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Edward Cox

Grey Eminence: Fox Conner and the Art of Mentorship Paperback – December 13, 2010

by Edward Cox (Author)

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To those who have heard of him, Fox Conner’s name is synonymous with mentorship. He is the “grey eminence” within the Army whose influence helped to shape the careers of George Patton, George Marshall, and, most notably, President Eisenhower. What little is known about Conner comes primarily through stories about his relationship with Eisenhower, but little is known about Fox Conner himself. After a career that spanned four decades, this master strategist ordered all of his papers and journals burned. Because of this, most of what is known about Conner is oblique, as a passing reference in the memoirs of other great men. This book combines existing scholarship with long-forgotten references and unpublished original sources to achieve a more comprehensive picture of this dedicated public servant. The portrait that emerges provides a four-step model for developing strategic leaders that still holds true today. First and foremost, Conner was a master of his craft. Secondly, he recognized and recruited talented subordinates. Then he encouraged and challenged these protégés to develop their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. Finally he wasn’t afraid to break the rules of the organization to do it. Here, for the first time ever, is the story of Major General Fox Conner.

Editorial Reviews

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Edward Cox has written a fascinating portrait of one of our nation's great soldiers who is little known and under-appreciated. --Brian D. Shaw, President, The George C. Marshall Foundation

Leaders at every level will learn much from this book about the exemplary life of Major General Fox Conner. --Lieutenant General David H. Huntoon, Jr.

Ed Cox's book serves as a premier case study on what leaders at all levels, in and out of the Army, need to do to build and sustain a learning organization. --Don Vandergriff

Ed Cox captures the essence and true spirit of mentoring at the top. --Steve Dumont, Managing Partner, The Mentorship Partnership

Mr. Cox did a wonderful job of putting together this book . . . I now know about this great soldier and leader and how he impacted the U.S. Army, WWII, and beyond.

--Jim Greenwald, Military Writers Society of America

About the Author

Ed Cox has 13 years of experience in the Army, serving in command and staff positions in Germany, Kosovo, Texas, and Iraq. From 2008 to 2011 he taught in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy. He holds a bachelor's degree in American politics from the U.S. Military Academy and master's degrees in public administration and international relations from Syracuse University. He currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Paperback: 142 pages
Publisher: New Forums Press (December 13, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1581072031
ISBN-13: 978-1581072037
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 44 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #596,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6059 in Military Leader Biographies

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Joey Green

Has some utility as a staff tool, but it's not the best example of military history research or writing.

November 22, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This slim volume does a decent job in delivering on its title, giving us a focused look at Major General Fox Conner's development of the junior officers who would become the leaders of WW II. — Patton, Marshall, and Eisenhower. It very briefly sketches the assignments that prepared Conner to shine on General Pershing's staff in WW I then shows us how he identified and cultivated the rising talent behind him. All of these future leaders would later claim that his mentorship was the key element in their own success, and this volume does a good job of driving that point home in a very short read. So it's utility is reserved for staff assignments where you want to emphasize the principle of mentorship without the time it would take for a larger volume of traditional military history. The book does highlight some decent moments in the military careers of these leaders, such as Conner's assignment with the French artillery, or the Eisenhowers' reaction to their new home in Panama. But the prose is not stellar, and the narrative has a rather choppy feel. The layout and the formatting could also use a bit of work. Bottom line, this is a fairly good staff study tool, but it's not a great example of military history research or writing.

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Richard S. Wells

A Good Beginning, But Short of a Real Need

July 26, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Given the importance of Fox Connor in enhancing the careers of at least two of the 20th century's most important figures--George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower, it is astonishing that no major biography of the man has been written. Conner is prominently mentioned in biographies of these figures, such as Smith's excellent bio of Ike. But no professional biographer has taken on Conner. This study by Cox is frankly not a very good piece; it is more of a sketch than a portrait. But, it is a good beginning. It reads more like a term paper in a military history seminar, than an examination of a gifted man who exerted a subtle but telling influence in a period of enormous complexity and importance.

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Daniel R. Foster

An OK introduction to American military leaders of the First and Second World Wars and the value of lifelong learning.

August 16, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

If you have not read much about the American involvement in the First World War, this book will introduce you to a few of the key American leaders of that war and the roles that Marshall, Patton, and Eisenhower played in WWI and soon thereafter.

Fox Conner demonstrated that lifelong learning is a key factor in rising within one's profession. He encouraged others to do what he was doing: professional self-study and self-improvement.

I found the book dealt with mentorship superficially. Fox Conner plucked Marshall from division staff due to his excellent work to serve in the AEF operations section where he oversaw Marshall. Later, Conner had him assigned to be the First Army's operation officer. Conner met Patton on a train heading to Fort Riley in 1913 and began a lifelong friendship. Later, Patton introduced Eisenhower to Conner and recommended Ike to be Conner's number two in Panama. While there, Conner directed Ike to write daily orders and spent evenings with Ike discussing military history. Conner also used his connections at times to rescue these men when their careers were in trouble or stalling. However, the book does not go into much greater depth about his mentorship than that.

The author faced a major challenge in researching Fox Conner. Conner himself had his own papers and journals destroyed. That lack of primary source material may have robbed all succeeding generations of some direct key insight. Therefore, the author and historians need to look at the lives he touched to derive Conner's actions and influence.

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Vannesa Cardenas

A Must for junior officer professional development.

October 15, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is one of my favorite books on mentorship. This discusses how Fox Conner was a pivotal mentor to Eisenhower, Patton, and Marshall. This truly discusses the relationship between followers and leaders, developing leaders from those followers, humility, and the lost art of being a "silent professional". Fox Conner was highly influential in the development of these fine leaders but was never arrogant, and continued to serve as a mentor to these men well after he himself was out of the service and as they were in prominent positions. This is an easy read and does not fluff anything. If you are looking for a great book on mentorship and want something with some real substance, lacks pomp, and can read in a couple of days, this is the book for you!

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T. Berner

Reviving an Important Forgotten Figure

June 15, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I won't repeat the endorsements of the last two reviewers, with whom I heartily agree, but I would like to point out just how difficult it is to bring to life an historical figure in this case. When he died, General Conner had all of his papers and journals burned - a common enough practice for the privacy conscious Victorian gentleman.

That had the effect of making the biographer's task extremely difficult. One can cobble together an adequate who what when and where in such cases, but it is hard to breath life into the chronology when you are so hamstrung. Interestingly, another important but forgotten military figure, General Maurice Rose, was also the subject of a biographer who faced a similar challenge, although in General Rose's case, it was because all his records and papers were destroyed in a flood.

Major Cox has succeeded brilliantly. His endnotes show him to be a master of research, digging up materials everywhere from USMA to local historical societies. The reader gets a sense of General Connor as a superior officer, a mentor and a friend and one can glimpse the style which made him effective in each role.

This is a relatively short book and, although it gives a full account of his life, it focuses on General Connor's relationship with three of the most important figures in the American military during World War II. One hopes that at some point in the future, Major Cox will expand this volume into a full account.

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