2034
facing us and the world. Absent a strategic
method to manage our differences, Jim Stavridis
and Elliot Ackerman’s chilling novel presents
a realistic series of miscalculations leading to
the worst consequences. A sobering, cautionary
tale for our time.”
we hope never happens. Drawing on their deep
operational and diplomatic backgrounds,
Admiral Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman have conjured
a nightmare we desperately need to avoid. The novel
is a cautionary tale for our times, and a reminder
how quickly events can spin out of control
—even before 2034.”
vibrant characters caught in an all too plausible
future conflict, the novel left me fascinated, moved,
thrilled and, ultimately, haunted.”
Admiral Stavridis, and his co-author Elliot Ackerman look into the future and tell a riveting tale.
On March 12, 2034, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is on the bridge of her flagship, the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones, conducting a routine freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea when her ship detects an unflagged trawler in clear distress, smoke billowing from its bridge. On that same day, US Marine aviator Major Chris “Wedge” Mitchell is flying an F35E Lightning over the Strait of Hormuz, testing a new stealth technology as he flirts with Iranian airspace.
By the end of that day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Sarah Hunt’s destroyer will lie at the bottom of the sea, sunk by the Chinese Navy. Iran and China have clearly coordinated their moves, which involve the use of powerful new forms of cyber weaponry that render US ships and planes defenseless. In a single day, America’s faith in its military’s strategic pre-eminence is in tatters. A new, terrifying era is at hand.
So begins a disturbingly plausible work of speculative fiction, co-authored by an award-winning novelist and decorated Marine veteran and the former commander of NATO, a legendary admiral who has spent much of his career strategically out maneuvering America’s most tenacious adversaries. Written with a powerful blend of geopolitical sophistication and literary, human empathy, 2034 takes us inside the minds of a global cast of characters–Americans, Chinese, Iranians, Russians, Indians–as a series of arrogant miscalculations on all sides leads the world into an intensifying international storm. In the end, China and the United States will have paid a staggering cost, one that forever alters the global balance of power.
Everything in 2034 is an imaginative extrapolation from present-day facts on the ground combined with the authors’ years working at the highest and most classified levels of national security. Sometimes it takes a brilliant work of fiction to illuminate the most dire of warnings: 2034 is all too close at hand, and this cautionary tale presents the reader a dark yet possible future that we must do all we can to avoid.
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Sailing True North
years as Navy Combatant Commanders,
and he is a thoughtful, historically
grounded thinker and writer.His portrait
of the ‘voyage of character’ resonates
vividly in this turbulent 21st century."
distinguished admirals and a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO,
has given us a timely and deeply revealing meditation on character as
it informs decision-making throughout naval history. A compelling
reflection on the lives of history’s most significant naval commanders,
and how their leadership choices can help us find the right course
to chart in our own lives. Great insights from a trusted and valued
colleague at NBC news, where we rely on his views not only
on security and diplomacy, but on leadership and character."
who would live a full life. Admiral Stavridis and I served
alongside each other from the halls of NATO to the hills
of Afghanistan, and he is a thinker and writer
I greatly admire. In this new volume, he takes
us to sea with some of the most complicated
Admirals in history and shows us the challenges
of character with which we all wrestle."
Former Secretary of Defense
of historical importance and the inner voyage of each
to develop the qualities of personal character that made
them heroic. While the forge in their journeys was the sea,
Stavridis draws from their lives lessons on the importance
of character for personal self-worth and professional
success applicable for all of us. As always, Jim Stavridis
takes on a topic of enormous contemporary concern —
growing indifference in our society to the importance
of character — with creativity, honesty and power."
the first rank, a gift to his nation and to his times.
And this book is itself a gift, a lively, learned, and resonant
study of the things that matter most."
offers lessons about character and leadership that
apply both at sea and on land. This study reminds us
that strong leaders are built, not born, and that before
we can inspire those around us we must first take a hard look
at ourselves."
to write about leadership and the sea. A fascinating,
highly personal look at ten very different leaders.
Sailing True North is both a wonderful read and
a probing examination of human character."
The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown"
From one of the most distinguished admirals of our time and a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, a meditation on leadership and character refracted through the lives of ten of the most illustrious naval commanders in history
In his acclaimed book Sea Power, James Stavridis reckoned with the history and geopolitics of the world’s great bodies of water. Now in Sailing True North, he offers a much more intimate, human accounting: the lessons of leadership and character contained in the lives and careers of history’s most significant naval commanders. Admiral Stavridis brings a lifetime of reflection to bear on the subjects of his study–on naval history, on the vocation of the admiral with its special tests and challenges, and on the sweep of global geopolitics. Above all, this is a book that will help you navigate your own life’s voyage: the voyage of leadership of course, but more important, the voyage of character. Sadly, evil men can be effective leaders sailing toward bad ends; in the end, leadership without character is like a ship underway without a rudder. Sailing True North helps us find the right course to chart.
