About the Book
Despite demonstrated prowess in the handling of ships and sailors, five years after receiving his commission, Jim Stavridis was planning on getting out of the Navy and going to law school. His assignments officer, a young lieutenant commander by the name of Mike Mullen (who would go on to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) noticed something special in Stavridis, however, and convinced him to stay on active duty by dangling the prospect of Uncle Sam sending him to graduate school. Going ashore for a few years, Stavridis earned his MALD and PhD in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The experience that taught him to look beyond the horizon and to think and act globally. Throughout his career Stavridis was anything but uniform in the way he approached his duties. An avid reader and prolific author he wrote more than 55 articles, commentaries, and book reviews in the NavyOCOs professional journal oProceedingsOCO beginning when he was still a midshipman and continuing to this day. He has also written for some of the leading papers and journals in the United States, including the, New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic Magazine, Naval War College Review, and many others His career was marked by unusually challenging assignments including command of a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the early ae90s; two stints as a top aide to two different Secretaries of the Navy (one a Republican and the other a Democrat); and command of an aircraft carrier battle group.
Stavridis narrowly missed being killed on September 11, 2001 when an American Airlines aircraft plunged into the Pentagon not far from his office. He was subsequently put in charge of a Navy think tank, oDeep Blue, OCO which was tasked with reimagining the serviceOCOs role in a post-9/11 environment. Already selected for his first star as 9/11 unfolded, his rise through the ranks was swift u even going directly from one-star to three-star admiral without ever wearing two stars u when he was selected to be the senior military assistant to the very demanding Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Surviving that crucible, he was nominated for his fourth star at the age of 50, one of the youngest persons to serve at that rank in modern history. He then became the first naval officer to lead the U.S. Southern Command u responsible for all U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and Central and South America. At the end of that assignment he was picked to be the first naval officer to serve as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO u a job first held by Dwight D. Eisenhower and then by a string of prominent generals. When he was given that assignment, the New York Times referred to Stavridis as a orenaissance Admiral, OCO something Stavridis turned into othe accidental AdmiralOCO given he was the first sailor to head to that command.
That is where this book, oThe Accidental AdmiralOCO picks up u as Stavridis enlightens readers about securing such a position and serving as NATOOCOs top man in uniform for four years. They were challenging years indeed. Stavridis was responsible for NATO operations in Afghanistan, its conduct of a military intervention in Libya and preparation for possible war in Syria u as well as worrying about the Balkans, cyber threats, piracy, all while cutting NATO by 30% due to budget reductions by the 28 nations of the Alliance. More than just describing the history of what happened, Stavridis shares with reader the owhyOCO and gives insights into the personalities of those with whom he dealt, ranging from President Barack Obama; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, and Chuck Hagel; Afghan President Hamid Karzai; Generals David Petraeus, Stanley McChrystal, John Allen and many more. The Accidental Admiral is more than just a memoir. The book is also a very personal reflection of the burdens and benefits of leadership, and Stavridis also shares his insights on strategic communications, planning, and the convergence of threats that will confront the U.S. and its allies in the near future."
Review :
""The Accidental Admiral" covers only a short period of time but it is packed full of absorbing and fascinating stuff. His book is one of the best autobiographies of a senior officer to appear for many a year. Stavridis, who is a prolific reader of everything from social media to newspaper editorials in three languages, also writes extremely well and without a plethora of acronyms. After so many dry and dull military stories, the Stavridis story is like a cleansing gale of salt air. His autobiography is breathtaking and unputdownable.""--Warships International Fleet Review"
"Admiral James Stavridis is a military intellectual who has written an engaging, deeply thoughtful book about leadership in the crucible of great events. In particular, his arguments about the continued relevance of NATO are prescient given the crisis in Ukraine. His defense of Generals Stanley McChrystal, David Petraeus, and John Allen is both poignant and necessary. This book should be required reading for young officers."
--Robert D. Kaplan, best-selling author of "Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History" and "The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate"
"Admiral James Stavridis may be an 'accidental admiral' but he is no ordinary commander. He is equal parts thinker and doer, asking hard questions and continually challenging himself and the men and women under his command. His tour of duty as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe encompassed some of the most trying and important issues of our time in Europe and the Middle East. A rollicking and fun read."
--Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of The New America Foundation; Director, Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State, 2009-11
"Admiral Jim Stavridis is one of the most forward-thinking military officers and enlightened leaders of his generation. Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, piracy and cyber threats were just a few of the enormous challenges he superbly handled as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO. "The Accidental Admiral" gives readers a window into what it is like to wrestle with the toughest 21st century problems of strategy and diplomacy."
--Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense, 2008-11; author of "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War"
"Jim Stavridis is a unique breed of leader--at once both a seasoned practitioner, and a thoughtful, charismatic intellectual. He embodies the very definition of a 'renaissance man.' A generation of our leaders benefited from working for and with Jim--myself included. Readers of "The Accidental Admiral" will benefit from the insights of a proven leader's reflections of a pivotal time in history."
--Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, USA (Ret.), Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, 2009-10; co-founder and partner of the McChrystal Group
"There was nothing accidental about Jim Stavridis becoming an Admiral or Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. He is one of the best of the new breed of military officers--equally proficient at waging war and waging peace, equally learned in military history and cultural history. Whether dealing with Afghanistan, Russia or the Middle East, Jim has always demonstrated an ability to find new ways to look at and try to resolve age-old problems. In "The Accidental Admiral, " he brilliantly shares hard won lessons learned on the application of 'smart power' in the modern world and also offers readers critical insights into leadership, innovation, planning and communication. After I got to know Jim and to appreciate the range of his intellect and interests, I regularly would ask, 'What are you reading Admiral?' The books he recommended were always great reads from which I learned a lot. The same will be true for anyone who reads "The Accidental Admiral.""
--Joseph I. Lieberman, Senior Counsel, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman; United States Senator, Retired
