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On War and Leadership: The Words of Combat Commanders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf
What can we learn about leadership and the experience of war from the best combat leaders the world has ever known? This book takes us behind the scenes and to the front lines of the major wars of the past 250 years through the words of twenty combat commanders. What they have to say--which is remarkably similar across generational, national, and ideological divides--is a fascinating take on military history by those who lived it. It is also worthwhile reading for anyone, from any walk of life, who makes executive decisions.
The leaders showcased here range from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf. They include such diverse figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, commanders on both sides of the Civil War (William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson), German and American World War II generals (Rommel and Patton), a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars (Moshe Dayan), and leaders from both sides of the Vietnam War (Vo Nguyen Giap and Harold Moore). What they have had in common is an unrivaled understanding of the art of command and a willingness to lead from the front. All earned the respect and loyalty of those they led--and moved them to risk death.
The practices of these commanders apply to any leadership situation, whether military, business, political, athletic, or other. Their words reveal techniques for anticipating the competition, leading through example, taking care of the "troops," staying informed, turning bad luck to advantage, improvising, and making bold decisions.
Leader after leader emphasizes the importance of up-front "muddy boots" leadership and reveals what it takes to persevere and win. Identifying a pattern of proven leadership, this book will benefit anyone who aspires to lead a country, a squadron, a company, or a basketball team. It is a unique distillation of two and a half centuries of military wisdom.
The leaders showcased here range from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf. They include such diverse figures as Napoleon Bonaparte, commanders on both sides of the Civil War (William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson), German and American World War II generals (Rommel and Patton), a veteran of the Arab-Israeli wars (Moshe Dayan), and leaders from both sides of the Vietnam War (Vo Nguyen Giap and Harold Moore). What they have had in common is an unrivaled understanding of the art of command and a willingness to lead from the front. All earned the respect and loyalty of those they led--and moved them to risk death.
The practices of these commanders apply to any leadership situation, whether military, business, political, athletic, or other. Their words reveal techniques for anticipating the competition, leading through example, taking care of the "troops," staying informed, turning bad luck to advantage, improvising, and making bold decisions.
Leader after leader emphasizes the importance of up-front "muddy boots" leadership and reveals what it takes to persevere and win. Identifying a pattern of proven leadership, this book will benefit anyone who aspires to lead a country, a squadron, a company, or a basketball team. It is a unique distillation of two and a half centuries of military wisdom.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Owen Connelly
22 books2 followersOwen Connelly was an American historian who specialized in military history, especially the Napoleonic wars. After earning his doctorate at the University of North Carolina, he taught at the University of South Carolina, where he retired as Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus and Caroline McKissick Dial Professor of History Emeritus.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 20, 2021
Leading in War
I found “On War and Leadership” to be a noteworthy read. On page 1, the author starts by writing, “This is an anthology of the thoughts on leadership of combat commanders—twenty in all—over the last 250 years.” The anthology’s commanders include Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Sherman, Jackson, Mosby, T.E. Lawrence, Wavell, Rommel, Patton, de Gaulle, von Manstein, Montgomery, Slim, Stilwell, Ridgway, Dayan, Giap, Moore, Vaux, and Schwarzkopf.
He then goes on to say: “This collection should allow historians in general to try to discern (or divine) the commanders’ ontological, epistemological, and teleological views (their hermeneutics are traditional), and surely be useful to military historians and their readers.” This is quite a mouthful. To translate, let me offer some definitions of these big-buck words:
Ontological: relating to the essence of being (what things exist, their properties, and the relations between them, usually based upon a priori reasoning).
Epistemological: relating to the theory of knowledge (how do we know what we know?)
Teleological: relating to discovering the purpose by looking at the results (the results were caused by (why)?)
Hermeneutics: theory of interpreting.
Here’s my stab at what the author was trying to say: The reader should be able (to try) to understand the commanders’ views of what exists, how they know it exists, and why it exists in war.
The author then begins his chapters for each combat commander, with Frederick the Great and Napoleon combined in one chapter. For each commander, the author offers a brief biography, the commander’s quotes in thematic groups, and an overviewing assessment (conclusion) as to the essence of the commander. As an example, after the page and a half of biography for Joseph Warren Stilwell, the author groups quotes into the following themes: Attributes of the Good Commander “([Diary—May 1944] A good commander is a man of high character (this is the most important attribute), with power of decision next most important attribute. He must have moral backbone, and this stems from high character , and he must be physically courageous, or successfully conceal the fact that he is not….”), Problems of Generalship, and Success and Accident.
The author then adds his Conclusion: “'Vinegar Joe' Stillwell could be called the last of the American pioneer-generals. Although he was a well-traveled, educated, professional soldier, his attitudes were more like those of Andrew Jackson and Davy Crockett than his contemporaries. Not only was he 'not afraid to get his hands dirty'; he went out of his way to do so. He was a true democrat, as well as a leader of men, and deserves to be better remembered than he is.”
After doing this for all the commanders, the author concludes by declaring the following principles necessary to winning at war:
1. Lead in person
2. Lead from the front
3. Improvise according to the situation
4. Hold to unity of command
5. Take care of the troops
6. Take risks (calculatedly, not recklessly)
7. Prefer the offensive
8. Know the value of winning
In addition, the author identifies certain winning personal leadership traits, which include:
1. Presence (often physical size or intimidation)
2. Camaraderie
3. Reputation for winning
4. Ability to improvise
5. Unity of command
6. Use of staffs
7. Taking care of the troops
8. Training and discipline
9. Best use of modern weapons
These principles and traits are general threads appearing throughout the chapters but not in a matrix showing a punch-list example for each commander. Whether the author makes his case as far as the ontological, epistemological, and teleological aspects is left up to the reader.
The author concludes by asserting, “The basic doctrines of leadership seem to be unchanging.” In the final sentence, he ends with a quote from French Marshall Bugeaud de Pinconnerie (1784-1849): “In war, there are principles, but they are few.”
Again, the book is essentially a collection of, more often than not, interesting quotes assembled by the author that he distills into principles and traits he believes lead to successful leadership in war. To this extent, the author makes the principles and traits come alive. A noteworthy addition to anyone’s military library!
Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul , a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!” and
Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation
I found “On War and Leadership” to be a noteworthy read. On page 1, the author starts by writing, “This is an anthology of the thoughts on leadership of combat commanders—twenty in all—over the last 250 years.” The anthology’s commanders include Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Sherman, Jackson, Mosby, T.E. Lawrence, Wavell, Rommel, Patton, de Gaulle, von Manstein, Montgomery, Slim, Stilwell, Ridgway, Dayan, Giap, Moore, Vaux, and Schwarzkopf.
He then goes on to say: “This collection should allow historians in general to try to discern (or divine) the commanders’ ontological, epistemological, and teleological views (their hermeneutics are traditional), and surely be useful to military historians and their readers.” This is quite a mouthful. To translate, let me offer some definitions of these big-buck words:
Ontological: relating to the essence of being (what things exist, their properties, and the relations between them, usually based upon a priori reasoning).
Epistemological: relating to the theory of knowledge (how do we know what we know?)
Teleological: relating to discovering the purpose by looking at the results (the results were caused by (why)?)
Hermeneutics: theory of interpreting.
Here’s my stab at what the author was trying to say: The reader should be able (to try) to understand the commanders’ views of what exists, how they know it exists, and why it exists in war.
The author then begins his chapters for each combat commander, with Frederick the Great and Napoleon combined in one chapter. For each commander, the author offers a brief biography, the commander’s quotes in thematic groups, and an overviewing assessment (conclusion) as to the essence of the commander. As an example, after the page and a half of biography for Joseph Warren Stilwell, the author groups quotes into the following themes: Attributes of the Good Commander “([Diary—May 1944] A good commander is a man of high character (this is the most important attribute), with power of decision next most important attribute. He must have moral backbone, and this stems from high character , and he must be physically courageous, or successfully conceal the fact that he is not….”), Problems of Generalship, and Success and Accident.
The author then adds his Conclusion: “'Vinegar Joe' Stillwell could be called the last of the American pioneer-generals. Although he was a well-traveled, educated, professional soldier, his attitudes were more like those of Andrew Jackson and Davy Crockett than his contemporaries. Not only was he 'not afraid to get his hands dirty'; he went out of his way to do so. He was a true democrat, as well as a leader of men, and deserves to be better remembered than he is.”
After doing this for all the commanders, the author concludes by declaring the following principles necessary to winning at war:
1. Lead in person
2. Lead from the front
3. Improvise according to the situation
4. Hold to unity of command
5. Take care of the troops
6. Take risks (calculatedly, not recklessly)
7. Prefer the offensive
8. Know the value of winning
In addition, the author identifies certain winning personal leadership traits, which include:
1. Presence (often physical size or intimidation)
2. Camaraderie
3. Reputation for winning
4. Ability to improvise
5. Unity of command
6. Use of staffs
7. Taking care of the troops
8. Training and discipline
9. Best use of modern weapons
These principles and traits are general threads appearing throughout the chapters but not in a matrix showing a punch-list example for each commander. Whether the author makes his case as far as the ontological, epistemological, and teleological aspects is left up to the reader.
The author concludes by asserting, “The basic doctrines of leadership seem to be unchanging.” In the final sentence, he ends with a quote from French Marshall Bugeaud de Pinconnerie (1784-1849): “In war, there are principles, but they are few.”
Again, the book is essentially a collection of, more often than not, interesting quotes assembled by the author that he distills into principles and traits he believes lead to successful leadership in war. To this extent, the author makes the principles and traits come alive. A noteworthy addition to anyone’s military library!
Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul , a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!” and
Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation
July 27, 2023
Chapters are profiles of combat leaders with concepts of leadership and war, includes vinetes and quotes. For the serious military historian you have probable read the base documents. Few surprise except the stuff on the Falkland's War. That was new for me.
December 15, 2022
A good compilation of military leaders and how they led. A good read with excellent references and suggestions of additional books to gain more knowledge and ideas of leading.
October 28, 2023
Quotes and advice on war from over 15 generals throughtout history. Nota a bad read.
April 30, 2011
Bought this book and read portions on Patton and a few other American military leaders. It's a very solid, well-written and well-researched collection of essays. If you're doing any sort of research in to the highest quality strategic military thinkers/leaders, this book is an important one to consider.
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March 4, 2011Filled with insights and strategems
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews