Stand Up Straight: 10 Life Lessons from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst


Paul Nanson - 2019
    THE INCREDIBLE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Inspirational . . . Sandhurst helped me to discover my potential. Now discover yours.' TIM PEAKE, ESA astronaut___________Winston Churchill never surrendered.Prince Harry has fought for mental health around the world.Tobias Ellwood risked his life to save others during the Westminster terrorist attack.Tim Peake became Britain's first astronaut on the International Space Station.Nicola Wetherill led the first all-female expedition across the Antarctic ice.Ed Withey even organized his wedding with military precision.The one thing all of these individuals have in common? Their world-class Sandhurst training.Stand Up Straight applies 10 simple but transformative lessons that every officer is taught during their time at the world-famous military academy. Modern and counter-intuitive, with lessons ranging from making your bed and ironing your shirt to achieving better discipline, emotional intelligence, resilience and fast decision-making under pressure, the book draws on first-hand battlefield experience as well as the leadership lessons taught at Sandhurst.The result is an inspiring and timeless book of practical advice and military wisdom that will help every reader raise their game and face life's everyday battles with confidence and calm.___________'Brilliant, practical advice. Can help transform your mindset and life.' OLLIE OLLERTON''Military Mindfulness' . . . can help us all reach our potential.' TELEGRAPH'I loved this book.' CHRIS EVANS'Brilliant military rules that can change your life . . . Sandhurst's precious life lessons, self-discipline, teamwork, even standing up straight, can make life run smoother, better, nobler, longer.' DAILY MAIL'Follow the General's orders and fold your socks. You'll be a better person for it.' THE TIMES'These military men are on to something. . . . increases your chances of tackling the to-do list with a sense of calm if not ease.' INDEPENDENT'It's a fantastic read on how to sort yourself out.' PIERS MORGAN'It's a fascinating book, full of good old-fashioned common sense . . . it's a game-raiser.' THIS ENGLAND

RedCon 1: Memoirs of a Fallujah Marine


Michael Scot Smith - 2014
    Most of them are honorable, but in the end, they are just attempts.Michael S. Smith’s memoir, on the other hand, is the reality of modern combat.Gear up and settle in, but don’t get too comfortable—you’re joining a platoon of United States Marine Corps scouts as they make their way through a pre-deployment workup, a transition to the Middle East, and ultimately into Operation Al Fajr, an assault to retake Fallujah, Iraq. It will be the largest and deadliest American battle since Hue City, Vietnam. The memoir is a microscopic and unwavering look at personal interactions, struggles, nightmares, and scars of the men in the platoon, its 1st Section in particular. They grow from an untested unit into a seasoned group of combat veterans. In addition to life amid the horrors of death and destruction, Smith also delivers the hilarity lost in most accounts of war, which the men must maintain in order to keep their sanity.You’re going to be frightened as you slug it out with the enemy, but with that come unwavering friendships forged in battle and the irrefutable honor in the defense of freedom.

You Had Me at "Hello, World": Mentoring Sessions with Industry Leaders at Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Zynga and more!


Dona Sarkar - 2015
    Instead they shared with me their "career acumen" secrets, things they wished they had learned at school, but instead have had to learn the hard way..through years of experience. In this book, you will hear these leaders' secrets around: -Finding and using your superpowers , the qualities that make you completely unique and memorable - A script for how to negotiate your salary (in a non-aggressive way) and influence your managers and peers from day one - How to do that infamous "networking" thing everyone talks about, especially if you're not a networking event kind of person - How to have professional presence that sets you apart from everyone else - How to hit the ground running in the first 100 days and be the "rockstar" employee everyone talks about and wishes they could hire more of I've had all kinds of adventures during my 10 years of engineering at Microsoft but my absolute favorite thing has been building relationships, speaking to, and mentoring people (both in and out of the tech industry) on how to achieve their career goals while still being themselves. When I interviewed 25 tech leaders for advice on the questions I get over and over, I wanted to share it with more than just my mentees. This book is full of practical, do-today things as well as "scripts" and email templates that we have all actually used. Read the book and let's talk. I love reaching and meeting new people and you can now consider me “in your network” and I hope I can do the same for you. My best always, Dona

Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm


John Nichol - 2021
    It is an extraordinary account of courage and fortitude. ‘We were doing about 620 miles-per-hour, 200 feet above the desert, in total darkness. Everything was running on rails as we approached the target. Then all hell broke loose.  I remember the missile being fired at us; I broke left and shouted, “Chaff!”   ‘ All I could see was a flame, like a very large firework, coming towards me. Then there was a huge white flash. I remember an enormous wind and then I was knocked unconscious.  My last thoughts were that I was going to die. ’ In 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighbouring Kuwait, setting in motion a chain of events that had unimaginable political, military and personal repercussions, which still reverberate around the globe today.This is the story of the aircrew at the heart of Operation Desert Storm, almost none of whom had any prior experience of armed combat. It is the story of the Tornado’s missions, of those who did not return - and of the families who watched and waited as one of the most complex conflicts in recent history unfolded live on television. It is a story of untold fear and suffering, and astounding courage in the face of hitherto unimaginable adversity.

