Taking Command

Military history is often seen through the lens of a small group of military commanders who have become enshrined in the collective consciousness of the American people, leaders like Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, and Nimitz who became the faces of their wars. But many influential, innovative, and successful commanders have shaped the course of American conflicts in the decades since World War II – but they remain in the shadow cast by the pantheon of military giants. Taking Command celebrates some of these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, and through them crafts a compelling military history of the United States from the Cold War through the War on Terror.

Among those covered are one Air Force general, known as “Tonnage Tunner,” who led the Berlin Airlift, which landed 1.8 million tons of supplies and logged 92 million flight miles in a span of fifteen months, and another who oversaw the development of the Atlas, Thor, Titan, and Minuteman missile programs. O. P. Smith commanded the Marines at the frigid Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, where he famously uttered, “Retreat hell! We’re just attacking in another direction.” Notching aerial kills in both World War II and Vietnam, fighter ace Robin Olds pioneered tactics for the jet age. In Vietnam, Marine general Brute Krulak pushed for the tactics he believed would win the war, costing him his chance at commandant. Also covered is the Army commander who came up with the “Be All You Can Be” recruiting slogan and went on to lead Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. David Petraeus, graduate of West Point and Princeton, developed the counterinsurgency strategy that changed the Iraq War in 2007. As Special Operations commander, Admiral William McRaven oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden (and later went viral for his “make your bed” motivational talk).

In all, Phillips tells the story of two dozen American military leaders who innovated and made a difference on the new battlefields of the post-World War II world. Taking Command is not only stirring reading about the difference one commander can make, but also a primer on what makes a great leader.