 2014
The Finest Hours, by Michael J. Tougias
and Casey Sherman
(ISBN: 1416567224) |
|
 2013
Bearing Drift, by Peter Eident (ISBN: 1450765327) |
|
 2012
Fire on the Beach: Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and
the Pea Island Lifesavers, by David Wright & David Zoby
(ISBN: 0195154843) |
|
 2011
The Skipper & The Eagle, by Gordon McGowan (ISBN: 978-0-930248-09-3) |
|
 2010
Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes, by
David Helvarg (ISBN: 978-0312363727) |
|
 2007
The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership,
by Steven Sample
(ISBN: 0787967076)
|
|
 2006
Alexander Hamilton, by Ron
Chernow (ISBN: 0143034758) |
|
 2005
Built to Last: Successful Habits of
Visionary Companies,
by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras (ISBN:
0060516402) |
|
 2003
Character in Action: The U.S. Coast
Guard on Leadership,
by Donald Phillips and ADM James Loy, USCG
(Ret.) (ISBN: 1591146720) |
|
 2002
The Founding Fathers on Leadership:
Classic Teamwork in Changing Times,
by Donald Phillips (ISBN: 0446674257) |
"Leader of Leaders" section (Recommendations from Senior Coast Guard Leaders)
Churchill on Leadership: Executive Success in the Face of Adversity,
by Steven Hayward (ISBN: 0517223260). As one of the greatest leaders of the
twentieth century, Churchill has something to teach us all. This book
presents his techniques for dealing with the most common and frustrating
issues a leader faces: managing personnel, communication, learning from
mistakes, and many others. (CGRF-MC Jeffrey Smith’s Choice)
The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, by Steven Sample (ISBN: 0787967076). A
straightforward book about how leaders can free themselves from the shackles
of conventional wisdom. (ADM Thad Allen’s Choice)
Getting Them to Give a
Damn: How to Get Your Front Line to Care about Your Bottom Line, by Eric
Chester (ISBN: 1419504584). Understanding the generation Y “kidployees” and
what motivates them. (National Commodore Steven Budar’s Choice)
My American Journey, by Colin Powell and Joseph Persico (ISBN: 0345466411). A
recounting of General Powell’s army career and support offered by family and
friends are the primary focus of this work. Challenges, lessons learned, and
opportunities opened by each posting are shared. His life is an American
success story. (SES Curtis Odom’s Choice)
Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989,
by Michael Beschloss (ISBN: 0684857057). Profiles specific choice points
during the presidencies of Washington, Andrew Jackson, Truman, Reagan and
others when they had to deal with significant issues without a clear way
ahead, and adversarial inputs from staff and the public. (VADM Vivien Crea's
Choice)
So Others May Live: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers: Saving Lives, Defying
Death, by Martha LaGuardia-Kotite (ISBN: 1592289312). Beyond Coast Guard
history and the leadership displayed by the individual ASTs involved in the
documented rescues, the background story involving the leadership,
creativity, and commitment of the Coast Guardsmen involved in the creation
of the AST rating was highly significant. The personnel involved persevered
and created what is now a critical component of our mission capability even
when our own organization did not fully support them. (MCPOCG Skip Bowen's
Choice)
Bloodstained Sea, by Michael G. Walling (ISBN:
978-0578012902). The story of the Secretary Class cutters at the dawn of
WWII and the Battle of the Atlantic against the U-Boat threat. (VADM
Currier's choice)
Contemporary Issues section
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell (ISBN:
0316010669). How do we make decisions – good and bad – and why are some
people so much better at it than others? That’s the question Gladwell asks
and answers in “Blink.”
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make
Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne (ISBN:
1591396190). Despite its name, the case studies used in the book include
municipalities, as well as private companies, and are relevant to the Coast
Guard. This book discusses how to come up with revolutionary, never been
done before strategies, and how to implement them. The tools provided to
help craft the strategies are straightforward and useful.
The Elephant and the Dragon: The Economic Rise of India and China, and What
It Means for the Rest of Us, by Robyn Meredith (ISBN: 0393062368). A
compelling look at the major changes in store as America faces increasing
competition from two emerging Asian giants.
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (ISBN: 1594480001). Published in the
aftermath of America’s invasion of Afghanistan, Hosseini’s haunting writing
brought a part of the world to vivid life that was previously unknown.
