By Christopher Miskimon
There are many American flag officers who stand as exemplars of duty, integrity and honor. Unfortunately, there are others whose legacies are examples of immoral and unethical conduct, lessons in what not to do. Some have committed war crimes, others were simply corrupt and greedy. A few disregarded the constitutionally appointed authority above them, the best example being Douglas MacArthur’s insubordination toward President Truman during the Korean War, leading to his dismissal. One of MacArthur’s subordinates once said of him, “The best and worst things you hear about him are both true.” He was undoubtedly a competent and brave soldier, but his ethical failings showed up more than once during his career, to be tolerated by his superiors until they became unbearable.
The story of MacArthur and other failed American military leaders is well-recounted in this new work. The book is instructional; failure is generally a better teacher than success and the reader can learn much of human nature through its pages. The author investigates what factors influenced these failures and what might be done to prevent them in future leaders. The book provides many examples from the Philippines Insurrection through to the ‘Fat Leonard’ scandal of the 21st Century.
Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership in the U.S. Military (Jeffrey J. Matthews, University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame IN, 2024, notes, bibliography, index, $38 HC)
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