Chapter 5
Command

Bland, Douglas. Backbone of the Army: Non-Commissioned Officers in the Future Army.
Kingston: McGill-Queens University Press, 2000. (E)
This book is a collection of papers based on presentations that were given at a conference organized by the Canadian Army, which examined the current and future Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Corps and the changes that are being dictated by the issues of the role of the NCO corps in the future military profession. It is a primer for a much-needed wider examination of the changing nature of the officer and non-commissioned officer relationship in the Canadian military profession.

Bland, Douglas. Chiefs of Defence: Government and the Unified Command of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Toronto: Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, 1995. (E)
Strategic command of the Canadian Armed Forces is examined from the creation of the office of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) until 1994 with a particular focus on how each CDS wrestled with the nature of the civilian-military relationship in Canada.

Blumenson, Martin and James L. Stokesbury. Masters of the Art of Command.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975. (E)
This book is a collection of 32 essays providing a historical and biographical examination of challenges faced by some of those considered to be masters of command, from sergeant to general. It also examines the skills they had to master to command and the primacy of the foundation of leadership to effective command.

Clancy, Tom and Chuck Horner. Every Man a Tiger.
Berkley: Berkley Publishing Group, 2002 edition. (E)
This book is a memoir of the Air Commander during the first Gulf War and provides an Air Force perspective on Air Command and Joint Command.

Clancy, Tom and Fred Franks. Into the Storm: A Study in Command.
Berkley: Berkley Publishing Group, 2002. (E)
This book is a memoir of a major land force commander, General Fred Franks, Commander of VII Corps, during the first Gulf War and provides an Army perspective on Land and Joint Command.

Cohen, Eliot. Supreme Command.
New York: Random House, 2002. (E)
In this book, Cohen examines the relationship between politicians and military commanders in wartime democracies and contends that political leaders should not just declare a military operation’s objectives and then stand aside and leave the business of war to the military. Cohen argues that this time-honored belief is questionable and that great statesmen have pushed, probed, provoked and even defied military commanders with positive results. Cohen examines Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill and Ben-Gurion and the leadership role they assumed in their nation’s wars of survival. Strongly recommended as a primer on civil-military relations and the sharing of command at the strategic level of war.

Horn, Bernd and Stephen Harris, eds. Generalship and the Art of the Admiral: Perspectives on Canadian Senior Military Leadership.
St Catherines: Vanwell Publishing Ltd., 2001. (B)
This book is a collection of papers from academics and former or current serving generals or admirals in the CF. The papers are focused on strategic leadership of the Canadian profession of arms and the institution of the CF.

Keegan, John. Mask of Command.
New York: Viking Penguin Inc., 1987. (E)
This superb book offers profound reflections and a comprehensive analysis of the changing nature of command in history. Keegan proposes that command is not just the exercise of power or military skill but is also a cultural activity. He uses four case studies on Alexander, Wellington, Grant and Hitler to support his thesis.

Kent, Robert G. Command Decisions.
Washington: Office of the Chief of Military History, 1960. (E)
This book examines leaders in critical command positions and how they made decisions at critical moments in history. In total, 23 decisions are analyzed which provide an insight into effective military decision-making.

McCann, Carol and Ross Pigeau. The Human in Command: Exploring the Modern Military Experience.
Boston: Klower Boston Inc., 2000. (E)
This book is a collection of papers and research reports based on presentations given at a command seminar sponsored by the Canadian Army in 1999. The book is an excellent collection of lessons learned, perspectives, descriptions and concepts on the nature of the human in command.

Nye, Roger. The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence.
Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group, Inc. 1986. (E)
This book is focused primarily at the new commander and provides tips and techniques for the development of command skills. The essential link to leadership is clearly articulated. The book also provides an excellent bibliography on command.

Puryear, Edgar. American Generalship: Character is Everything: The Art of Command.
Novato: Presidio Press, 2000. (E)
This book examines the command and the qualities of great American commanders with a view to identifying those qualities common to great commanders.

Sullivan, Gordon. Hope is Not a Method.
New York: Broadway, 1997. (E)
This book examines how the US Army reformed itself after Viet Nam, successfully prosecuted the first Gulf War and then in detail examines how the army was effectively and efficiently downsized after 1991, while maintaining its morale, capability and professionalism. Many tips for the commander are provided as well as an outline process for effectively downsizing, changing and transforming a military force.

Van Crevald, Martin. Command in War.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985. (E)
This book provides a history of command in war from ancient times to Viet Nam. It also provides links to the major factors whether technological, cultural, political, social etc. that affected how command was conducted in war. The book contains an excellent bibliography on the subject of command.