Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks - by Jeffrey J Matthews (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

U.S. flag officers are intended to be exemplary defenders of duty, honor, and country--but what can we learn by exposing the bad leaders lurking within these venerable ranks?

There is an ugly strain of criminal and unethical leadership in the upper ranks of the American military. Despite the exemplary service of most American military members, a persistent minority of U.S. flag officers (Navy admirals and Army, Air Force, and Marine generals) have embroiled the profession in scandal since the Revolutionary War. In Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks, award-winning author Jeffrey J. Matthews examines bad leadership in American military history over the past one hundred years, beginning with war crimes in the Philippine-American War and ending with the recent Fat Leonard corruption scandal.

Scrutinizing a range of leadership failures, including moral cowardice, sex crimes, insubordination, toxic leadership, and obstruction of justice, Matthews offers a fascinating analysis of the bases and motives leading to these missteps and explores what could be done to curtail future misconduct of generals and admirals. The book also includes an up-to-date examination of President Trump's term in office that highlights the vital role honorable military leadership plays in our democracy. Confronting the dark side of criminal and unethical conduct among U.S. flag officers, this frank and historically grounded book offers valuable lessons in leadership that will stimulate further debate and critical self-assessment within the U.S. military..

Review Quotes

"Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks should be required reading at commissioning sources, the various levels of officer professional military education, and as part of the CAPSTONE course for all newly selected generals and flag officers." --Brigadier General Jeff Hurlbert, U.S. Air Force, Commandant, National War College

"In Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks, Matthews tells the stories of how some famous (and infamous) flag officers embarrass their nation and their profession in myriad ways. This book is a terrific tale of failures, and it must become part of the required reading on leadership at all our military staff and war colleges." --Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling, U.S. Army

"I cannot recommend [this book] highly enough, especially for senior leaders, those who develop and educate them, and those who hold them accountable and responsible to lead our nation." --Naval War College Review

"Matthews's exhortation to hold bad leaders accountable and develop good leaders through 'sober examination of bad leadership' should challenge currently serving officers to uphold the values and standards they profess to hold." --Journal of Military History

"The book is instructional; failure is generally a better teacher than success and the reader can learn much of human nature through its pages. The author investigates what factors influenced these failures and what might be done to prevent them in future leaders." --Warfare History Network

"For all of the scholarship dedicated to chronicling the triumphs of America's heroic generals, this provocative study offers a counternarrative by examining several examples of the moral failings of the nation's top military leadership. . . . [T]he volume is an excellent addition to any collection on leadership, ethics, or civil-military relations." --Choice

"The U.S. armed forces might pride themselves on the highest standards of leadership, but Matthews demonstrates in a series of disturbing and forensic case studies how military leaders often fall short." --Foreign Affairs

"A well-researched and masterfully written book...should become a staple at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the war colleges, and in all general officer courses." --Army Magazine

"If we are to be complete in our study of military leadership, we cannot stop with aspirations and stories of heroic leaders. Sadly, there are plenty of examples of scandalous and disappointing behavior by those at the very top of our most trusted organizations. Matthews provides many examples of failed leadership as a friendly critic who seeks to learn lessons from well-documented examples of senior officer misconduct." --Col. (Ret.) George E. Reed, author of Tarnished: Toxic Leadership in the U.S. Military

"A thoughtful study of the ways in which power corrupts." --New York Times

"General and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks should be read and discussed by military leaders at all levels. Matthews exposes the failures, not only of individuals, but often of teammates who failed to speak up, and allowed so much to go so wrong." --General (Ret.) Joe Lengyel, U.S. Air Force, 28th Chief, National Guard Bureau

"In his latest book Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks, Matthews has skillfully presented and expertly analyzed seven case studies of senior military leaders failing to live up to the military's high standards of 'duty, honor, and country.' This book is an essential addition to the reading list of those officers who are serious about their professional development and stewarding the military profession." --T. G. Bradbeer, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

"Matthews has provided an invaluable service in documenting the disconcerting lapses in judgment by American admirals and generals. This book should be read by every senior leader and individual aspiring to lead at high levels of command." --Rear Admiral (Ret.) Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy

"Matthews illustrates why character is the foundation of good leadership. Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks belongs on the joint forces' professional reading list." --Lieutenant General (Ret.) Keith Walker, U.S. Army

"Matthews's excellent exploration of abhorrent flag officer behavior is timely, insightful, and necessary." --Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jeffrey S. Buchanan, U.S. Army

"Matthews's exploration of civil-military relations is the best that I have ever read. This entrancing book should be studied by all officers who should deliberate on how they would react under similar circumstances." --Brigadier General (Ret.) Ronald Mangum, U.S. Army

"We need to hold all military personnel accountable to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice. Matthews's Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks is ideal reading for members of Congress who are too often blinded by the stars on the uniforms of some." --Congresswoman Jackie Speier, former member of the U.S. House Armed Service Committee

"Matthews's assessment of blatant criminal behavior through the nuances of loyalty to a cause or individual reveals how power, and absolute power, can influence and corrupt." --Brigadier General (Ret.) Dave Reist, U.S. Marine Corps

"Nothing strikes at the heart of good order and discipline more than unchecked misconduct at the highest level. This book should be mandatory reading for every officer serving." --Colonel (Ret.) Don Christensen, U.S. Air Force, former chief prosecutor for the Air Force and military judge

"This is a must read for Navy senior leaders! Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks takes you through the emotions of shock, embarrassment, and dismay, but more importantly, it creates a sense of deep introspection about your own ethics and morals. The case studies of Iran-Contra, Tailhook, and Fat Leonard will force you to reconsider your understanding of civilian control of the military, political influence, loyalty, and personal standards of moral courage!" --Vice Admiral (Ret.) Joe Leidig, U.S. Navy

"Reading Jeffrey J. Matthews's book is a painful but intriguing experience, and it should be on the reading list of every U.S. military officer! Well done!" --General (Ret.) Mike Hostage, U.S. Air Force, former Commander, Air Combat Command

"We cannot promote good leadership by denying bad leadership. Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks will not allow us to take the easy way out." --Barbara Kellerman, author of Leaders Who Lust: Power, Money, Sex, Success, Legitimacy, Legacy

"As a former Director of General Officer Management, I found Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks to be a fascinating and extremely relevant book for all leaders. Although a gut-wrenching subject, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in studying leadership and better understanding the warning signs of trouble at the highest levels!" --Major General (Ret.) Christopher Craige, U.S. Air Force

"I couldn't put this book down. Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks is very sobering, and it should be. I highly recommend this book to a wide audience, and most especially to the leaders of America's armed forces." --Lieutenant General (Ret.) Joseph DiSalvo, U.S. Army

"Matthews's focus on flawed flag-level leadership provides a viable and provocative vehicle for examining a shocking array of shortcomings exhibited by high-level U.S. military leaders over the past century. Both the general public and aspiring military leaders would benefit by reading Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks." --Joseph A. Fry, author of The American South and the Vietnam War: Belligerence, Protest, and Agony in Dixie

About the Author

Jeffrey J. Matthews is the George Frederick Jewett Distinguished Professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. He teaches American history and leadership and has written or edited four previous books, including Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019), winner of the Foreword INDIES War and Military Book of the Year Award and finalist for the Army Historical Foundation Book Award.