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, by Lawrence Wright (ISBN:
1400030846). A sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a
groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans and the
Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America.
Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, by Daniel Goleman (ISBN: 055338449X). Goleman amazes by telling us just how much we
didn’t know. Then he tells us how we can apply that knowledge to our lives
and society. Anyone who interacts with anyone else can gain exceptional
insight from this book.
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, by Thomas
Friedman (ISBN: 0312425074). An essential update on globalization, its
opportunities for individual empowerment, its achievements at lifting
millions out of poverty, and its drawbacks – environmental, social, and
political.
Leadership section
The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk (ISBN: 0316955108). Despite its title, one
of the best pieces of fiction about the importance of the chain of command.
Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership, by Garry Wills (ISBN
0684801388). Offers portraits of a wide range of leaders, each shown in the
act of leading his or her followers. Shows how leaders are shaped by the
very circumstances in which they must shape others’ actions.
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated
Expectations, and Bad Behavior, by Kerry Patterson (ISBN: 0071446524). “Hey,
if you read only one ‘management’ book this decade ... I’d insist that it be
Crucial Confrontations.” – from the foreword by Tom Peters.
It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy,
by CAPT D. Michael Abrashoff (ISBN: 0446529117). The most important thing a
captain can do is to see the ship from the eyes of the crew. Abrashoff has
revolutionized how to handle such challenging problems as excessive costs,
low morale, sexual harassment, and constant turn-over.
The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success, by Scott Eblin
(ISBN: 0891061932). Shows new, current, and future executives what
differentiates success and failure at the executive level. Moving
successfully to the executive level requires knowing which behaviors and
beliefs to drop, as well as which new ones to pick up.
On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic, by Warren Bennis (ISBN:
0738208175). For many years, Bennis has persuasively argued that leaders are
not born – they are made. This book delves into the qualities that define
leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can
apply to achieve it.
Power Mentoring: How Successful Mentors and Protégés Get the Most Out of
Their Relationships, by Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy (ISBN: 078797952X). “A
wonderfully useful and readable book about the under acknowledged
significance of mentoring.” – Warren Bennis, author
Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach, by Dandridge Malone (ISBN:
0891411739). “Tackles the elusive topic of leadership with a real-world,
pragmatic approach. This is not a book of intellectual theorization, but of
specific techniques for leading soldiers on and off the battlefield.” –
U.S.N.I. “Proceedings”
Coast Guard History and Culture section
The Coast Guard at War: Vietnam, 1965-1975, by Alex Larzelere (ISBN: 1557505292). This landmark history fills an important hole in the literature
of both the Coast Guard and the Vietnam War and establishes a blueprint for
future joint military cooperation.
The Coast Guard in World War I: An Untold Story, by Alex Larzelere (ISBN:
1557504768). The U.S. Coast Guard suffered the highest percentage of losses
of any American armed force in World War I, yet the extent of the Coast
Guard’s involvement in that war remains little known to the public.
Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf: First Commandant of the Coast Guard, by C.
Douglas Kroll (ISBN: 1557504741). Chronicles Bertholf’s colorful early career
with the service when he patrolled the vast reaches of the Pacific, enforced
maritime laws, and participated in daring rescues. Offers a revealing
portrait not only of Bertholf but also of the last years of the Revenue
Cutter and Life-Saving Services and the early formative years of the Coast
Guard.
The Pendleton Disaster off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast
Guard History, by Theresa Barbo, John Galluzo, and W. Russell Webster (ISBN: 1596292482). On February 18, 1952, four Coast Guardsmen set out from Cape
Cod during a fierce storm in a seemingly impossible quest to locate and
rescue the crew of the damaged tanker Pendleton. They returned as heroes.
This book chronicles the miraculous true story of Bernie Webber and the
Coast Guard 36500.
They Had to Go Out: True Stories of America’s Coastal Life-Savers From the
Pages of “Wreck & Rescue Journal.” (ISBN: 1892384396) Represents an
unprecedented gathering of talented historians working in the field of Coast
Guard history. The stories within cover but a small part of the true-to-life
stories of bravado and selflessness of the men of the U.S. Life-Saving
Service, shedding light on perhaps the most exciting aspects of America’s
maritime history.