June 17, 1967: Battle of Xom Bo II


David J. Hearne - 2016
    It was a battle that pitted Five hundred 1st Infantry Division soldiers against 800 to 2000 Viet Cong from the 271st Regiment. The bloody clash took the lives of 39 Americans and seriously wounded 150 more. It is the minute by minute story of what happened that day in the steamy jungle and the story of the men who fought so valiantly to survive the ambush. It is the story of the loved ones left behind and the wounded who struggled to become whole again. It's a story that is the result of talking to many of the survivors of the battle and the wives, brothers, sisters, or friends of those who were there when over 8000 artillery rounds rained down around LZ X-Ray to dislodge the entrenched Viet Cong. June 17, 1967 is a story of war, men, and the loved ones. It is the story of the youth, culture and happenings that made the battle of Xom Bo II such an enigma for the summer of love in 1967. It is an angry story and a healing story that will bring feelings to the surface and tear at your heart.

Lead... for God's Sake!: A Parable for Finding the Heart of Leadership


Todd G. Gongwer - 2010
    If you have ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in leadership or in life, this book is for you. As the lives of a coach, a CEO, and a janitor intersect in this captivating parable you will journey deep into the heart of leadership where the answers to many of life's most important questions can be found.Whether you're leading in business, sports, or in your own family, this inspiring story will show you how to take the first - and most important - step in becoming the leader you were meant to be. Lead for God's Sake truly is much more than a simple statement. It's a calling!"Seldom have I found this kind of practical wisdom presented in such a delightful, engaging and compelling narrative. As a business leader, I found its "takeaways" right on targettouching life where the rubber meets the road. I wasn't able to put it down. It's that good!"John D. Beckett,

Over There: War Scenes on the Western Front (Collected Works of Arnold Bennett)


Arnold Bennett - 1915
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West


Steven E. Woodworth - 1990
    Through the years historians have placed him at both ends of the spectrum: some have portrayed him as a hero, others have judged him incompetent.In Jefferson Davis and His Generals, Steven Woodworth shows that both extremes are accurate--Davis was both heroic and incompetent. Yet neither viewpoint reveals the whole truth about this complicated figure. Woodworth's portrait of Davis reveals an experienced, talented, and courageous leader who, nevertheless, undermined the Confederacy's cause in the trans-Appalachian west, where the South lost the war.At the war's outbreak, few Southerners seemed better qualified for the post of commander-in-chief. Davis had graduated from West Point, commanded a combat regiment in the Mexican War (which neither Lee nor Grant could boast), and performed admirably as U.S. Senator and Secretary of War. Despite his credentials, Woodworth argues, Davis proved too indecisive and inconsistent as commander-in-chief to lead his new nation to victory.As Woodworth shows, however, Davis does not bear the sole responsibility for the South's defeat. A substantial part of that burden rests with Davis's western generals. Bragg, Beauregard, Van Dorn, Pemberton, Polk, Buckner, Hood, Forrest, Morgan, and the Johnstons (Albert and Joseph) were a proud, contentious, and uneven lot. Few could be classed with the likes of a Lee or a Jackson in the east. Woodworth assesses their relations with Davis, as well as their leadership on and off the battlefields at Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and Atlanta, to demonstrate their complicity in the Confederacy's demise.Extensive research in the marvelously rich holdings of the Jefferson Davis Association at Rice University enriches Woodworth's study. He provides superb analyses of western military operations, as well as some stranger-than-fiction tales: Van Dorn's shocking death, John Hood and Sally Preston's bizarre romance, Gideon Pillow's undignified antics, and Franklin Cheatham's drunken battlefield behavior. Most important, he has avoided the twin temptations to glorify or castigate Davis and thus restored balance to the evaluation of his leadership during the Civil War."A long-awaited work on an important topic--a counterpart for T. Harry Williams's celebrated Lincoln and His Generals. Experts in the field will have to take Woodworth into account. He writes well--in a good, clear style that should appeal to a wide audience. I found many passages to be pure pleasure to read. . . . The really exciting thing, though, is his insightful series of conclusions."--Herman Hattaway, author of How the North Won."Highly readable, stimulating, and at times even provocative. This fast-paced and compelling narrative provides a very effective overview of Confederate command problems in the West."--Albert Castel, author of General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West.

