Books-On-Line
"It's a delightful book, educational and a pleasure to read."


CivilWarHome.com
If you're the least interested in how leadership on the battlefield can apply[..]in the workplace this is a must read


Book Description
In the Spring of 1864, the two greatest generals of the Civil War met on the battlegrounds of Virginia to determine the outcome of the war and the future of America. Their actions in the Overland Campaign define the qualities that made them exceptional leaders -- qualities just as relevant in modern business settings.Filled with riveting battlefield scenes, Lee & Grant showcases the generals' legendary skills and illustrates the crucial value of:* persistence: Lee's ability to hold Grant at bay prolonged the survival of the Confederacy.* distinguishing between reverse and defeat: Grant's knack for leveraging tactical defeats toward larger objectives made even Lee admit that Union victory was "a mere question of time."* forming and disseminating a vision, then synchronizing and orchestrating its execution across an entire organization. Grant's ability to mass the power of the Union armies and navies set the conditions for ultimate victory. * "followership," or the ability of a leader to learn and take direction from his or her leader, as Grant did from President Lincoln (and as Lee did from Jefferson Davis)* negotiation skills, which Grant used masterfully in getting Lincoln's support for a radically different military approach.Lee and Grant both exhibited exceptional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and the innate ability to garner the respect of every person in their command. Today's leaders will find an invaluable business asset in their legacy.


From the Inside Flap
The Overland Campaign of 1864 brought together the Civil War’s two greatest commanders, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, in the longest, hardest-fought, and most destructive military campaign ever waged on the North American continent. Locked in deadly combat, Lee and Grant plotted, maneuvered, and pushed ferociously to win control of each conflict—the Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, the North Anna, Cold Harbor—and, ultimately, the nation. Lee & Grant combines a riveting historical account of the Overland Campaign with a fascinating, eye-opening study in leadership—as powerful and relevant today as it was on the battlefields of Virginia. Stripping away many of the myths and hyperbole, Lee & Grant delivers a clear-headed account of their successes and failures, along with dozens of leadership lessons that managers and executives can put to use in any organization, including: · Seek a center of gravity: Both Lee and Grant were adept at pinpointing their opponents’ weak spots and designing plans to target them. Keeping your plans focused will help you avoid unnecessary, distracting efforts and expenses. · Build a capable staff and let them help you: Challenge your staff to help you visualize and plan. Lee’s reluctance to build a larger staff, or to include them in forming strategy, nearly destroyed him at the start of the war. · Lead by example in true crisis situations: By intervening personally on the battlefield and inspiring passion in his troops, Lee was able to galvanize a retreating army at The Wilderness and turn what looked like a significant defeat into a stunning reversal of fortune. · Know thyself! What is your preferred leadership style? What is your default mode under pressure? Do you naturally revert to micromanagement when worried about failure? A clear understanding of your own tendencies will help you make good decisions about leading others. · Turn vision into action: Grant’s simple but effective expression of what he wanted to do was the key ingredient to getting the Union army leaders finally working as a team. · Stay the course: Don’t let short-term setbacks derail a well-formed plan. It was dogged persistence that made Grant such a great general. In true Grant fashion, he used his tragic loss at Cold Harbor as a springboard to the next, ultimately decisive, phase of the war. Lee and Grant approached challenges in a fundamentally similar way. They called on skills learned through a lifetime of intellectual and practical preparation, applied those skills through carefully selected subordinates, and drove their armies forward with indomitable will and persistence. Imagine an organization headed by someone who combines the best traits and skills of these two exceptional generals—unstoppable! Major Charles R. Bowery, Jr., is an aviation officer in the U.S. Army and has served as a history instructor at West Point. He has written many articles and reviews for military history encyclopedias and journals, including Gettysburg Magazine. He is stationed in Ansbach, Germany, where he serves with the First Infantry Division, and is currently deployed in Iraq. "In Lee & Grant, Charles Bowery offers some timely, perceptive, and deftly presented observations on nineteenth century leadership and followership skills that apply equally well to managers, military and civilian, of our era. This well-researched and thought-provoking study is a model of its kind." —Edward G. Longacre [ASSOC. ED, I do not have title/affiliation—MH] "Lee & Grant offers a judicious and compelling command-level overview of the 1864 Overland Campaign, as well as thoughtful consideration of how an understanding of the events of over 140 years ago can be of value to businessmen, military officers, and anyone else who faces the challenge of leadership today. Highly recommended." —Ethan S. Rafuse, Professor of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and author of George Gordon Meade and the War in the East "Charles Bowery's book is a remarkably interesting and useful analysis of the challenges Grant and Lee faced as leaders. Bowery identifies the qualities, skills, and methods that enabled them to succeed, and he skillfully translates their experiences into "Leadership Lessons," readily transferable to the modern business world." —Robert A. Doughty, U.S. Military Academy, West Point


About the Author
Charles R. Bowery, Jr. (Lansing, KS) was a professor of history at West Point and is currently based at Fort Leavenworth. He writes for Civil War and military encyclopedias as well as Gettysburg, Civil War History, The North Carolina Historical Review, Ohio History, The Civil War News, and other historical publications.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Lee & Grant combines a historical account of the Overland Campaign with a study in leadership - as powerful and relevant today as it was on the battlefields of Virginia. Stripping away many of the myths and hyperbole, Lee & Grant delivers an account of their successes and failures, along with dozens of leadership lessons that managers and executives can put to use in any organization.

SYNOPSIS

Bowery is an aviation officer for the U.S. Army, and a former military history instructor at West Point. He draws on his personal experience in military command in this study of leadership in the Civil War. The text focuses on the Overland Campaign of 1864 and its key generals, Lee and Grant, each facing challenges that stretched, and often exceeded, their leadership abilities. While the text will appeal to Civil War buffs, Bowery also envisions that all types of leaders will find in it a number of useful lessons through its analysis of the daily struggles, successes, and failures of these two fascinating historical figures. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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