The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell

By: Harry S. Laver, Jefferey J. Matthews

Narrated by: Scott Laurence Peterson

What essential leadership lessons do we learn by distilling the actions and ideas of great military commanders such as George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Colin Powell? That is the fundamental question underlying The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. The book illustrates that great leaders become great through conscious effort - a commitment not only to develop vital skills but also to surmount personal shortcomings.

Harry S. Laver, Jeffrey J. Matthews, and the other contributing authors identify nine core characteristics of highly effective leadership, such as integrity, determination, vision, and charisma, and nine significant figures in American military history whose careers embody those qualities. The Art of Command examines each figure's strengths and weaknesses and how those attributes affected their leadership abilities, offering a unique perspective of military leadership in American history. Laver and Matthews have assembled a list of contributors from military, academic, and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse approaches to the study of leadership.

©2008 The University Press of Kentucky (P)2012 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"These essays form a pattern of leadership descriptions that represent the best of the art of command." ( Journal of America's Military Past)

"Art of Command excels. The reader can follow each leader from inauspicious beginnings to greatness in the course of a short story that chronicles the development of a particular quality in that leader. ( Marine Corps University Journal)

Wonderful

A very simple yet important book that we’ll definitely be a book I will re read when needed.

Great book

highly recommended book for all leaders in any industry. list of traits in the book should be followed for success.

Great listen

Going to listen to it again... soon. A good self study lesson in leadership principles.

great read for Sr Leaders

This was a great read for all leaders not only those seeking command. SELs should read as well.

Mechanical reading detracts from purpose

As an Army Officer, I want to read this story. I want to learn and grown in order to be better for my Soldiers that I lead. As a reader, I can NOT get into it. The narrator is so focused on being articulate that he has crossed over into the realm of being mechanical. It’s hard to follow the story line because there is no emotion, ebb & flow, or tonal inflections that keeps you engaged in the story line. Time is a fleeting commodity, so I wanted to like the audio version of this.. but quality is more important so the written version will be the logical choice. Wish I wouldn’t have spent the money or time on this ‘version’.