Mastering the Art of Command: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific

by Trent Hone

Mastering the Art of Command is a detailed examination of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’s leadership during World War II. It describes how he used his talents to guide the Pacific Fleet following the attacks on Pearl Harbor, win crucial victories against the forces of Imperial Japan, and then seize the initiative in the Pacific. Once Nimitz’s forces held the initiative, they maintained it through an offensive campaign of unparalleled speed that overcame Japanese defenses and created the conditions for victory. 

As a command and operational history, Mastering the Art of Command explores how Nimitz used his leadership skills, command talents, and strategic acumen to achieve these decisive results. Hone recounts how Nimitz, as both Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA), revised and adapted his organizational structure to capitalize on lessons and newly emerging information. Hone argues that Nimitz—because he served simultaneously as CINCPAC and CINCPOA—was able to couple tactical successes to strategic outcomes and more effectively plan and execute operations that brought victory at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

As a study of leadership, Mastering the Art of Command uses modern management theories, and builds upon the approach in his award-winning Learning War. Trent Hone explores the challenge of leadership in complex adaptive systems through Nimitz’s behavior and causes us to reassess the inevitability of Allied victory and the reasons for its ultimate accomplishment. A new narrative history of the Pacific war, this book demonstrates effective patterns for complexity-informed leadership by highlighting how Nimitz maintained coherence within his organization, established the conditions for his subordinates to succeed, and fostered collaborative sensemaking to identify and pursue options more rapidly. Nimitz’s “strategic artistry” is a pattern worthy of study and emulation, for today’s military officers, civilian leaders, and managers in large organizations. 

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

626 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Darya Silman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publication date: September 15, 2022.

The splendidly written academic study of Chester W. Nimitz's leadership qualities.

In Mastering the Art of Command: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific, Trent Hone describes the admiral's character from psychological and sociopsychological angles.

Told through an academic, detailed narrative, the author shows how Chester W. Nimitz created an atmosphere of openness and psychological safety and then exploited each of his staff to the maximum. His primary method of organization was a decentralized, flexible hierarchy, but at the same time, he combined several focal posts for quicker decision-making. Nimitz quickly recognized that the aggressive advance was preferable to waiting for the enemy to strike. He used calculated risk, a frequently misinterpreted concept, that allowed him to seize the initiative and, in the end, win the war.

The book is not the complete, from birth to death, biography of Chester W. Nimitz or WW2 in general. Focused mainly on decision-making, staff reorganizations, and strategic goals, the book implies prior knowledge of the subject. Naturally, the author included the main battles of the Pacific. Still, they are analyzed as the testing ground for the admiral's leadership capabilities: preparations, psychological portraits of the participants, and logistical barriers. Hence, the book is unsuitable for those who have just started to study WW2.

I received an advance review copy through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give books a five-star rating, and my first thought was that this wasn't quite there - but it's close enough.

The book discusses leadership techniques and uses FADM Nimitz command in the Pacific during WW II exemplifies them. There was no single static technique; he adapted to changing situations and conditions, both with respect to men/materiel and the actions of the enemy. There are a lot of good lessons in here, including the introduction of a number of concepts I see taught today in the National Inicident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). His handling of the new information available to both ship and fleet commanders is excellent; he adapted and changed how commanders did their jobs to incorporate the new information (as opposed to simply doing things the way they had always been done). His attitude of treating mistakes as being one of two types: Those you can learn from, and Those you shouldn't have made is something every leader should study.

If you are in a leadership position, you should read this book.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, I feel like this book should be a textbook at Annapolis (and West Point, and the AFA and...). On the other hand, it was a fairly easy read. I am much more familiar with the European front than the Pacific when it comes to WW2 and so I found myself needing to resort to maps a bit more than I would like. I was reading an advance reader's copy and there were a good number of times I saw the US Naval Institute symbol where I am assuming there were things like those maps I was missing. So hopefully, you won't have the same problem when reading the official copy.

While there were plenty of great leadership lessons throughout this book, Sun Tzu this is not. Many of those lessons are not universally applicable. This book focuses on How Nimitz's leadership strategy was such an essential aspect. It doesn't bother much about how his leadership might be applicable in our own business or teaching situations. So I would recommend this book more for history buffs and those wanting to build on their love for WW2 history but would not necessarily recommend it for those who might want to see how this great leader might enhance their own leadership. While such lessons can be learned, it is not what this book is for.

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far, this was the best book that I have read in 2022. Hone has done a masterful job describing the command and leadership path of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz through World War II.

Nimitz faced incredible challenges in the Pacific after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He needed to rebuild the fleet, instill confidence and trust in his staff and other officers, build the morale of the troops, and pursue and attack the Japanese Imperial Navy. The Pacific is the largest ocean in the world and Nimitz had to contend with long distances that taxed the logistical needs of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. Hone also describes the good and bad side of the personnel issues that Nimitz dealt with. Including the uncooperative and egotistical General Douglas MacArthur.

I found the conclusion to be a treasure trove of valuable leadership lessons that Hone used to tie the entire book into a fantastic package. Hone writes about Nimitz's "collaborative sensemaking, decentralized execution, organizational unfolding, continual reorientation, relentless pursuit of options," and "strategic artistry."

