|
General Wesley K. Clark, USA (ret.) “distinguished himself early as
an athlete and a scholar, leading his high school swimming team to a state championship and graduating first in his class
from West Point. In 1966, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he earned a Masters Degree in Politics,
Philosophy and Economics.
During thirty-four years of service in the United States Army Wesley K.
Clark rose to the rank of four-star general as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. After his retirement in 2000,
he became an investment banker, author, commentator, and businessman. In September 2003 he answered the call to stand as a
Democratic candidate for President of the United States, where his campaign won the state of Oklahoma and launched him to
national prominence before he returned to the private sector in February 2004.
In his final military command, General Clark commanded Operation Allied
Force, NATO's first major combat action, which saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, and he was
responsible for the peacekeeping operation in Bosnia.
In previous duty, General Clark was the Commander-in-Chief, US Southern
Command, where he was responsible for all US military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean. And from April 1994 through
June 1996, he was the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, in the Joint Staff, where he helped negotiate the end to
the war in Bosnia. His previous assignments include a wide variety of command and staff positions, including Command of the
1st Cavalry Division.
General Clark's awards and honors include the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, The State Department Distinguished Service Award; the US Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal;(five
awards), The US Army Distinguished Service Medal(two awards), The Silver Star, the Bronze Star (two awards), the Purple Heart,
and Honorary Knighthoods from the British and Dutch governments.. General Clark graduated from the United States Military
Academy (B.S.) in 1966 and completed degrees at Oxford University B.A. and M.A.) as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a graduate
of the Ranger and Airborne schools.” (securingamerica.com)
General Wesley K. Clark is the author of Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future
of Combat; Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire; and, A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country.
One reader of A Time to
Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country said, “The book could easily be subtitled, "Stories from my life
and the lessons they teach," for that is the basic structure of the book. In chronological order, except for the Preface,
in which he relates the incident in which he was wounded in Viet Nam, Gen. Clark tells stories of his life and then completes
each chapter with the lessons those stories have taught him--lessons for life and lessons on leadership. The final chapter
applies those lessons to articulate a vision for America, for governance, and a path to follow for the 21st century.
Most of the stories he tells will be
familiar to the avid Clark supporter community, but we've never heard them in his own words before, and in some cases
in as much detail. The personal touch and the insights he provides bring the stories alive in his straightforward--dare I
say simple?--language. It's an easy read, but the message is deep, but not complex.
If there was any disappointment in
my reading of the book is that he downplays his own achievements, accomplishments, and uniqueness as a public servant, soldier,
scholar, and leader. While his brilliance shines through the prose, he goes out of his way to avoid making him the star of
the narrative. For example, his account of the Mt. Igman tragedy in Bosnia leaves out the danger and personal risk he undertook
in making his rescue attempt. And there are almost too-casual mentions of his being number one in his class at West Point
and his selection as a Rhodes Scholar. He omits altogether the praise that has been lavished on him in his formal Army evaluations
and in other, less formal ways.
His mission in writing the book was
to teach. The stories are necessary to understand the significant events in his life that have shaped who he is, led him to
his beliefs, developed his character, and instilled the principles that guide him still. Extracting the leadership lessons
from the stories and putting them all in one place could be used as the basis for a day-long seminar on principled leadership.
I didn't get the impression that
he was touting his own leadership traits or promoting himself for his own purposes. Rather, I think he was hoping that others
would internalize the lessons he teaches and adopt the same principles. He seems to think that the country has a dearth of
such leaders and would like to develop more of them in all walks of life.
Readers of Clark's third book should
enjoy it at at least two levels: the stories themselves as a compelling and often poignant narrative, and the points to ponder
in developing leaders to take America to the places she should go in the future.”
Amazon.com said of Winning
Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire, “Retired General Wesley Clark's follow up to
his insightful, detailed memoir of NATO's victorious Kosovo campaign begins as a concise analysis of the 2003 military
invasion/occupation of Iraq and wends its way to a troubling yet ultimately hopeful examination of America at an unprecedented
domestic, economic, and geopolitical crossroads. Clark's keen intellect (he was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated first in
his class at West Point) and refreshing gift for intelligent plain-speaking often call attention to salient observations too
often overlooked in the daily jumble of selective news and political spin. Our conflicts with Iraq have not been two distinct
wars, but an unceasing, 13-year-long military campaign; the ambitious Pax Americana envisioned by Bush administration neocons
is not only unsustainable, but a redundant anachronism, America having long ago created a "virtual empire" by dint
of its interlocking international business relationships, cultural lure, and (ideally) moral leadership. His critics may label
it the political manifesto of an ambitious presidential contender (a charge he quickly addresses in his introduction with
a pre-emptive strike that is, given the subject matter, a bit ironic), but Clark's vision of an engaged, enterprising
America leading the world instead of dominating it is rooted in an objective understanding of history, our nation's own
longstanding philosophical ideals, and no small amount of refreshing horse sense (are we fighting terrorism by creating terrorists?
And how safe is a country that starves its very security apparatus with unsound economic policies?). Ever loyal to the armed
forces he served with distinction for 33 years, Clark also never passes up an opportunity to praise our nation's best
and bravest, the men and women who are the cutting edge of America's sword, be it yielded with restrained wisdom or reckless
abandon.”
|
