereliction of Duty_ _,_ written as McMaster’s PhD dissertation, criticized the Joint Chiefs of Staff for not arguing their points aggressively enough with President Johnson’s administration during the Vietnam War. A piece in the [New York _Times_ Book Review](http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/07/20/reviews/970720.20spectot.html) called it “a devastating indictment of Johnson and his principal civilian and military advisers.” Critics of Trump’s previous national security adviser, Michael Flynn, see McMaster’s independent thinking as a positive sign, with Sen. [John McCain](http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=22A583B0-4B7A-417A-BE94-C70D54FE0B26) calling him an “outstanding choice.” As of Wednesday morning, the book’s paperback publisher Harper Perennial told the [Associated Press](http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article%5F2017-02-22-US--Books-McMaster/id-50328ecc41c940339f0a944ba19b3522) it had ordered a new printing of 25,000 copies thanks to high demand. ## Transcript We're ready. So I just wanted to announce we've been working all weekend very diligently very hard, that Ltn. Gen. H. R. McMaster will become the National Security Adviser. He's a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience. I watched and read a lot over the last two days. He is highly respected by everybody in the Military, and we're very honored to have him. He also has known for a long time, General Keith Kellogg. [ UNKNOWN ] I've also got to know and he is a terrific man. And they're going to be working together. And Keith is going to be Chief of Staff. And I think that combination is something very, very special. Mr. President thank you very much. I would just like to say what a privilege it is to be able to continue serving our nation and I'm grateful to you for that opportunity. I look forward to joining the national security team and doing everything that I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people. Thank you very much sir! Youre gonna do a great job. Thank you sir! ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4678741/hr-mcmaster-national-security-adviser-book-dereliction-duty-best-seller/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4678741/hr-mcmaster-national-security-adviser-book-dereliction-duty-best-seller/"},"headline":"Lt. Gen. H. R. 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