Invincibility, Challenges and Leadership
Contents: Preface. Introduction. PART I: Empires and Civilizations: Ancient: 1. Mesopotamia. 2. Egypt. 3. Persia. 4. Greece. 5. Rome. 6. India. 7. China Middle Ages. 8. Mongolia. 9. Ottoman.10. France. 11. Britain: Modern. 12. Russia. 13. United States of America: Observations, Comments and Lessons. 14. The Rise of Empires. 15. The Fall of Empires. PART II: World Wars and Major Wars: World Wars: 16. First World War: 1914-1918. 17. Second World War 1939-1945. 18. Observations, Comments and Lessons: Major Wars after Second World War. 19. Korean War 1950-53. 20. Indo-Pak War 1971. 21. Arab-Israeli War 1973. 22. The Communist Offensive in Vietnam 1975. 23. Gulf War 1990-91. PART III: Greatest of the Great Leaders: Great Political and Military Leaders: 24. George Washington 1732-1799. 25. Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865. 26. Lenin 1870-1924. 27. Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1882-1945. 28. Winston Churchill 1874-1965. 29. Joseph Stalin 1878-1953. 30. Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948. 31. Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) 1893-1976. 32. Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969. 33. Indira Gandhi 1917-1984. 34. Martin Luther King Jr 1929-1968. 35. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918-Military Leaders. 36. Napoleon 1769-1821. 37. General Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964. 38. General Dwight D Eisenhower 1890-1969. 39. Marshal Georgi Zhukov 1896-1974. 40. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1887-1976. 41. Field Marshal S H F J Manekshaw 1914-2008. 42. General Vo Ngoyen Giap 1911. PART IV: Role of Leadership: Vital Role of Leadership: 43. Characteristics. 44. Future Challenges. 45. Major Options and Preparedness. Conclusion. Maps. Bibliography.
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Invincibility, Challenges and Leadership is a product of a thorough study and understanding of history, combined with the author’s extensive personal and professional experience in the army and government. K. V. Krishna Rao has used his wide-ranging research and experience to give the reader an over-view of the development and rise of a few civilisations and empires in the course of human history, and to examine the reasons for their downfall. He takes an in-depth look at the causes and consequences of major wars in the twentieth century; and the progress of the wars, explaining the course and impact of major battles fought. The author then closely looks at the life and role of major political and military rulers, to illustrate the development of these great leaders and examine the impact they had on events. These examples are used to identify the role of leadership in defining events, the characteristics and virtues of good leadership, and the consequences of the presence of these leaders in directing events.
As the author notes, to be effective leaders, or even good citizens, an understanding of history is vital, since that gives us an opportunity to learn from the past, and the chance to prevent repeating mistakes. This book clearly demonstrates this fact, by merging lessons from history and discussions about possible future challenges. This book is a must-read for those interested in world and military history, for current and future leaders and for an understanding of the development and qualities of leadership.