Simply as epic lives, the tales of these ten admirals offer up a collection of the greatest imaginable sea stories. Moreover, spanning 2,500 years from ancient Greece to the twenty-first century, Sailing True North is a book that offers a history of the world through the prism of our greatest naval leaders. None of the admirals in this volume were perfect, and some were deeply flawed. But from Themistocles, Drake, and Nelson to Nimitz, Rickover, and Hopper, important themes emerge, not least that there is an art to knowing when to listen to your shipmates and when to turn a blind eye; that serving your reputation is a poor substitute for serving your character; and that taking time to read and reflect is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
By putting us on personal terms with historic leaders in the maritime sphere he knows so well, James Stavridis has in Sailing True North offered a compass that can help us navigate the story of our own lives, wherever that voyage takes us.
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Hard Cover
eBook
Sea Power
the oceans and their impact on today's
security better than Admiral Jim Stavridis.
He is a leader and a sailor who stands out
in every way. This is a must-read book.
the collected knowledge of his extensive career
as an operational commander to provide insight
into navies’ routine functioning…It’s a stimulating
and provocative work…a timely reminder that
oceans may seemed tamed—but that’s only
true on the surface.
what his subtitle promises—the history and geopolitics of
the world’s oceans—but also seeks to accomplish
something far more elusive, sophisticated, and significant:
To show how service at sea in one of the world’s great
global navies simultaneously expands tactical, operational,
strategic, and policy knowledge and skills in an officer and
—most important—develops insights in him or her regarding
myriad possible interconnections among those levels
of conflict…This is a book for all sailors and policymakers,
and especially for those who are both.
and has distilled the journey into a sharply observed
geopolitical take on global affairs in the maritime
sphere. This is a Sailor's view of this turbulent
nautical world, and it is a voyage worth taking.
17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and 28th Chief of Naval Operations
From one of the most admired admirals of his generation—and the only admiral to serve as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO—comes a remarkable voyage through all of the world’s most important bodies of water, providing the story of naval power as a driver of human history and a crucial element in our current geopolitical path.
From the time of the Greeks and the Persians clashing in the Mediterranean, sea power has determined world power. To an extent that is often underappreciated, it still does. No one understands this better than Admiral Jim Stavridis. In Sea Power, Admiral Stavridis takes us with him on a tour of the world’s oceans from the admiral’s chair, showing us how the geography of the oceans has shaped the destiny of nations, and how naval power has in a real sense made the world we live in today, and will shape the world we live in tomorrow.
Not least, Sea Power is marvelous naval history, giving us fresh insight into great naval engagements from the battles of Salamis and Lepanto through to Trafalgar, the Battle of the Atlantic, and submarine conflicts of the Cold War. It is also a keen-eyed reckoning with the likely sites of our next major naval conflicts, particularly the Arctic Ocean, Eastern Mediterranean, and the South China Sea. Finally, Sea Powersteps back to take a holistic view of the plagues to our oceans that are best seen that way, from piracy to pollution.
When most of us look at a globe, we focus on the shape of the of the seven continents. Admiral Stavridis sees the shapes of the seven seas. After reading Sea Power, you will too. Not since Alfred Thayer Mahan’s legendary The Influence of Sea Power upon History have we had such a powerful reckoning with this vital subject.
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The Leader’s Bookshelf
well, from his service as Supreme Allied Commander
at NATO to his job today as Dean of The Fletcher
School at Tufts. He is an inveterate reader and
believes in the power of books to make us
far better leaders—as do I. The Leader's
Bookshelf is a terrific resource for any leader.
CEO of the McChrystal Group
Former Commander, NATO and U.S. Forces Afghanistan
the Naval Academy together and throughout
our careers. He reads incessantly and personifies
the warrior-scholar leadership that our nation needs.
The Leader's Bookshelf includes many books
we've discussed together over the years,
and taken together it is a powerful compendium
at the heart of leadership.
Former Commander, U.S. Central Command and
U.S. Forces Afghanistan
and outstanding in its personal and confident
presentation... The Leader's Bookshelf is
a singular and valuable contribution to
developing effective leaders.
of a continuation of Stavridis' (and Ancell's)
quest for critical thinkers and new knowledge.
But it is more so, for it provides useful signposts
and direction - as much for reading
the past, as understanding the present,
and scoping our futures.