My American Journey


Colin Powell - 1995
    He was born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He knew the rough life of the streets. He overcame a barely average start at school. Then he joined the Army. The rest is history—Vietnam, the Pentagon, Panama, Desert Storm—but a history that until now has been known only on the surface. Here, for the first time, Colin Powell himself tells us how it happened, in a memoir distinguished by a heartfelt love of country and family, warm good humor, and a soldier's directness.My American Journey is the powerful story of a life well lived and well told. It is also a view from the mountaintop of the political landscape of America. At a time when Americans feel disenchanted with their leaders. General Powell's passionate views on family, personal responsibility, and, in his own words, "the greatness of America and the opportunities it offers" inspire hope and present a blueprint for the future. An utterly absorbing account, it is history with a vision.

The Frozen Chosen: The 1st Marine Division and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir


Thomas McKelvey Cleaver - 2016
    Fought during the worst blizzard in a century, the ensuing battle is considered by the United States Marine Corps to be 'the Corps' Finest Hour.' The soldiers who fought there would later become known as the 'Frozen Chosen'.Published now in paperback, this incredible story is based on first hand interviews from surviving veterans, telling of heroism and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, as a handful of Marines fought desperately against wave after wave of Chinese forces. Sometimes forced into desperate hand to hand combat, the fighting retreat from Chosin marked one of the darkest moments for Western forces in Korea, but would go on to resonate with generations of Marines as a symbol of the Marine Corps' dogged determination, fighting skill, and never-say-die attitude on the battlefield.

Night Fighter: From the Rise of Special Ops to the Age of Terrorism


William H. Hamilton Jr. - 2016
    Hamilton Jr., and the veteran military history writer and bestselling author of One Shot One Kill,, Hill 488, and Crosshairs on the Kill Zone, Charles W. Sasser, detailing how Hamilton brought together a combination of Navy, Army, and CIA training methods to shape the United States’ unconventional military force, culminating in the Navy Seals, the world's most effective warriors in combating terrorists and international criminals, whose Team Six carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: Soldiering with Dignity


Depinder Singh - 2002
    Manekshaw rose to become the 8th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army in 1969 and under his command, Indian forces conducted victorious campaigns against Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 that led to the liberation of Bangladesh in December 1971.

Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your Employees to Give It Their All, and They'll Give You Even More


Mark Murphy - 2009
    Managers will learn to recognize their leadership style and understand how they, too, can become Hundred Percenters." Laura Christiansen, Vice President Human Resources, VTech Communications, Inc."Heavily-researched and loaded with tools and examples, this book shows you how to challenge your employees to achieve the kind of extraordinary results and innovations that every CEO dreams about. Every leader needs to read this book!"Ned Fitch, CEO, Kalahari Tea"Murphy finds that most workplaces are brimming with untapped talent. Only it's suppressed by goal-setting that discourages big ideas and leaders who focus on happiness rather than greatness.""Training Magazine"We've all heard the saying that a happy employee is a motivated employee. But what if that's not true?Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy says the "happy employee" philosophy doesn't work. A study of more than 500,000 leaders and employees shows that despite the billions of dollars organizations spend to satisfy and engage workers, 72% of employees admit they're still not giving their best effort at work. Rather, it's leaders who focus on making their people great--not happy--who inspire Hundred Percenter performance.If you talk to the employees behind today's great innovations, you're unlikely to hear, "I was inspired by a boss who coddles me." Instead you'd probably hear, "My boss challenges me and pushes me past my limits." Most workplaces are brimming with untapped talent-- only it's suppressed by leaders who fail to connect with and challenge employees to unleash their true potential.Here are just a few of the big ideas in "Hundred Percenters" The harder the goals you set, the better your employees will perform You should never use a Compliment Sandwich to deliver feedback Talented Terrors--people with great skills and a bad attitude--can destroy your company culture Before you can start motivating Hundred Percenters, you have to stop demotivating them You should never ask your employees if they're "satisfied"This groundbreaking book debunks management fads that don't apply to today's workplace and provides the facts, theories, and direction you need to become a 100% Leader. Apply Murphy's leadership lessons and you'll see innovation, productivity, and profits soar, while employee turnover rates plummet. "Hundred Percenters" will bring out the best in your workforce.