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The Making of a Leader: The Formative Years of George C. Marshall

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A portrait of one of the greatest leaders of modern history, George Catlett Marshall (1880-1959), and a distillation of the essential lessons his formative years offer to the leaders of today and tomorrow

George Marshall's accomplishments are well known: after helping to guide the Allies to victory during World War II, he set Europe on the postwar path to recovery with the plan that bears his name and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. But how did he become such an effective leader?

By eschewing the years and accomplishments for which Marshall is most often remembered and focusing instead on the decisive moments that preceded them, The Making of a Leader provides the most detailed look yet at the mettle of Marshall's character, from his arrival as a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute and his Fort Leavenworth days--where he "learned how to learn"--to his instructive time as John J. Pershing's aide-de-camp and his critical experiences during World War I. Josiah Bunting III, a lifelong educator and former superintendent of Marshall's alma mater, highlights the importance of Marshall's activity between the wars, when he led "the single most influential period of military education" at Fort Benning, eventually culminating in his appointment as Army Chief of Staff in 1939.

In this illuminating portrait, Bunting cuts through the legend of Marshall to the man--his frustrations, passions, loves, and brilliance--revealing a humble commander who knew not only how to lead but how to see the leader in others.

Review

"Superb . . . [A] singular achievement." --Air Mail (Editor's Pick)

"[An] engaging and admiring biography . . . Paints a revealing picture of the quiet man who grew into a titanic military leader." --Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor

"An excellent book for junior officers in today's Army who may not appreciate the importance of staff time or feel discouraged about their career prospects due to not receiving certain assignments or jobs." --Association of the United States Army, Lt. Col. Joe Byerly

"If I were to coach an executive about assuming a very senior leadership role, I would recommend they read The Making of a Leader . . . Bunting, who has emphasized literature and humanities as a university educator, brings Marshall's development to life with expert storytelling and exquisite prose. Bunting's vocabulary is as wide-ranging as Marshall's own hunger for learning. The leadership lessons imparted will enable anyone seeking to 'lead big' to learn to 'lead small'--taking care of those who depend upon you for direction, counsel and compassion." --John Baldoni, Forbes

'Wrapped in the life and times of George C. Marshall, this book is a well-written introduction to the art of leadership that senior leaders can recommend to rising junior officers. It may stimulate further reading and study on the pathfinders of our profession." --Wylie W. Johnson, US Army War College Press

"The Making of a Leader is a real contribution to understanding a great American and the American Century." -- Larry Thornberry, The American Spectator

"Today's politicians could learn a lot from the selfless career of Gen. George C. Marshall . . . Forrest Pogue authored a masterful, comprehensive biography of this great leader. Josiah Bunting has done a fine job of supplementing and enriching that mammoth work." -- Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune

"Mr. Bunting conveys a keen sense of balance and perception. Keeping a focus on the big inflection points of Marshall's life, the author does not turn every incident into a saintly miracle or salutary story. Offering context and interconnection, mixing warts and paeans, he ably narrates the grit and dedication that went into making an American leader." --Jonathan W. Jordan, The Wall Street Journal

"Illuminating . . . A superb account of the early life of an unsullied American hero . . . [Bunting] doesn't aim to add another standard biography but rather to examine Marshall's formative years, [and he] makes it clear that Marshall was a significant figure long before he became nationally known." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"No one could be better qualified to write this superb evocation of General George Marshall's early life than Si Bunting. A US Army major himself, Si was superintendent of Marshall's alma mater the Virginia Military Institute, and has immersed himself in all the archival sources for this jewel of a book. Deeply researched, beautifully written, and profoundly wise on many aspects of life both military and non-military, this book will become an instant classic about how to see a great man's career through the prism of his early life." --Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

"Architect of Allied victory in World War II, namesake of the plan that rebuilt Europe--the deeds of George C. Marshall have been memorialized in excellent monographs, including those by Mark Stoler and David Roll. In The Making of a Leader, Josiah Bunting focuses closely on the experiences that made Marshall ready for the Herculean tasks he would later confront. From his Pennsylvania boyhood through the crucible of VMI to the singular challenges of World War I, Bunting provides invaluable, often vivid evidence of a young man slowly, sometimes painfully finding his skill as a logistician, organizational genius, and shrewd political thinker. The author has filled a niche long needed for a thorough, thoughtful examination of the roots of Marshall's success. All of us in the field owe him a debt of thanks." --Paul A. Levengood, president of the George C. Marshall Foundation

"George C. Marshall is rightly celebrated for his remarkable military accomplishments and famous plan. The Making of a Leader expertly reveals the path of formation by which Marshall "learnt how to learn" and enabled this winner of the Nobel Peace Prize to develop the knowledge, habits of character and leadership abilities that were at the heart of his extraordinary success." --Dr Edward Brooks, Executive Director of the Oxford Character Project, University of Oxford

"George Marshall's commanding presence in World War II was due not just to his singular genius or his distinguished military record, but rather to his unique morality and his innate ability to lead men to do the impossible. Josiah Bunting's new biography of Marshall's formative years weaves together his childhood, his schooling, his marriages, and his early Army career to explain why and how Marshall became the towering presence of World War II and the postwar Marshall Plan. A beautifully written and analytical biography by a distinguished biographer, soldier and scholar." --Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Second World Wars

"A lucid and penetrating analysis of General George Marshall's character development." --John B. Hattendorf, Editor-in-Chief, Marlborough: Soldier and Diplomat

About the Author

JOSIAH BUNTING III is an author, educator, and military historian. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and former Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, he served as a major in the United States Army and later as the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute. His previous books include The Lionheads (one of Time's ten best novels of 1973) and Ulysses S. Grant (published as part of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.'s American Presidents series). In recognition of his many accomplishments and lifelong devotion to higher education, Bunting was appointed to the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities by President George W. Bush. He lives with his wife in Newport, Rhode Island.

Review:

4.6 out of 5

92.00% of customers are satisfied

Becoming That Marshall

G.J.W. · 31 March 2024

Anyone who ever had the pleasure of having the author as an instructor learned the high regard that Josiah Bunting held for George Marshall. Over 50 years ago, as a professor at West Point, teaching Historiography and Tudor- Stuart England, he used history to instruct his pupils on the virtues of some of America’s greatest leaders. Now, in his 85th year, he creates a record of how Marshall became ”that Marshall.” The author has a tight focus. Acknowledging other, more comprehensive biographies, he complains that none “do justice to the near providential personal and professional formation that made Marshall the man he would be.” Mr. Bunting corrects this. He examines Marshall’s pre-WWII years, explaining how he was able to take what others described as “dead-end assignments” to learn to “serve and execute as the nation demands.” Mr. Bunting grounds General Marshall in the context of his times. He notes that the West Point Class of 1915, with many of Marshall’s contemporaries, had an attrition rate of only 15% (today’s standard West Point class attrition rate is 75%). The author explains the difference in the cultures between the 2 world wars and 100 years later. Some of General Marshall’s insights, from his “pedagogy of experience, “ like how to be a successful, war-time leader, are just as relevant now as they were in his era. The Making of a Leader is a fascinating, inspirational read. Mr. Bunting has returned to his role of teaching and inspiring through history and biography. This biography is for all, but especially soon-to-be, or recently commissioned, officers. It illuminates virtues that have almost disappeared in our society.

You don’t have to be a great academic to be a great leader!

p.j.m. · 10 July 2024

Very well researched . Lots of information. Marshall was a great leader because he was highly adaptable along with having a great proclivity for organization. Be in the moment but keep the future in mind. Good book for history buffs.

Excellent work on George Marshall

A.C. · 1 April 2024

I have read a number of biographies on this, famous General and statesman and feel this is one of the best

Too Brief!

K.P. · 27 March 2024

Too brief…..There is so much more about Marshall that should be included….I enjoyed the book but too much was left out…More onWW II and on the famous Marshall Plan.

excellent book

J.W. · 4 April 2024

writer of book

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The Making of a Leader: The Formative Years of George C. Marshall

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