For the last several years Adm. James Stavridis and his co-author, R. Manning Ancell, have surveyed over two hundred active and retired four-star military officers about their reading habits and favorite books, asking each for a list of titles that strongly influenced their leadership skills and provided them with special insights that helped propel them to success in spite of the many demanding challenges they faced. The Leader’s Bookshelf synthesizes their responses to identify the top fifty books that can help virtually anyone become a better leader.
Each of the works–novels, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, management publications–are summarized and the key leadership lessons extracted and presented. Whether individuals work their way through the entire list and read each book cover to cover, or read the summaries provided to determine which appeal to them most, The Leader’s Bookshelf will provide a roadmap to better leadership.
Highlighting the value of reading in both a philosophical and a practical sense, The Leader’s Bookshelf provides sound advice on how to build an extensive library, lists other books worth reading to improve leadership skills, and analyzes how leaders use what they read to achieve their goals. An efficient way to sample some of literature’s greatest works and to determine which ones can help individuals climb the ladder of success, The Leader’s Bookshelf is for anyone who wants to improve his or her ability to lead–whether in family life, professional endeavors, or within society and civic organizations.determine which appeal to them most, The Leader’s Bookshelf will provide a roadmap to better leadership. LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM THE AUDIO BOOK HERE.
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The Accidental Admiral
military officers and enlightened leaders of his generation.
Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, piracy and cyber
threats were just a few of the enormous challenges
he superbly handled as Supreme Allied Commander
at NATO. The Accidental Admiral gives readers a window
into what it is like to wrestle with the toughest 21st century
problems of strategy and diplomacy.
Secretary of Defense, 2008-11;
author of Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War
but he is no ordinary commander. He is equal parts thinker
and doer, asking hard questions and continually
challenging himself and the men and women under
his command. His tour of duty as Supreme Allied
Commander in Europe encompassed some of the most
trying and important issues of our time in Europe and
the Middle East. A rollicking and fun read.
President and CEO of The New America Foundation
Director, Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State, 2009-11
admiral,' 'a military intellectual,' 'the best of the new breed
of military officers.' All appropriately laudatory,
but I suspect he'd settle for something simpler—the son of
a man who set a high standard by serving as a (naval)
officer for more than 30 years, perhaps; a devoted
husband and a proud father, who was chosen to speak to
his daughter's NROTC graduating class; an accidental
admiral, a sailor and a patriot, whose success and service
to his country was no accident at all.
in never being too concerned with rocking the boat.
He continues to consider himself a 'disruptive innovator,'
based on a career advanced with 'house money' and
never expecting advancement. In The Accidental Admiral,
he appeals to modern militaries to consign their traditional
introspective and repetitive practices and instead develop
akin to the modern technological world, which embraces
risk and innovates rapidly.
After he was selected to be NATO’s sixteenth Supreme Allied Commander, The New York Times described Jim Stavridis as a “Renaissance admiral.” A U. S. Naval Academy graduate with a master’s degree and doctorate from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, conversant in both French and Spanish, this author of numerous books and articles impressed the Navy’s leaders and senior Pentagon civilians with his wide range of interests, educational background, keen understanding of strategic doctrine, mastery of long-range planning, and command of international affairs.
Since NATO had previously been led by generals, Stavridis saw his assignment as the first admiral to take command as somewhat “accidental.” As the American and NATO commander in Europe responsible for 120,000 coalition troops serving in fifty-one nations, on three continents and at sea he had come a long way since almost leaving the Navy for law school five years after receiving his commission.
The Accidental Admiral offers an intimate look at the challenges of directing NATO operations in Afghanistan, military intervention in Libya, and preparation for possible war in Syria–as well as worrying about the Balkans, cyber threats, and piracy, all while cutting NATO by a third due to budget reductions by the twenty-eight nations of the alliance. More than just describing the history of the times, Stavridis also shares his insights into the personalities of President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, and Chuck Hagel, Afghan President Hamid Karzai; Generals David Petraeus, Stanley McChrystal, John Allen, and many more.
Known as an innovator and an early adopter of technology and social media, Stavridis’ ability to think “outside the box” and sail in uncharted waters is unmatched. He shares his insights on leadership, strategic communications, planning, and the convergence of threats that will confront the United States and its allies in the near future. Stavridis is an advocate of the use of “Smart Power,” which he defines as the balance of hard and soft power. He explains that in creating security in the twenty-first century it is critical to build bridges, not walls, and stresses the need to connect international, interagency, and public-private actors to achieve security.
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Destroyer Captain
The writing flows like a good conversation with an old friend.
This occurs in part because the chapters are short
and succinct, enabling the reader to zip through
the prose. Particularly valuable are transcripts
of Stavridis' speeches to his crew on Memorial Day
and during the Change of Command at the end
of his tour…It is recommended for anyone who is
interested in or has fond memories of naval service.
