Customer Reviews

American Generalship

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

American Generalship is a quick, easy read. Mr Puryear presents us with the Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force (and one Navy Admiral) of the last half of the century and details those core beliefs and traits that made them sucessful. Although the target audience are officers in the Armed Forces, the principles apply equally to the business world. The only complaint that I have is that little was mentioned about the Viet Nam era Service Chiefs. The 1950's and the 1970's - 80's were covered in depth, but the Viet Nam era was sparse. I heartily recommend this book.

Mr Puryear's "American Generalship" is overall a good book. It has resently been added to the CSAF Reading List. The author has taken many of his interviews and discussions with past military leaders and summized what they believe the keys are to effective leadership within the military. It is a fairly easy read, though some thoughts seem to be repeated in several locations.

Puryear has done a superb job summarizing years of intensive research on the subject of leadership. The finished product is applicable not just to military leaders, but to anyone who takes on the awesome responsibility of managing other people. He systematically breaks down the essential components of character and cites examples that drive the point home. Time after time I found myself thinking that this book should be required reading for civilian leaders of all kinds. His writing style is articulate and easy to read. I've read several books on this subject and this one is a winner.

American Generalship does an incredible job of outlining the necessary components to character, and while it is aimed at American military leaders, its scope seems unnecessarily constrained. I have been told that I cannot criticize the author for not writing a book he didn't write; however, it seems that the subject was deserving of a broader scope than merely American military leaders. The book includes eleven chapters, each covering some component of this elusive leadership character: (1) Selflessness; (2) Decision: The Essence of Leadership; (3) "Feel" or "Sixth Sense" in Decision Making; (4) Aversion to "Yes Men": Having the Character to Challenge; (5) Books: The Importance of Reading; (6) Mentorship: Guidance, Counseling, Advice, Teaching, and Door Opening; (7)Consideration; (8) Delegation; (9) Fix the Problem, Not the Blame; (10) Reflective Descriptions of Character; and, (11) The Pattern. Unfortunately, because of missing and misused quotation marks within the text, it is difficult to understand whether Puryear is himself speaking, or whether he is quoting a military leader. There are some remarkable stories contained in the book however, most especially in the fifth chapter concerning reading. I had purchased the hard- back version of the text (I am unsure of whether there is any other in print), which was published by Presidio Press, and the binding has already cracked. Thus, the reason I have given it three stars is because I believe the structure Puryear used in defining the nature of leadership character is excellent, and the text is generally reflective of a well-considered approach. Yet, the book's durability, and more importantly, its readability remain wanting.

I've been in leadership and management positions, military and civilian, for most of my adult life. I've read a lot of books on leadership - some good, some not. This one among the best I've ever read, if not THE best. It's oriented towards military leadership, but it is applicable to leadership in any organization. It's also a first rate history of military and senior Government leadership in World War II and later. I wish I had had this book 30 years ago.

This book provided insight into the minds of the senior leaders of the military. It provided me w/a framework to continually develop and improve my own leadership abilities. I highly recommend this book, not only to new and current officers,(I have given my copy to my Platoon Leader) but to ALL enlisted men and women serving as NCOs, in the U.S. military. The information provided in this text can be utilized by ANYONE desiring to improve their leadership abilities. This book by Puryear has me wanting more, and now I must read his previous book "19 Stars".

In his work American Generalship, Edgar Puryear presents the most detailed, insightful, and engrossing examination of what core values make great leaders. Through a splendid story telling style Puryear identifies the common threads found within the character of all of the United States military's finest leaders by showing how each exercised these principals in the most critical of situations. I thought enough of this book to send a copy to my son at West Point with a note saying, "...here is your bible..."