Commanding the Army of the Potomac

Commanding the Army of the Potomac
Author: Stephen R. Taaffe
Publisher: Modern War Studies
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2006
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

"Stephen Taaffe takes a close look at this command cadre, examining who was appointed to these positions, why they were appointed, and why so many of them ultimately failed to fulfill their responsibilities. He demonstrates that ambitious officers such as Gouverneur Warren, John Reynolds, and Winfield Scott Hancock employed all the weapons at their disposal, from personal connections to exaggerated accounts of prowess in combat, to claw their way into these important posts." "Once there, however, as Taaffe reveals, many of these officers failed to navigate the tricky and ever-changing political currents that swirled around the Army of the Potomac. As a result, only three of them managed to retain their commands for more than a year, and their machinations caused considerable turmoil in the army's high command structure."--BOOK JACKET.

Baldy

Baldy
Author: George S. Maharay
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2013-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1475998376

Major General William F. (Baldy) Smith was a genuine, but largely unsung hero of the Civil War. After he devised and carried out the plan that saved the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga, General Grant said," He [Smith] is possessed of one of the clearest military minds in the army; is very practical and industrious." Grant advocated making General Smith commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing General Meade. For a variety of reasons, that didn't happen. General Smith was then assigned to command the Eighteenth Corps of the Army of the James under Major General Benjamin F. Butler, the man Lincoln called "The Damnedest Scoundrel". Grant expected Smith, "to keep him [Butler] straight in military matters". It was an impossible task. Butler was powerful politically, and in a presidential year, could not be controlled. Eventually, either Butler or Smith had to go, and Smith lost out. This book is the story about the life of Major General Baldy Smith, Vermont hero.

Defeating Lee

Defeating Lee
Author: Lawrence A. Kreiser
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2011-04-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 0253001706

“Kreiser breathes new life into this most important of Union Army units. . . . A remarkably well-written and superbly researched account.” —David E. Long, author of The Jewel of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln’s Re-election and the End of Slavery Fair Oaks, the Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg—the list of significant battles fought by the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, is a long and distinguished one. This absorbing history of the Second Corps follows the unit’s creation and rise to prominence, the battles that earned it a reputation for hard fighting, and the legacy its veterans sought to maintain in the years after the Civil War. More than an account of battles, Defeating Lee gets to the heart of what motivated these men, why they fought so hard, and how they sustained a spirited defense of cause and country long after the guns had fallen silent. “[An] excellent contribution to Civil War history shelves.” —Midwest Book Review “Lawrence Kreiser tells the Second Corps’ story with verve and attention to personal as well as bureaucratic details.” —Civil War Librarian

Gettysburg and Leadership

Gettysburg and Leadership
Author: James Osterhaus
Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2018-04-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1640037861

Gettysburg is a defining moment in our history when two great armies were on a collision course with each other and with history. The Civil War is arguably the pivotal moment in American history. This great battle was crafted by leaders who would be the stuff of legend, even after 150 years. The struggle provides an excellent moment to study leadership in all of its complexity. The American code and culture cannot be understood without grasping the centrality of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. We can look at battlefields and talk of tactics and strategy. We can talk about the intriguing leaders who led thousands of civilians-turned soldiers into a maelstrom that no one now can even imagine (Gettysburg incurred ten times the number of causalities as D-Day). However, the Civil War is much more than this. The Civil War defined who we are as a people (this country, made up of separate states, was forged into a single nation). What emerged in the struggle were some of the most prominent and revered leaders this country and the world has ever seen. Next to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln is the greatest leader in American history. At the little hamlet in south central Pennsylvania-the greatest leader and the greatest battle to be fought on American soil-where the battle's fulcrum lies, that convergence would be put into words. These were not just any words. They constituted the most elegant explanation ever placed before the American people regarding the nature and destiny of our nation.

Battle Tested!

Battle Tested!
Author: Jeffrey D. McCausland
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1642934542

In order to be a truly effective leader, it is necessary to learn as much as possible from the examples of history—the disasters as well as the triumphs. At Gettysburg, Union and Confederate commanders faced a series of critical leadership challenges under the enormous stress of combat. The fate of the nation hung in the balance. These leaders each responded in different ways, but the concepts and principles they applied during those traumatic three days contain critical lessons for today’s leaders that are both useful and applicable—whether those leaders manage operations at a large corporation, supervise a public institution, lead an athletic team, or govern a state or municipality. In the twenty-first century, leadership is the indispensable quantity that separates successful organizations from failures. Successful leaders communicate vision, motivate team members, and inspire trust. One must move both people and the collective organization into the future while, at the same time, dealing with the past. A leader must learn to master the dynamic requirements of decision-making and change.