The writing flows like a good conversation with an old friend.
This occurs in part because the chapters are short
and succinct, enabling the reader to zip through
the prose. Particularly valuable are transcripts
of Stavridis' speeches to his crew on Memorial Day
and during the Change of Command at the end
of his tour…It is recommended for anyone who is
interested in or has fond memories of naval service.
to leadership positions at sea (and land)
from lead petty officers to future skippers
the responsibility of command. How fitting that
Admiral Stavridis' command experience was shaped by
the adventures of guiding the USS Barry and her intrepid
crew--a ship named for Irish American John Barry,
a courageous warrior who led during the formative days of
our fledgling republic. The 'good fortune and great heart'
Admiral Stavridis ascribes to Barry is manifest in
Destroyer Captain as timeless truths about leadership
that accrues great benefit to all Americans thanks to
those like Admiral Stavridis who defend us.
Secretary of the Navy, 1992-93
This memoir of James Stavridis’ two years in command of the destroyer USS Barry reveals the human side of what it is like to be in charge of a warship—for the first time and in the midst of international crisis. From Haiti to the Balkans to the Arabian Gulf, the Barry was involved in operations throughout the world during his 1993–1995 tour. Drawing on daily journals he kept for the entire period, the author reveals the complex nature of those deployments in a “real time” context and describes life on board the Barry and liberty ashore for sailors and officers alike.
With all the joy, doubt, self-examination, hope, and fear of a first command, he offers an honest examination of his experience from the bridge to help readers grasp the true nature of command at sea.
The window he provides into the personal lives of the crew illuminates not only their hard work in a ship that spent more than 70 percent of its time underway, but also the sacrifices of their families ashore.
Stavridis credits his able crew for the many awards the Barry won while he was captain, including the Battenberg Cup for top ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Naval aficionados who like seagoing fiction will be attracted to the book, as will those fascinated by life at sea. Officers from all the services, especially surface warfare naval officers aspiring to command, will find these lessons of a first command by one of the Navy’s most respected admirals both entertaining and instructive.
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Command at Sea
6th Edition
First published in 1943, this book has long been the key resource for U.S. Navy officers preparing for command at sea. This sixth edition reflects the sweeping changes that have occurred over the past decade in the mechanics of how command at sea is executed and the context in which commanding officers work.
Among these changes are the adoption of a new maritime strategy that identifies maritime security and humanitarian assistance as core competencies; a post 9-11 environment in which maritime intercept operations and irregular warfare are key; the rise of piracy; increasing joint and combined operations; the growing capacity to share information; and the modernization of the fleet. An expanded discussion of the submarine-related aspects of command is also included.
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Watch Officer’s Guide
Fifteenth Edition
Almost as essential to a successful bridge watch as a helm, this guide has long been a primary source of information for standing a taut, safe, and efficient watch. The new edition has been updated for the Navy of the twenty-first century, reflecting the need for increased security, the appropriate role of automation in navigation, and the extensive integration of computers into virtually every phase of watchstanding.
While these new elements give this revised edition a futuristic feel, the timeless basics are reassuringly still there. New figures and appendixes reveal the evolving nature of today’s Navy and the wonders of supportive technology, yet proper development of the human element remains paramount in this newest version of a longstanding classic.
Admiral Stavridis and Captain Girrier have made the essential guide a worthy companion to their Division Officer’s Guide, and they have ensured that this latest addition to the Blue & Gold Professional Library meets the exacting standards of that important series.
Safe navigation, standard commands, honors and ceremonies, communications, weather, and practical advice on the keeping of a deck log are among the many subjects covered in this comprehensive book. Practical checklists and samples help watchstanders meet the demands of challenging evolutions such as getting underway, entering port, and night steaming.
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Division Officer’s Guide
12th Edition
Division Officer’s Guide, 12th edition, is a handbook for junior officers and petty officers of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard afloat, in the air, under the sea, and ashore. Originally written in 1952 by Capt. John V. Noel Jr., and last revised in 2004, the book provides division officers with basic lessons of leadership, organization, administration, training, and discipline.
This volume has evolved with our rapidly changing world. Terrorism has become an international security issue, men and women now serve together superbly in all our ships at sea, and technology continues to change virtually every aspect of naval operations.
Despite the technological advances in the tools available to leaders, a great constant remains—the direct personal impact that the division officer has on sailors each day. A division officer’s fundamental task is to build the core elements of a winning team. Division Officer’s Guide, 12th edition, is written to reinforce the skills and competencies at the heart of this charge.
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