In The Eye Of The Storm: The Life Of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

by Roger Cohen, Claudio Gatti

Traces Schwarzkopf's life from his boyhood in New Jersey to his experiences during the Vietnam War and reveals his reactions to the post-war crisis in the Persian Gulf

Genres: Biography, Military Fiction, History, War, Nonfiction, Leadership

322 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Honor, Duty, fidelity" Leadership through example was shown by H. Norman Schwarzkopf through out his life. During Desert Storm he brought together over 1 million soldiers from around the world to destroy the enemy with the greatest concern for safety and respect of others. "I love you as only a solider can could love a soldier."
Gave insight to his thoughts and the way he understood the big picture. A good read.

[Lenhardt Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

General Schwarzkopf is often trotted out as the model officer, the general to admire and emulate. And rightly so. The Eye of the Storm charts Schwarzkopf’s career success with a focus on his professional life. Rather than exploring his personal quirks, it concentrates on what we might call job performance, following him from his commission at West Point to his command in Operation Desert Storm. It is not the kind of biography that wins awards for psychological depth, but it does a fine job illustrating why Schwarzkopf remains a towering figure in military leadership.

I would have liked to know more about his personal habits, such as his morning routine, but the closest we get is learning that he was so competitive at Trivial Pursuit his family refused to play with him. Instead, the book excels in highlighting several of Schwarzkopf’s defining virtues. One is his love for his soldiers. From his time as a captain and major in Vietnam, he was the kind of officer who did not just want his men to come home. He put himself through the same dangers they faced. He spoke about them with genuine emotion, a quality of leadership that remains vital to the future of the U.S. military.

Another is his hatred of political gamesmanship and dishonesty. His disdain for using body counts as a measure of success came from his own experience feeding the press false numbers in Vietnam. That approach remained irrelevant to him in Desert Storm, where he refused to entertain it.

Although the book does not offer much insight into Schwarzkopf’s inner thoughts or how he navigated personal dilemmas, its final chapter reconstructs his decisive operations in Kuwait. It presents him as a man who, after being mired in one of America’s worst military disasters in Vietnam, redeemed both himself and the U.S. armed forces in the First Gulf War.

Let’s not talk about the second.

[Dean Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still to this day, one of the best Biography's I've read.

As a veteran I appreciated his perspective and details on the war.
from a historical fact I loved the details he shared about his father and the extraordinary life he had growing up.

Highly recommended.

[Louis Barbier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, “In The Eye of the Storm: The Life of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf” by Roger Cohen is a tremendous read. It is a definitive book on what made the General such a great leader. Much of becoming an outstanding leader in later life started at a younger age at home. Both of his parents were great role models. They also encouraged him to learn by doing and reading about great leaders throughout history. His parents always told him if you want to do something; study all about it but try it. One should never say, "I will try that someday." Because that is like saying you will never do it. So, give it your best shot and if you come up short don't think that you failed; try again. That was a real part of the General's character. He also was a man that took time to listen to others and their views. At an early age his experiences in travel in many other cultures; he learned the habits and the languages of those people. His Dad was a US Army man; so, he was transferred around the world but especially in the Middle-East, which laid the foundation for the general’s later years. He also had a wonderful trait in aspiring to great things as a leader, which he read about throughout his life. The results were that General H. Normal Schwarzkopf has gone into the history books as one of the greatest leaders of men. Much of his doctrine can also be used in the business world, and in our lives to be winners. Of course; we must have to want it to put in the long hours and ask God to help us when we feel frustrated or in a quagmire. But in the end if we stay with the task; we will accomplish it because we have already have experienced it in our mind's eye. So; in conclusion, the general has provided all of us a great guidance in his writings and actions for those who wish to excel in whatever endeavor they choose. That is why I classify this book a must read; I strongly recommend it. Then if you do read it; you will be glad you did.

[Chad J · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teenager during Desert Strom I was very interested in General Schwarzkopf. Later in life as I started reading more books on leadership and management I picked this book up. Very interesting read into the life of the General and what lead to his decisions during the war.