"A Navy Admiral's Bronze Rules uses case studies to explore the inherent risks of leadership and the tools available to those who nevertheless wish to take those chances. Real world examples are used and inevitably expose hitherto unrevealed history. The latter includes a secret of the Yom Kippur War, the background of the 1986 bloodless revolution in the Philippines, how Admiral Bud Zumwalt was such a unique Chief of Naval Operations, why our National War Plan suddenly had to be revised during the Reagan years and what spurred President Clinton's anti-nuclear proliferation success"--

A Navy Admiral's Bronze Rules uses case studies to explore the inherent risks of leadership and the tools available to those who nevertheless wish to take those chances. Real world examples are used and inevitably expose hitherto unrevealed history. The latter includes a secret of the Yom Kippur War, the background of the 1986 bloodless revolution in the Philippines, how Admiral Bud Zumwalt was such a unique Chief of Naval Operations, why our National War Plan suddenly had to be revised during the Reagan years and what spurred President Clinton’s anti-nuclear proliferation success. Rear Adm. Oliver sketches the problems a leader will routinely (and not-so routinely) face. He invites the reader to consider the attributes which will help best prepare them for future challenges. These thirty case studies demonstrate that few real leadership problems will yield to a “one-hammer” solution. No matter how good a practitioner may become with one leadership style, one knock-them-dead ability seldom serves to get a leader all the way through their problem or conflict. Adm. Oliver thus provides a range of tools for different personalities and situations. The potential leader thus has a range of solutions to fit the problem as well as an individual’s personal comfort zone.

A roadmap for US military innovation based on the Navy’s history of success through civilian-military collaborations The US military must continually adapt to evolving technologies, shifting adversaries, and a changing social environment for its personnel. In American Defense Reform, Dave Oliver and Anand Toprani use US naval history as a guide for leading successful change in the Pentagon. American Defense Reform provides a historical analysis of the Navy during four key periods of disruptive transformation: the 1940s Revolt of the Admirals, the McNamara Revolution in systems analysis, the fallout from the Vietnam War, and the end of the Cold War. The authors draw insights from historical documents, previously unpublished interviews from four-star admirals, and Oliver’s own experiences as a senior naval officer and defense industry executive. They show that Congress alone cannot effectively create change and reveal barriers to applying the experience of the private sector to the public sector Ultimately, Oliver and Toprani show that change can only come from a collaborative effort between civilians, the military, and industry, each making vital contributions. American Defense Reform provides insights and practical recommendations essential to reforming national defense to meet future demands.

In American Defense Reform, retired admiral and defense executive Dave Oliver and historian Anand Toprani use US naval history as a guide for leading successful change in the Pentagon. The authors show that change comes from collaboration between civilians, the military, and industry that leverages each groups' strengths for the collective good.

Against the Tide is a leadership book that illustrates how Adm. Hyman Rickover made a unique impact on American and Navy culture. Dave Oliver is the first former nuclear submarine commander who sailed for the venerable admiral to write about Rickover’s management techniques. Oliver draws upon a wealth of untold stories to show how one man changed American and Navy culture while altering the course of history. The driving force behind America’s nuclear submarine navy, Rickover revolutionized naval warfare while concurrently proving to be a wellspring of innovation that drove American technology in the latter half of the twentieth-century. As a testament to his success, Rickover’s single-minded focus on safety protected both American citizens and sailors from nuclear contamination, a record that is in stark contrast to the dozens of nuclear reactor accidents suffered by the Russians. While Rickover has been the subject of a number of biographies, little has been written about his unique management practices that changed the culture of a two-hundred-year-old institution and affected the outcome of the Cold War. Rickover’s achievements have been obscured because they were largely conducted in secret and because he possessed a demanding and abrasive personality that alienated many potential supporters. Nevertheless he was an extraordinary manager with significant lessons for all those in decision-making positions. The author had the good fortune to know and to serve under Rickover during much of his thirty-year career in the Navy and is singularly qualified to demonstrate the management and leadership principles behind Rickover’s success.

American naval actions of World War II comprise the most widespread, complex, and dramatic battles in the history of sea warfare. The fighting took place over vast distances in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as in the constricted spaces of the Mediterranean and Solomon seas. Each of the major actions had an admiral, the commander in charge, who led the battle. In combat, the abilities and determination of these commanders at sea were put to the most severe test. Americas Fighting Admirals describes the course of U.S. sea action in World War II. It examines the skills, strengths, weaknesses and personalities of the American admirals who fought the battles at sea. It examines the effect that stress, tension, and responsibility have on commanders making vital decisions in the red-hot crucible of battle. And it reveals the changing nature of the responsibilities of flag officers as the war progressed and became enormously complex.