Naval Leadership

As the aide for a navy admiral more than thirty years ago, Mark C. Fava learned valuable lessons that were formative in his emergence as a thoughtful and successful leader. Now a vice president at the world’s largest aerospace company and a career aviation lawyer, Mark is sharing his wisdom in this insightful and entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the successes and failures of a young naval flight officer working every day for the Admiral and how the Admiral reacted as a great leader.

In this acclaimed first volume of The Master Chief’s Sea Stories, we begin the remarkable journey of a southern Indiana hill boy destined to become a sailor. Spanning the first four years of his distinguished 27-year naval career, we follow the transformation of a shy, tentative youth into a battle-hardened Cold War sailor serving aboard one of the Atlantic Fleet’s most battle-efficient ships. Join young Moye in his many adventures as he learns of life and the world around him. This, the beginning of an extraordinary voyage, will leave you hungry for more as subsequent volumes will ...

Before becoming president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison. Reflecting on this crucible, he stated, “The cell is an ideal place to know yourself. People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones.” A crucible is “a transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity.” For me, the crucible of naval flight training expanded my understanding of organizational leadership. In addition to learning the importance of the operations process, the ...

Only days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tapped Chester W. Nimitz to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. Nimitz transformed the devastated and dispirited Pacific fleet into the most powerful and commanding naval force in history. Facing demands from Washington to mount an early offensive, he had first to revive the depressed morale of the thousands of sailors, soldiers, and Marines who served under him. And of course, he also confronted a formidable and implacable enemy in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Are you a junior officer, senior enlisted, fresh faced diplomat or just curious? War Winning Strategies covers all the basics of military strategy comprehensively. This concise guid for NATO leaders is for you! In today's fast-paced and ever-changing global landscape, understanding military strategy is crucial for junior officers and aspiring foreign and security policy experts and senior NCOs so we can work more effectively together. This concise 70-page guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles of military strategy, empowering you and your subordinates m to...

Revised December 2025. The Master Chief’s extraordinary journey continues as he spins his yarns from the second four years of his naval service. First, while becoming a renowned teletype technician, Moye delighted himself in the freedoms that shore duty afforded—further discovering himself both as a person and a sailor. Then, when thrust into an incredibly demanding leadership role aboard one of the world’s most formidable warships, he guided man and machine through what also became his crew’s most difficult duty. Head-on, together they met the mission. The meek sailor we found in ...

The Master Chief’s story continues! From the very first page, Moye recounts his captivating life as it transitioned from calamity to blessing to triumph—guided by none other than the good Lord Himself. A bold statement yes, but find it true as we follow an evolutionary part of this sailor’s incredible journey. After a shipmate’s error aboard Moye’s previous ship, the USS Comte De Grasse, the 26-year-old, eight-year Navy veteran spent two months back home in the hills awaiting orders, during which time he faced an uncertain period of life. While discovering himself and his family, ...

Against the Tide is a leadership book that illustrates how Adm. Hyman Rickover made a unique impact on American and Navy culture. Dave Oliver is the first former nuclear submarine commander who sailed for the venerable admiral to write about Rickover's management techniques. Oliver draws upon a wealth of untold stories to show how one man changed American and Navy culture while altering the course of history.

As heard on the New Yorker Radio Hour: The triumphant and "engaging history" (The New Yorker) of the young women who devised a winning strategy that defeated Nazi U-boats and delivered a decisive victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. By 1941, Winston Churchill had come to believe that the...

In this internationally acclaimed volume, the master chief continues to tell of his amazing journey as he perfectly performs his extraordinary duty leading enlisted sailors and officers in the Top-Secret mission of hunting and tracking nuclear-armed Soviet Union submarines. A mission critical to national security during the Cold War’s waning years. With his “superior technical expertise and intense determination,” Moye was reported as being “one of the finest leaders in the Navy today,” as he inspected, revamped, and improved the communication posture of Atlantic Ocean submarine-...

Everyone changes—it’s inevitable. Rarely though, if ever, have life’s pivotal moments been captured in such honest detail as have these Sea Stories. This time, the master chief takes us not to sea, but ashore in the magical land of Scotland, where he further discovered himself while falling deeper in love with his ever-faithful wife. But when life was at its best, Chief Moye experienced failure—not of the everyday type, but one bringing lessons of life-changing importance. With ten-years of service to the Navy, newly selected Chief Petty Officer Moye reported to his first ashore ...

A “moving and lucidly written memoir” (The Wall Street Journal) of the late Senator John McCain from one of his closest and most trusted confidants, friends, and political advisors. More so than almost anyone outside of McCain’s immediate family, Mark Salter had unparalleled access to and...

In November 1943, while on war patrol in the Makassar Strait, the USS Billfish submarine was spotted by the Japanese, who launched a vicious depth-charge attack. Explosions wracked the sub for 15 straight hours. With his senior officers incapacitated, diving officer Charlie Rush boldly assumed command and led key members of the crew in a heroic effort to keep their ship intact as they tried to escape.

Zero Point Four is a groundbreaking book written by six world-leading maritime, ocean, and security experts, and spearheaded by retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Watson. This audiobook explores how the U.S. - a maritime nation - finds itself on a dangerous precipice today. After World War II over half the world’s ocean-going commercial ships flew the U.S. flag. Today, it is less than 0.4%. This meticulously researched work scrutinizes the U.S. maritime industry’s significance to America through five ‘Principles’: National, Economic, Energy and Food, Climate, and Workforce Security.

Abraham Lincoln began his presidency admitting that he knew "but little of ships," but he quickly came to preside over the largest national armada to that time, not eclipsed until World War I. Naval historian Craig L. Symonds' Lincoln and His Admirals unveils an aspect of Lincoln's presidency unexamined by historians until now, revealing how he managed the men who ran the naval side of the Civil War, and how the activities of the Union Navy ultimately affected the course of history.

A compelling look at US Navy SEALs through a true-to-life lens focused on the triumphs and challenges of the elite warriors of the Special Forces community. Master Chief (SEAL) Rick Kaiser (Ret.) captures over forty-five years of events in and around the SEAL Teams. It is not a blood-and-guts portrayal of battlefield victories and losses, but an authentic view of how things are done in the Teams. The SEALs truly are silent professionals and the most memorable stories often don't feature combat but are the moments that shape these exceptional warriors.

After he was selected to be NATO's 16th Supreme Allied Commander, the New York Times described Jim Stavridis as a "Renaissance admiral." A US Naval Academy graduate with a master's degree and doctorate from Tufts University, conversant in both French and Spanish, this author of numerous books and articles impressed the Navy's leaders and senior Pentagon civilians. The Accidental Admiral offers an intimate look at the challenges of directing NATO operations in Afghanistan, military intervention in Libya, and preparation for possible war in Syria.

Their stories needed to be told. And classmates working together, under a blanket of trust and friendship, was the only way to allow people to open up. It was a three year journey into the hearts and souls of America's youngest heroes to gather these important historical accounts, but it was worth every hour spent. Inside this book are the voices the first Annapolis graduates into a decade of war and they remind us that America is in good hands. They were walking to class on 9/11, wearing Naval Academy summer working blues, when the towers were struck.