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American Warriors
Boy on the Bridge: The Story of John Shalikashvili's American Success
“This isn’t just a must-read for military buffs—it’s a source of inspiration for every American and anyone who aspires to be one.” —John Kerry, former US Secretary of State Born in Poland, John Shalikashvili (1936-2011) emigrated to the United States in 1952 and was drafted into the army as a private in 1958. He rose steadily through the ranks, serving in every level of unit command from platoon to division. In 1993, Shalikashvili was tapped by President Bill Clinton to replace General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first immigrant, first draftee, and first Officer Candidate School graduate to hold the position. This first-ever biography of Shalikashvili’s riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches story reveals how his distinctive background helped him become one of the United States’s greatest military leaders. He exhibited a unique and unconventional leadership style—employing expertise, humility, straightforwardness, and empathy—that he adroitly used to resolve or prevent destructive conflict. His distinctive leadership style greatly benefited the United States, Europe, and as when he led the rescue of 500,000 Kurdish refugees in the first Gulf War’s aftermath; when he represented Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell in helping secure loose nukes in the former Soviet republics; as he joined forces with fellow immigrant Madeleine Albright on the Partnership for Peace initiative and NATO enlargement program in the 1990s; and in retirement, when he helped end the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, thereby finally allowing gay servicemembers to serve openly without fear of dishonorable discharge. “An engaging story of a remarkable man whose life story would be fascinating even without regard to his military career.” —Foot Notes Blog
- GenresBiography
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2019
7 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Marble
5 books1 followerAndrew Marble, PhD, is the author of "Boy on the Bridge: The Story of John Shalikashvili’s American Success." The book is the first-ever accounting of how a European prince-turned-stateless-penniless-WWII refugee rose to become chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the world’s most powerful military. The biography is part of the University Press of Kentucky’s American Warrior Series, put out in conjunction with the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) to be published in October 2019.
In both 2014 and 2016, Andrew was one of three finalists for the Biographer International Organization's Hazel Rowley Prize for best proposal for a first biography.
He holds a PhD in Political Science from Brown University (2002); an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University’s Fletcher School (1994); and a BA in East Asian Studies from Middlebury College (1990).
Prior to becoming a writer, Andrew was an editor who worked in the fields of Chinese politics, Taiwan Studies, U.S. policy to Asia, and international food policy. At the National Bureau of Asian Research, he was the founding editor of Asia Policy, a peer-reviewed journal bridging the gap between academic and policy research on Asia, and he edited five annual volumes of NBR's Strategic Asia. In Taiwan, he was the editor of Issues & Studies, as social science journal on China, Taiwan, and East Asia.
He currently resides in Washington, D.C.
In both 2014 and 2016, Andrew was one of three finalists for the Biographer International Organization's Hazel Rowley Prize for best proposal for a first biography.
He holds a PhD in Political Science from Brown University (2002); an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University’s Fletcher School (1994); and a BA in East Asian Studies from Middlebury College (1990).
Prior to becoming a writer, Andrew was an editor who worked in the fields of Chinese politics, Taiwan Studies, U.S. policy to Asia, and international food policy. At the National Bureau of Asian Research, he was the founding editor of Asia Policy, a peer-reviewed journal bridging the gap between academic and policy research on Asia, and he edited five annual volumes of NBR's Strategic Asia. In Taiwan, he was the editor of Issues & Studies, as social science journal on China, Taiwan, and East Asia.
He currently resides in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 14, 2021
John Shalikashvili gets 5 stars. The book a weak 4. I knew and worked for MG Shali at the 9th Infantry Division. I was his Director of Resource Management and worked very closely with him on financial matters. He was always kind, low key and a real gentleman. I never heard him raise his voice in anger. I knew when he was angry, when someone let him down by his mannerisms and by his voice becoming very staccato. I was very happy to serve with him. It was a great learning experience. Like Shali, I expected my career to end at Ft Lewis. I served three more years but never got promoted again, while he gained two additional stars.
When he was DCINC at Eureur, I was his escort on a visit to Berlin. He seemed genially happy to see me and talked to me as a friend.
The book spends some much time talking about a high school girl friend, but little time is spent talking about his wife Joan, his companion for over 30 years of his military carrier and about 45 years of life. Perhaps Joan didn’t wish to speak with the author or he ignored her, but her influence on Shali and his troops was incredible. When he was Division Commander in Ft Lewis, Joan brought cookies into the headquarters every Friday. She talked to us, his staff, like a friend. A few years later, in Heidelberg, I asked her if she still brings cookies. She said she had to stop because they screened everything and everybody who visited the HQ and it became too big of a hassle.
The last time I Shali, he was preparing to dedicate the WW2 memorial at the Washington State Capitol. I spoke with him briefly but could tell he wanted to go over his notes for the presentation. Joan, on the other hand seemed delighted to see me and told me about some of their experiences and asked me about my family as I was now retired and working for the state.
Shali and Joan, I deeply respect and admire you and appreciate the opportunity of working closely with you.
When he was DCINC at Eureur, I was his escort on a visit to Berlin. He seemed genially happy to see me and talked to me as a friend.
The book spends some much time talking about a high school girl friend, but little time is spent talking about his wife Joan, his companion for over 30 years of his military carrier and about 45 years of life. Perhaps Joan didn’t wish to speak with the author or he ignored her, but her influence on Shali and his troops was incredible. When he was Division Commander in Ft Lewis, Joan brought cookies into the headquarters every Friday. She talked to us, his staff, like a friend. A few years later, in Heidelberg, I asked her if she still brings cookies. She said she had to stop because they screened everything and everybody who visited the HQ and it became too big of a hassle.
The last time I Shali, he was preparing to dedicate the WW2 memorial at the Washington State Capitol. I spoke with him briefly but could tell he wanted to go over his notes for the presentation. Joan, on the other hand seemed delighted to see me and told me about some of their experiences and asked me about my family as I was now retired and working for the state.
Shali and Joan, I deeply respect and admire you and appreciate the opportunity of working closely with you.
February 20, 2020
I would highly recommend this book as an American success story. It is well written, flows and keeps your interest. It is very well researched. Dr. Marble explains both European and military culture in a way that the non traveler and non military person can understand. It has a message that the world needs to hear of how we can contribute to a better understanding of each other by using John Shali as an example. I would encourage Dr. Marble to keep writing and look forward to his next book. Charles Case, retired teacher.
September 29, 2020
Interesting story and clearly he's a super accomplished person. But, I ended up not finishing it. Just got a bit long and I got tired of it.
February 29, 2020
Boy on the Bridge is a biography of a military man, but it is not a military biography. Andrew Marble has created an engaging story of a remarkable man whose life story would be fascinating even without regard to his military career. The story of the rise of any person to the pinnacle of his or her profession, in this case John Shalikashvili’s rise to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, makes for compelling reading to any lover of biography. But Shalikashvili’s journey from minor European royalty, to wartime refugee, to stateless person and penniless immigrant, to callow high school student, to soldier, to officer, to senior general in the armed forces should be the stuff of legend. Thanks to Andrew Marble, it is now.
Do not expect to read this book quickly: Marble tells this incredible story in a non-chronological fashion, which the reader might find confusing at first. That technique, however, encourages careful, thoughtful reading, and requires time for reflection. I found that I sometimes lost the thread of the story, but in backtracking to pick it up I gained new insights into Shali’s character. I also found myself re-reading portions deliberately, in order to better appreciate some earlier section in light of material I had just read. One soon discovers that Marble is not writing a standard, “he did this, then he did that,” biography. Instead, he tells the Shalikashvili story through a series of flashbacks in Shali’s life. The reader sometimes finds himself imagining he is reading a screenplay, which in fact might be a future aim.
Everyone in the military knew the affable general with the alphabet name and the European accent, but most did not know the backstory: the scared little boy on a bridge in Germany seeing his first American soldiers, who became the courageous general protecting the Kurds. In order to write a biography, any author must get into the subject's head. This often breeds sympathy for the subject, and some sympathy is necessary. Marble has not created hagiography, however, and paints a portrait that includes his high points as well as his flaws. While some critics might argue that Marble has exposed too many personal stories, it is exactly those sometimes unflattering anecdotes that elevate this work from mere biography to life portrait. Shalikashvili is not a marble man (apologies to the author), but rather a human being. Many military biographies portray the subject in a flattering light, coming from humble origins with greatness thrust upon them, and rarely does a general ever admit enough ambition in an autobiography to become a general. Many of them, however, become self-fulfilling prophecies, and often benefiting from the numerous advantages that accrue to upper class or military families. Shali was born seemingly with both of these advantages (albeit with a twist) then lost them completely, yet still reached the pinnacle of his profession.
Because Marble has chosen to avoid the standard military biography, some readers may object to the lack of detail on strictly military matters. But the lack of “drums and bugles” is exactly why this biography work so well. It very effectively places the man in the context of this time without getting lost in the activities of that time. The author relies on a remarkable collection of interviews, with Shali himself and his family and dozens of his friends and contemporaries. All in all, Marble has used an uncommon method to create an outstanding portrait of an uncommon man.
Do not expect to read this book quickly: Marble tells this incredible story in a non-chronological fashion, which the reader might find confusing at first. That technique, however, encourages careful, thoughtful reading, and requires time for reflection. I found that I sometimes lost the thread of the story, but in backtracking to pick it up I gained new insights into Shali’s character. I also found myself re-reading portions deliberately, in order to better appreciate some earlier section in light of material I had just read. One soon discovers that Marble is not writing a standard, “he did this, then he did that,” biography. Instead, he tells the Shalikashvili story through a series of flashbacks in Shali’s life. The reader sometimes finds himself imagining he is reading a screenplay, which in fact might be a future aim.
Everyone in the military knew the affable general with the alphabet name and the European accent, but most did not know the backstory: the scared little boy on a bridge in Germany seeing his first American soldiers, who became the courageous general protecting the Kurds. In order to write a biography, any author must get into the subject's head. This often breeds sympathy for the subject, and some sympathy is necessary. Marble has not created hagiography, however, and paints a portrait that includes his high points as well as his flaws. While some critics might argue that Marble has exposed too many personal stories, it is exactly those sometimes unflattering anecdotes that elevate this work from mere biography to life portrait. Shalikashvili is not a marble man (apologies to the author), but rather a human being. Many military biographies portray the subject in a flattering light, coming from humble origins with greatness thrust upon them, and rarely does a general ever admit enough ambition in an autobiography to become a general. Many of them, however, become self-fulfilling prophecies, and often benefiting from the numerous advantages that accrue to upper class or military families. Shali was born seemingly with both of these advantages (albeit with a twist) then lost them completely, yet still reached the pinnacle of his profession.
Because Marble has chosen to avoid the standard military biography, some readers may object to the lack of detail on strictly military matters. But the lack of “drums and bugles” is exactly why this biography work so well. It very effectively places the man in the context of this time without getting lost in the activities of that time. The author relies on a remarkable collection of interviews, with Shali himself and his family and dozens of his friends and contemporaries. All in all, Marble has used an uncommon method to create an outstanding portrait of an uncommon man.
April 16, 2023
General Shalikashvili was an incredible man. This book pays tribute to a selfless life lived in service to others.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews