Media Appearances
Praise for "When Violence Is Virtue"
"Every active duty guy should read this book. It should be part of their mandatory reading list. I highly recommend it. It was phenomenal." - David Rutherford (Navy SEAL, CIA Contractor, Author, Performance Coach and Award Winning Podcast Host)
"A short but nutrient dense book, written by a man that knows war. absolutely fantastic, I cannot recommend it enough." - Clay Martin (Green Beret, Marine & Author)
What you believe matters less than how you act when pressure removes excuses. Ethos is a study of discipline, responsibility, and identity; formed long before conflict and tested when the cost is real. It examines calm under stress, restraint in the presence of power, and the quiet standards that separate leadership from authority.
Blending philosophy, lived experience, and moral clarity, Ethos challenges readers to reject passivity and embrace responsibility without performance or applause. This is a framework for those who understand that leadership is measured not by intent, but by what remains standing after the moment has passed.
Published Works
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When Violence is Virtue explores how true peace demands both the willingness and capability to use controlled force. Drawing from the realities of war, leadership, and moral conflict, it examines the balance between strength and compassion, revealing that peace endures not through passivity, but through the disciplined resolve of those prepared to defend it.
About the Author
Adam McLain is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who saw combat in Afghanistan in 2014 with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. He writes on the intersection of discipline, leadership, and the moral weight of strength.
