This book is an excellent comparison of the four Admirals, their backgrounds, foibles, interactions, and leadership ‘styles’…


The four were VERY different in their career paths, with one notable exception, they were ALL Naval Academy graduates.  They are also the only four Admirals to ever hold the five star rank in the Navy; and they were all significantly different in the way they led…


It’s well worth the read, and brings in some of the ‘other’ folks like Marshall, MacArthur, FDR, Truman, Churchill, Spruance, McCain, Mischner, and Vandegrift  among others.  


This is NOT a PR book, but a (to me at least) fair recitation without all the hype and hoopla that surrounded these folks.  Leahy is far and away the least known, but in reality he was the most powerful of the four not only as FDR’s right hand man, but also as the first Chairman of the Joint Chief’s of Staff; he was a died in the wool battleship type, but finally acknowledged that carriers were important too.  King, egotistical blunt and very self-serving; becoming a ‘pilot’ (but never flew without a co-pilot after flight training), just to further his own career; but did a good job as the CNO during the war.  Nimitz, who ran his first ship aground, went on to become a submarine expert and Commander of the Pacific Fleet.  Halsey, infamous for running his ships into not one but TWO Typhoons, went through pilot training at age 50.  He was a true combat leader, and his crews would and did follow him to hell and back.  Raymond Spruance, who should have been the 5th five star, always the ‘quiet’ man, who alternated with Halsey in the 3rd/5th fleet dance…


There are also almost 75 pages of appendices, and lots of rabbit holes to go down if you so desire… 🙂