Zumwalt
The Life and Times of Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr.
Published on 9. October 2012
Book
Hardback
528 pages
978-0-06-169130-0 (ISBN)
Description
Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt, the charismatic Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and the Navy's most popular leader since WWII ("Time") was a man who embodied honor, courage, and commitment to those under his command. In a naval career spanning forty years, he rose to the top echelon of the US Navy, as a commander of all Navy forces in Vietnam and then as CNO (1970-1974). His tenure came at a time of scandal and tumult, from the Soviet's challenge to U.S. naval supremacy and a duplicitous endgame in Vietnam to Watergate and an admirals' spy ring. Unlike many other senior naval officers, Zumwalt successfully enacted radical change, including the integration of the most racist branch of the military - an achievement that made him the target of bitter personal recriminations. His fight to modernize a technologically obsolete fleet pitted him against such formidable adversaries as Henry Kissinger and Hyman Rickover. Ultimately, "Zumwalt" created a more egalitarian Navy as well as a smaller and modernized fleet better prepared to cope with a changing world - a policy that has helped keep the navy a modern and relevant fighting force.
But Zumwalt's professional success was marred by personal loss, including the unwitting role he played in his son's death from Agent Orange. Retiring from the service in 1974, Zumwalt spearheaded a citizen education and mobilization effort to successful help others in securing reparations for thousands of Vietnam veterans and their children. That activism earned him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by Bill Clinton in 1998. Today, his tombstone at the U.S. Naval Academy is inscribed with one word: Reformer. Admiring yet even-handed, Larry Berman's moving biography reminds us what leadership is and pays tribute to a man whose life reflected the best of America itself.
But Zumwalt's professional success was marred by personal loss, including the unwitting role he played in his son's death from Agent Orange. Retiring from the service in 1974, Zumwalt spearheaded a citizen education and mobilization effort to successful help others in securing reparations for thousands of Vietnam veterans and their children. That activism earned him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by Bill Clinton in 1998. Today, his tombstone at the U.S. Naval Academy is inscribed with one word: Reformer. Admiring yet even-handed, Larry Berman's moving biography reminds us what leadership is and pays tribute to a man whose life reflected the best of America itself.
Reviews / Votes
"A splendid biography of an extraordinary leader who commanded U.S. naval forces in Vietnam and as Chief of Naval Operations dragged the Navy into the twentieth century. The chapter on Zumwalt's war against the paranoiac secrecy of the Nixon White House is a gem of historical research and analysis." -- George C. Herring, author of America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 "An engaging and highly readable portrait of one of the Navy's truly transformative figures and arguably the most innovative and controversial CNOs of the Cold War era." -- Ronald H. Spector, Professor of History and International Affairs, The George Washington University "Zumwalt was a visionary whose charismatic brand of leadership was grounded in an unflinching dedication coupled with a belief that barriers to equality and progress have no place in America. This volume is rich with moving details from countless individuals who were inspired by his integrity and courage." -- Thurgood Marshall Jr. " Zumwalt was an iconic figure for generations of sailors who served under his command or who were motivated by his example. His dedication to his country and the US Navy was a model for those who want to serve." -- Adm. Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff "ZUMWALT may be Larry Berman's best book on Vietnam. Exhaustively researched, beautifully written, here is the war through the prism of one of America's greatest officers. I loved it and learned from it. Read it." -- Marvin Kalb, Edward R. Murrow Professor Emeritus at Harvard and co-author of Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama. "Bud Zumwalt was a fearless leader. He was also a fascinating, thoughtful and brilliant sailor. I learned a lot about leadership from him over the years - so will you when you read ZUMWALT." -- Donna E. Shalala "This is a fine tribute to a man of high achievement and character." -- Booklist You can't understand today's Navy without acknowledging Zumwalt's role in modernizing its technology and renewing its soul. He believed in a Navy worthy of our nation...those who chose to serve in it were deserving of respect and dignity. Zumwalt is the story of a true American hero. -- President Bill ClintonMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
786 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-169130-0 (9780061691300)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2012
1st Edition
HarperCollins
from
€15.99
Available for download
Person
Larry Berman has written four previous books on the war in Vietnam: Planning a Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam; Lyndon Johnson's War: The Road To Stalemate in Vietnam; No Peace, No Honor: Nixon, Kissinger and Betrayal in Vietnam and Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent. He has been featured on C-SPAN Book TV, Bill Moyers' The Public Mind and David McCullough's American Experience. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow in residence at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. He received the Bernath Lecture Prize for contributions to our understanding of foreign relations and the Department of the Navy Vice Admiral Edwin B. Hooper Research Grant. Berman is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis and Founding Dean of the Honors College at Georgia State University. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.