Leading the Way: How Vietnam Veterans Rebuilt the U.S. Military: An Oral History [Hardcover]

Al Santoli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 1993

"Compelling, at times sad, at times energizing, always thought-provoking, there is no book like it regarding the essential nature of the U.S. military leadership."

JOHN DEL VECCHIO

Author of THE THIRTEENTH VALLEY

LEADING THE WAY is a historic record of the rebuilding and reenergizing of America's armed forces, as told by 56 combat veterans who helped to bring it about. They bring to life the most critical moments they experienced in combat, from the Central Highlands of Vietnam to the air-strips of Panama and the deserts of Kuwait and Somalia. But just as riveting as their battle stories are their behind-the-scenes accounts of how confidence, discipline, and integrity were restored to the military after Vietnam by the work and example of its leaders. . . which led to the victory of Desert Storm.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Santoli ( Everything We Had ) traveled to military bases and headquarters around the country interviewing career personnel who served during the troubled Vietnam years and the postwar period when morale plummeted in all branches of the service. The first half of the book makes for disturbing reading as veterans recall the racial tensions, drug abuse and antiauthoritarianism that crippled the spirit of the U.S. military establishment in the '60s and '70s; but the second half, dealing with the mechanics of reenergizing the forces and the successful operations in Grenada, Panama and the Persian Gulf, is upbeat. Participants in this oral history that will primarily interest advocates of maintaining a strong military include the present Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin Powell; the former commandant of the Marine Corps, Al Gray; Navy SEAL commander Timothy Holden; Colonel Barbara Smith, chief nurse of Central Command; and Marine tanker Gunnery Sergeant James Graham. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The observations of 56 military leaders from sergeants to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff comprise the raw material for an understanding of how the Vietnam experience has radically changed the current state of our military. Compiled by Santoli ( Everything We Had , LJ 4/15/81), they tell us how the echoes of Vietnam made the operations in Grenada, Panama, and, finally (in a sizable section of vivid recollections), the Gulf War so clearly effective. These perceptive observations produce a look into the modern U.S. military's adaptable and result-driven philosophy, which is a couple of decades late in coming. This book is good both for its insight into current thinking in the command sector and for its descriptions of what the Gulf War was like, in the air and on the ground. Recommended for public libraries.
- Mel D. Lane, Sacra mento, Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 428 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (September 14, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345374983
• ISBN-13: 978-0345374981
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,729,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turning the Boat Around, October 23, 2000

By 

Jeff Harris (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leading the Way: How Vietnam Veterans Rebuilt the U.S. Military: An Oral History (Hardcover)

It is unfortunate that this outstanding book is out of print because the lessons contained within the pages are timeless. Al Santoli, a Vietnam veteran, assembles a comprehensive cast to provide anecdotes about their problems and solutions to reforming and reorganizing the post Vietnam era United States Armed Forces. This book is just not for military leaders, officer and enlisted; the lessons of the book apply to all leaders, especially in organizations that are in need of change.