This book is not just for military professionals or those interested in military history. Mastering the Art of Command is a book that should be read, marked, and re-read by anyone who desires to improve their leadership skills and abilities.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

B: Having just finished Symonds’ “Nimitz at War”, I find the similarities and differences between the two authors’ approaches very interesting. While Symonds focused on the “Why”, Hone stresses the “How” as they describe Nimitz’s approach to victory. Both books complement each other and would be on my list of required reading for anyone studying WWII in the Pacific. This book is definitely written for the professional warfighter as focuses on the mechanics of the war as it deals with such boring topics as manpower and logistics. I was struck also with Hone’s more detailed discussion of operations in the Northern Pacific (Theobald and Kincaid) while Symonds gave it only cursory discussion.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hone traces the course of the Pacific theater and the vital contribution that Admiral Nimitz made to the US Navy and ultimate victory. Sent to Pearl Harbor right after the attack, Nimitz took charge and shaped the shocked and damaged fleet into a fighting one.

Why I started this book: I return to history books, especially WWII when my world is spinning to fast, and I need to ground myself in solid facts.

Why I finished it: I will be thinking about this for a while. Hone highlighted Nimitz strength to aggressively counter the Japanese. Nimitz conferenced with his staff and superiors seeking feedback and lessons learned continually. He arranged his long term plans as options, preparing multiple campaigns to give his forces the flexibility to counter and take advantage of current circumstances.
Nimitz also took care of his physical and mental health by scheduling daily exercise and time away from the office so that he could maintain the 7 days a week schedule for years. I want to incorporate some of these into my personal life and management style.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a case study in Fleet Command through a detailed assessment of Admiral Chester Nimitz. The author, maritime historian and naval command analyst Trent Hone, delivers a detailed history of Admiral Nimitz during his time commanding the Pacific Fleet in WWII. The book’s chronological narrative divides up the War into a series of unique periods, each built around Nimitz’s actions and outputs. These narrative segments are bookended with deep analysis, where the author uses Nimitz as an example the adaptive learning method Hone argues was central to the Navy’s victory in the war. Hone explains Nimitz use of calculated risk not just during the tenuous early months of fighting, but as also central to his strategy in the later months of the war. Though a bit hagiographic, with sometimes tedious history sections, the overall case study analysis was very enlightening. A good follow-on to Hone’s earlier “Learning War.” A great book for understanding the methods of continuous learning in a combat environment.

[Mark Mears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mastering the Art of Command: Nimitz & Victory in the Pacific

Trent Hone

I was not certain about reading Mr. Hone’s book so soon after reading Craig L. Symonds’ excellent account of the Admiral in Nimitz at War.

I was not disappointed.

While of course the incident details were repetitive, the focus of the books were quite different.

While Symonds detailed personal relationships and how Nimitz managed relationships with Washington and other commanders, Hone focused on management style.

As he described in his narrative, his book could as easily be used by modern corporations to teach leadership principles as a historical account of Admiral Nimitz.

[Urey Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb case study of the art of command, as practiced by Nimitz during World War II. I would give it five-stars if the author did not recurrently descend into the stultifying vernacular of the management specialist to... apart from those turgid and affected academic moments, the book is a wonderful read... insights and revelations into the machinations of command throughout the Pacific War. The author relates the narrative overview of the war in sufficient detail to provide proper context, but the history is really one of command, command style, and command relations. It is a new and important examination of the course of the war in the Pacific.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admrial Nimitz was a claming force in leading the war in the Pacific for the Allies and was an importnat cog in the machine. Looking at command from a leadership prespective is an intresting view of the war that I had not read before and throughly enjoyed it. I have been a Nimitz fan for years and this text furhter solidifies that idea. Well worth the time investment to read.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes a look at Admiral Nimitz's leadership in the Pacific campaign often through the lenses of John Boyd (OODA loop) and General Stanley McChrystal (flattening organizations and empowering subordinates). From reading this book I now believe Admiral Nimitz is the role model of a joint warfighter. His insistence of joint headquarters at echelon is very interesting.

[Richard Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and instructive twist to a biographical treatment of the legendary WWII US naval leader.

There is much about his management style that translates well into business and, indeed, day to day life: listen more than talk, empower subordinates but ultimately hold them accountable, treat people with respect, take risks when necessary, know details, accept your failings, etc.

😊

[WRH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the war in the Pacific. It was an overview of the battles from the standpoint of leadership and decision making which was an interesting perspective to me. It did get a little repetitious since the author ended up describing the decisions in planning each battle in the style of Nimitz's leadership.

[Joe Brejda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on Nimitz and those he worked close with during the war in the pacific. The book was long and often seem to drag but the conclusions at the end of each chapter did help tie things together. It is a comprehensive account of Nimitz's work throughout the war. This is a deep analysis of the the relationships and interactions between the players.

[Jer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very academic, but still accessible, this book highlights a lot of the military context around Nimitz and his leadership, but doesn’t focus as much on his personal decision making style or really dig into any specific set of choices. It’s focused in certain ways, but also leaves off emphasizing people other than the progenitor about whom it was written

[Karlen Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never really studied the Pacific but it appears to me that Nimitz seems to have been a General Patton of the Pacific. A deep dive into the leadership and staff operations that won the war in the Pacific.
A new favorite.

[Gerald Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth review

This excellent review of the war in the Pacific shows the leadership of Nimitz and his role in prosecuting the war.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

best pacific war summary I ever found