upbringing. Yes, reader, BE THERE, to meet one of great ones of our nation’s history. And to doso, begin by reading,“MASTERING THE ART OF COMMAND – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific”,by Trent Hone. Naval Institute Press: 2022, 431 pages, hc; eBook edition also available. Visit,www.usni.orgTrent’s brilliant effort is a detailed examination of the Admiral’s leadership in WWII. Followingthe attacks on Pearl Harbor, Nimitz and his forces gained the initiative through victories atMidway and Guadalcanal. Once they held the advantage, they maintained it through offensivecampaigns of unparalleled speed that overcame Japanese defenses and created the conditionsfor victory.First, the C-in-C revised and adapted his organizational structure to capitalize on lessonslearned in a rapidly changing battle theater. Hone argues that Nimitz – because he servedsimultaneously as CINCPAC as CINCPOA – was able to couple tactical successes to strategicoutcomes and more effectively plan and execute operations that continued to bring victories inthe Marshalls, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Building upon the approach in thisaward-winning “Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898 –1945”, this gifted author explores the challenge of leadership in complex adaptive systems andreassesses the inevitability of Allied victory. A new narrative history of the Pacific War, it is aground breaker that demonstrates how Nimitz maintained coherence within his organization,established the conditions for his subordinates to succeed, and fostered collaborative sense-making to pursue options more rapidly.In short, Nimitz’s “strategic artistry” is a pattern worthy of study to emulate for today’s militaryofficers, civilian leaders, and managers in large organizations. If the reader has any knowledgeor feeling about this great, neglected Hero of America, read Trent’s “MASTERING THE ART OFCOMMAND”. Quite literally, you’ll darn near come to worship Chester Nimitz as much as this
reviewer has.
