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The Mask of Command Alexander the Great, Wellington, Ulysses Format: Paperback - Picture 1 of 1

The Mask of Command : Alexander the Great, Wellington, Ulysses S. Grant, Hitler, and the Nature of Lea Dership by John Keegan (1988, UK-B Format Paperback)

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What makes a great military leader?. All powerful leaders, each cast in a different mold, each with diverse results. .

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John Keegan's brilliant look at the meaning of leadership In The Mask of Command, John Keegan asks us to consider questions that are seldom asked: What is the definition of leadership? What makes a great military leader? Why is it that men, indeed sometimes entire nations, follow a single leader, often to victory, but with equal dedication also to defeat? Dozens of names come to mind...Napoleon, Lee, Charlemagne, Hannibal, Castro, Hussein. From a wide array, Keegan chooses four commanders who profoundly influenced the course of history: Alexander the Great, the Duke of Wellington, Ulysses S. Grant and Adolph Hitler. All powerful leaders, each cast in a different mold, each with diverse results. The Mask of Command is a companion volume to John Keegan's classic study of the individual soldier, The Face of Battle : together they form a masterpiece of military and human history.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0140114068
ISBN-13
9780140114065
eBay Product ID (ePID)
55777

Product Key Features

Book Title
Mask of Command : Alexander the Great, Wellington, Ulysses S. Grant, Hitler, and the Nature of Lea Dership
Author
John Keegan
Format
Uk-B Format Paperback
Language
English
Topic
Leadership, Military Science, Military / Strategy, Military / General, Presidents & Heads of State
Publication Year
1988
Genre
Biography & Autobiography, Technology & Engineering, Business & Economics, History
Number of Pages
400 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
7.7in
Item Height
0.8in
Item Width
5.1in
Item Weight
10.8 Oz

Additional Product Features

Lc Classification Number
Ub210.K44 1988
Grade from
Twelfth Grade
Grade to
Up
Reviews
"The best military historian of our generation." - Tom Clancy "A brilliant treatise on the essence of military leadership." - The Philadelphia Inquirer "Fascinating and enlightening... marked by great intellectual liveliness... Mr. Keegan knows how to bring fighting alive on the page." - The New York Times
Table of Content
Introduction: Pre-Heroic Leadership 1. Alexander the Great and Heroic Leadership Alexander: the Father of the Man The Achievement The Kingdom of Macedon The Macedonian Army Alexander's Staff Alexander and his Soldiers Ceremony and Theatre Alexander's Oratory Alexander on the Battlefield Alexander and the Mask of Command 2. Wellington: The Anti-Hero Wellington the Man Wellington and Western Military Society Wellington's Army Wellington's Staff Wellington's Routine Wellington and the Presentation of Self Wellington in Battle Observation and Sensation 3. Grant and Unheroic Leadership Grant and the Progress of War The Professional Career of U.S. Grant Grant's Army Grant's Staff Grant on Campaign Grant the Fighter Grant and American Democracy 4. False Heroic: Hitler as Supreme Commander War and Hitler's World The War Hitler Made Hitler's Soldiers Hitler's Headquarters Hitler in Command Hitler and the Theatre of Leadership Conclusion: Post-Heroic: Command in the Nuclear World The Imperative of Kinship The Imperative of Prescription The Imperative of Sanction The Imperative of Action The Imperative of Example The Validation of Nuclear Authority Select Bibliography Index
Copyright Date
1988
Target Audience
Trade
Lccn
88-005429
Dewey Decimal
355.3/31/0922
Dewey Edition
21
Illustrated
Yes

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Most relevant reviews

5 out of 5 stars
by bhbutlerJul 04, 2010
John Keegan, The Mask of Command
This book is a thorough analysis of commanders who are very different and yet alike in many ways. Keegan argues that the title of General carries the responsibility of using power effectively and possessing military skill. He also believes that the military skill and techniques used (or abused) by the four subjects (Alexander, Wellington, Grant and Hitler) are based on the culture of the time and are a direct representation thereof. The central theme is Keegan’s belief that heroism is born of the desire to conquer. According to the book, command in the nuclear world—heroic leadership of any style would certainly destroy civilization. Modern states must accept post heroic leaders who will forswear victory as an aim in the management of military power. The successful leader is the person who has received commands imperatives and knows how to serve them. These imperatives are: Kinship—surrounding himself with people with the same cause, Prescription—the explanation of risk taking by the commander, Sanction—the reward or punishment of followers, Action—the translation of leadership into effect, and Example—the personal acceptance of risk. Nuclear weapons, in some ways has undermined or even invalidated these imperatives. Now, the leader is isolated from the community—burdened by protected nuclear secrets preventing kinship. There is no punishment or reward in the use of nuclear weapons. There is no example to be set because the nuclear leader is the most protected. Prescription is out of the question because of the potential for destruction. Most importantly, action can no longer be taken readily because all nuclear outcomes must be avoided. The nuclear leader then does nothing, sets no example, says nothing stirring, rewards no more than he punishes and is different from the masses in his modesty, prudence and rationality. Is this unheroic? According to Keegan as he closes this final chapter, this is the type of leader the nuclear world needs. Keegan refers to him as “post-heroic” The author concludes, “…it may have been brave to ride in triumph through Persepolis. Today the best must find the conviction to play hero no more.” This book offers many examples of the principles of war and the threads of continuity throughout. The changing nature of war and the contextual reasons why warfare changed are explored from ancient times through WWII, exploring the changes in leadership styles that were necessary to be successful in five very distinct periods. The human dimension of war and its influence on the changing nature of warfare is explored through these four commanders as they are compared and contrasted by the author throughout their for distinct periods of time. The biggest benefit of reading and reporting on this book is being exposed to the military history writings of John Keegan, especially as he explores how the leadership characteristics of great captains changed with military history. This is an excellent book and I look forward to reading Keegan’s other great book “The Face of Battle.”Read full review

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