Leadership: Quotations From The Military Tradition

By Robert A. Fitton

Book Overview

The thought-provoking quotations presented here cover a broad spectrum of topics related to leadership. The majority of authors represented are great statesmen, philosophers, or military leaders, but also included are pertinent thoughts by corporate leaders, scholars, and writers. International in scope, the collection includes quotations from every period of history from ancient to contemporary times.In this eminently browseable book, the reader will find the quotations arranged in an accessible format. Guided by a detailed table of contents and a unique index, the reader can easily locate quotes either by topic or by author. Robert Fitton has created a valuable and enjoyable reference work for anyone interested in the many facets of leadership.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813378672
• ISBN13: 9780813378671
• Release Date: October 1990
• Publisher: Westview Press
• Length: 382 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Thought-Provoking and Open-minded

Robert Fitton's compilation of leadership quotes is a useful reference for anyone who leads or aspires to one day lead people. The author and his editors have chosen a useful structure for the text, organizing quotes by leadership attributes such as ability, caring, ethics, judgment, loyalty, tact, truth and virtue. More than its practical usefulness, I'm impressed by the wide pool of geographical and historical thought that Fitton has managed to tap. His selected quotes come from ancient to modern history, from the East and the West, and from military and civilian writers, thinkers and philosophers of every stripe. The book is home to the intellectual progeny of the Quran, the Bible, Emerson, Hawthorne, Shakespeare, Jefferson, Bacon, Confucius, Eisenhower, Goethe, Kipling, Locke, Tennyson and so many more. Alexandar was a man of action, but his actions were informed by the philosophy and teachings of his mentor, Aristotle. As a U.S. Army Colonel, I'm sure Mr. Fitton, too, is a man of action. I'm elated to see that his actions are informed by an open-minded consideration of so many divergent ideas.

Excellent

This book is exactly what it advertises. Maybe 5,000 quotes from and about the military divided into 30 or so sections. The sections range from Pride to Glory to Mentallity. This book should be on the shelf of every military officers, nco's and enlisted personel's book rack.

A thought-provoking collection of views on leadership

This mostly undiscovered book on the many facets of leadership should be required for military and para-military supervisors and commanders. It provides insights from the ages about leading people to achieve goals. However, any leader could profit from the thoughts compiled by Robert Fitton. I count it as the mainstay of my professional and personal library. From the Greek and Roman generals to Patton and Douglas MacArthur, the great quotes and the great speeches are provided, not only for the inspiration of the thoughts, but as lessons to be applied. I started underlining my favorites, only to find that I had underlined everything in the first chapter! I wish I could talk to Mr. Fitton, to see if his efforts are a result of his own character, or does he, like me, only wish he was as inspirational as those from whom he borrows thoughts. If you ever find this book in some out-of-the place, buy it. There is no other like it.