The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence (West Point Military History Series)

“A must for those who aspire to follow the profession of arms.”—Maj. Gen. George S. Patton

Here is a unique book that emphasizes the attainment of military excellence through reading and field experience. Written to help men and women prepare for positions of command in the American Armed Forces, it is a product of the author’s years of discussions with military commanders about their roles as decision-makers, moral standard bearers, and energizers of military organizations.

In his commentary on the problems of the commander as tactician, strategist, warrior, trainer, mentor, disciplinarian, and moral leader, the author analyzes and recommends both classical and current readings that are available for those who seek an expanded vision of their potential as commanders. This book is designed to raise new challenges to conventional thinking about the art of military command.

Roger H. Nye (1924–1996) was an American soldier who became a military historian and scholar. During the Korean War, he served as aide-de-camp to General Arthur G. Trudeau. He was educated at West Point and received his PhD in history from Columbia University. He became a professor at West Point, and served as deputy head of the department of history. After retiring from teaching, he authored two books: The Challenge of Command and The Patton Mind.