21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Leadership for American Army Leaders - FMFRP 12-17 (Value-Added Professional Format Series)

Part of our value-added professional format series, Leadership for American Army Leaders was written by a seasoned leader for the purpose of providing a leadership primer for the thousands of newly commissioned officers of the expanding U.S. Army at the beginning of World War II. Although written almost a half century ago, the aspects of leadership discussed and insights presented in this publication are timeless. This publication remains a solid source of information for the young company grade officer facing initial assignment to a leadership position.

The need for a brief, understandable, common sense handbook on leadership became urgent with the initiation of our present armament program. Before that there was time for junior officers and young noncommissioned officers to learn how to handle men by the trial-and-error method. Mistakes made resulted in no great harm since experienced senior officers and long-service noncoms were on hand to correct them promptly and put the young shavetail or corporal on the right track. By the time the gold bars turned to silver and the two stripes to three, the wearers had usually learned enough of the essentials to make a favorable showing as leaders.

We cannot afford to train our junior leaders in such leisurely fashion today. Fortunately Colonel Munson has provided a timely and powerful aid to speeding up the process. He has given us just what the doctor ordered in this monograph on leadership—the most practical, sanely balanced and usable treatise on the subject that is available for those whose business it is to know, train and lead soldiers.
Colonel Munson's book is primarily for junior leaders but it is more than that. Commanders of all grades —even the highest, if their minds have not taken on a permanent set—will find it useful as a check against time-honored practices that may be outmoded or which may never have been sound.

In view of the imperative need to train and train quickly a great army of subordinate leaders and the usefulness of this book to that end, it is not too much to say that Leadership for American Army Leaders is the most important literary contribution to National Defense that has come off the press since America began to arm. It should be read, re-read and pondered by every soldier in authority over others.

This field manual has been converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction.

As a bonus, this reproduction includes FM-1, The Army Field Manual, a capstone manual containing the vision for the Army - sold separately for $5.99. FM 1 establishes the fundamental principles for employing Landpower. The most important of these are the Army's operational concept and the fundamentals that support it. They form the foundation for all Army doctrine. All Soldiers should understand and internalize them. FM 1 describes the American profession of arms, the Army's place in it, and what it means to be a professional Soldier.

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