Generally Speaking: A Memoir by the First Woman Promoted to Three-Star General in the United States Army

by Claudia J. Kennedy, Malcolm McConnell

America's first three-star female general presents a personal account of her thirty-two-year career in the U.S. Army, describing her experiences in a male-dominated profession, from her 1969 enlistment as a young officer in the Women's Army Corps, through her Pentagon service, to her retirement in 2000. (Biography)

Genres: Military Fiction, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

326 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding memoir by Claudia Kennedy, the first woman three-star general in the U.S. Army. Kennedy's leadership while facing challenges in the DMZ in South Korea and at the Pentagon offices demonstrates resiliency, courage, grit, determination, intelligence, and savviness.

Highly recommend!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to hear of her military experiences and how she led.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

motivation for when i rule the army!

[Maxo Marc]

Really interesting because it showed the military from a female perspective.

[Gather RI · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Claudia J Kennedy retired in 2000 as the US Army’s first woman 3-star general, she said, “The resistance to women in high leadership positions is just too deeply seated” for there to be a woman president in the next 2 decades. She did forecast that a woman would achieve 4-star rank in the Army by 2020 (in fact it happened in 2008), but a woman President? Nope.

Kennedy’s memoir is well worth reading for inspiration if you want to work for change within any large, sexist organization. Also, her chapter on serving on the Army’s sexual harassment review panel is well worth reading.

She also speaks to the practical lessons she learned in how to be an effective leader and how to mentor effectively.

But most of all, in this world of shifting powers, I think understanding more about our military from an insider’s perspective is valuable.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

General Kennedy's career is very impressive, especially considering that her enlistment was during the Vietnam War.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly interesting, though some passages are dry and long-winded (thus boring). I'd say Claudia Kennedy is a good role model for young women.

[Philana Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her story is compelling,she takes liberties that would otherwise detract from the message. Since this is based on her life experience and more specifically her career in the military the book is divided into themes rather than any chronological order and this actually helps in connecting with her.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I read this because she graduated from the same college as I did (Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College) but I found it to be enjoyable. Good for her for breaking some gender barriers along the way.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

How a woman broke the military glass ceiling.