Imperial Grunts, The American Military on the Ground by Robert D. Kaplan; 2005; 421 pages; Random House, New York, NY; 1-4000-6132-6; 8/13-8/21

Robert Kaplan travels the globe meeting real soldiers and marines.  He did not hang with a bunch of REMF but hung with the troops on the front lines in many different places from Colombia to the Philippines, to Afghanistan to Iraq.  He did not talk to them and then let them go out and debrief when they got back.  He went out on operations with them and was embedded with them eating MRE’s and sleeping on the ground with them.  He was there as the bullets were flying, in Fallujah with the Marines in 2003.  He wanted to see what it was like to be the tip of the spear that is wielded by those in D.C., sees how the troops have to deal with all the political correctness and innumerable rules that have flowed down hill like so much *&(#.  I believe that he provides an accurate picture of those in the military and why they do what they do.  This is the first in a multi volume set that will deal with the American military.  RRRR

Gates of Fire, An Epic Novel of The Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield; 1998; 386 pages; Doubleday, New York, NY; 0-385-49251-0; 7/4/09- 7/11/09

My knowledge of the Battle of Thermopylae came courtesy of the trailer for the movie 300.  I don’t know if I know any more now after having read this, but my appreciation for the epic is now much greater.  I also understand why this book is on the United States Marine Corps reading list.

“Here is what you do, friends.  Forget country.  Forget king. Forget wife and children and freedom.  Forget every concept, however noble, that you imagine you fight for here today.  Act for this alone: for the man who stands at your shoulder.  He is everything and everything is contained within him.  That’s all I know.  That’s all I can tell you. ”

This is what men fight and die for.  A friend returned to combat and when asked why said “My men need me.”

“I will tell his Majesty  what a king is.  A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field.  A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall.  A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake.  That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last.  A king does not require service of those he leads but provides to them.  He serves them, not they him.”

This is something too many people who call themselves leaders seem to forget.  There are many in positions of leadership throughout the world who would do well to follow the example of King Leonidas of Sparta.

Gates of Fire gives us the backstory to the Battle of Thermompylae, we find why the 300 were chosen, and who they were.  The story is a history of Sparta told through the eyes of the squire of one of the 3oo and told to the royal historian of the king of Persia.  We learn how he came to Sparta, how the Spartans trained and fought, why there culture was what it was.  Xeones   tells the story of his master, friends, allies and enemies.   This is one of the most engrossing books that I have read in a long time.  I will looking for more of Mr. Pressfields’ work.  RRRR

Battle Leadership, Some Personal Experiences of a Junior Officer of the German Army with Observations on Battle Tactics and the Psychological Reactions of Troops in Campaign by Adolf Von Schell, Captain Staff Corps, German Army; 1933; 95 pages; The Benning Herald, Fort Benning-Columbus, GA; Interlibrary Loan from the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID; 6/22/09-6/25/09

This little book is jam packed with insights into battles and battlefield decisions and leadership.  This should be required reading for anyone who is going to lead people, not just in the military but in any endeavor.  This articles in the book follows a series of talks that Captain Von Schell gave to American officers in 1933.  The talks are examples given are from World War I and the Germans hadn’t completely fallen under the thrall of Hitler.  One of the interesting things in the first chapter is the observation, which I have seen in many books on war, is that there will be never be another war like this one.  Men won’t ever face one another in hand to hand combat again, that everything  will be done at a distance.  The more things change the more they stay the same.  There are some important lessons here for those who lead troops, but many of the insights from Captain Von Schell could also be applied to any leadership situation.  RRRR

The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick; 1958; 285 pages; W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY; 5/12/09-5/15/09

In the days when the French where still fighting in Vietnam and Americans thought it could never happen to them, Lederer and Burdick wrote a scathing book about diplomacy among Americans.  Most of the career diplomats are arrogant, who don’t think they need to know anything about the country they are being posted to or the people who reside there.  Those who really make a difference are dismissed because there ideas are too small or because they are not “professionals”.  This book was written on factual people that the authors’ knew and they provide a factual epilogue to show where they got the characters.  This book rings true today and should be read by every American and especially those who are thinking of working overseas or are in the military.  RRRR