By studying history's most significant naval commanders, we can all learn vital lessons of leadership, suggests Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Profiling such figures as Themistocles, Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson, Chester Nimitz, Hyman Rickover, and Grace Hopper, Stavridis makes the case that that serving your reputation is a poor substitute for serving your character; and that taking time to read and reflect is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

"No one is better qualified than Admiral James Stavridis to write about leadership and the sea…. A wonderful read and a probing examination of human character."—Nathaniel Philbrick