The Sword of Lincoln

The Sword of Lincoln
Author: Jeffry D. Wert
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 574
Release: 2005-04-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0743271920

The Sword of Lincoln is the first authoritative, accessible, single-volume history of the Army of the Potomac from a renowned Civil War historian. From Bull Run to Gettysburg to Appomattox, the Army of the Potomac repeatedly fought -- and eventually defeated -- Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Jeffry D. Wert, one of our finest Civil War historians, brings to life the battles, the generals, and the common soldiers who fought for the Union and ultimately prevailed. The Army of the Potomac endured a string of losses under a succession of flawed commanders -- McClellan, Burnside, and Hooker -- until at Gettysburg it won a decisive battle under a new commander, General George Meade. Within a year the Army of the Potomac would come under the overall leadership of the Union's new general-in-chief, Ulysses S. Grant. Under Grant the army would finally trap and defeat Lee and his forces. Wert's history draws on letters and diaries, some previously unpublished, to show us what army life was like. Throughout the book Wert shows how Lincoln carefully monitored the operations of the Army of the Potomac, learning as the war progressed, until he found in Grant the commander he'd long sought. Perceptive in its analysis and compellingly written, The Sword of Lincoln is the finest modern account of the army that was central to the Civil War.

Lee & Grant

Lee & Grant
Author: Charles R. Bowery
Publisher: AMACOM/American Management Association
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780814428436

Business is a battlefield. Learn from two of America's greatest generals.

Iron-Sharpened Leadership

Iron-Sharpened Leadership
Author: John L. Gronski
Publisher: Fidelis Publishing. LLC
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2021-06-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1735856371

Iron-Sharpened Leadership, Transforming Hard Fought Leadership Lessons into Action is a leadership book the reader will find valuable and inspiring. This leadership book is based on real-world operational experience including life and death decisions from the caldron of fierce combat. The book is peppered with inspirational stories along with actions one can take to become a more effective leader. Each chapter stands on its own and a leader will find valuable life-changing leadership lessons with the turn of every page.Gronski takes a values-based approach to leadership effectiveness and the book is oriented along the lines of his leadership philosophy which includes character, competence, and resilience.

Strategic Leadership

Strategic Leadership
Author: Mark Grandstaff
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2008-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1523096179

Think Like a General…Lead Like an Executive “At their center, great organizations such as America's armed forces are the product of great leaders. This fantastic book reveals the keys to success within the military culture, as well as relevant and practical application tools for creating strong leaders today.” —Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness What distinguishes strategic leadership? According to top U.S. Army generals, the difference lies in the discipline of thinking. Because the problems strategic leaders face are often multi-faceted and can involve ethical dilemmas, these leaders must move beyond thinking tactically and take a longer term, broader approach to finding solutions. Through the U.S. Army War College and other senior-service colleges, the Army teaches strategic thinking to its officers, developing some of the most esteemed leaders of our time. Strategic Leadership: The General's Art provides aspiring leaders with an understanding of the behavior and competencies that make a good strategic leader. In line with the curriculum followed by senior officers attending the U.S. Army War College, this book teaches leaders how to think strategically in a volatile, uncertain environment and thereby to provide transformational leadership and shape outcomes. With contributions from senior military leaders as well as experts in the fields of strategic leadership, systems and critical thinking, and corporate culture, this invaluable reference shows readers how to move from mid-level manager to strategic-thinking senior executive. Strategic Leadership: The General's Art provides aspiring leaders with an understanding of the behavior and competencies that make a good strategic leader. In line with the curriculum followed by senior officers attending the U.S. Army War College, this book teaches leaders how to think strategically in a volatile, uncertain environment and thereby to provide transformational leadership and shape outcomes. With contributions from senior military leaders as well as experts in the fields of strategic leadership, systems and critical thinking, and corporate culture, this invaluable reference shows readers how to move from mid-level manager to strategic-thinking senior executive.