Overview
General Frank McKenzie oversaw some of the most important--and controversial operations in modern US military history. The Melting Point has three themes. The first one is the importance of the primacy of civilian control of the military. It has become widely perceived that this control has been eroded over the years. General McKenzie doesn't believe that to be the case, arguing that the civ-mil relationship isn't perfect, but it doesn't have to be. It is, however, more durable than many believe, and is supported and embraced by the military. The second theme is the uniqueness of being a combatant commander. Combatant commanders participate in the development of policy, as junior partners. They are also responsible for the execution of policy--very different than the role of a service chief, or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. None of these officers are in the chain of command, and they have no ultimate, mortal responsibility or authority for execution. Only the combatant commander stands astride the boundary of decision-making and execution. Finally, the third theme that McKenzie argues is that leaders matter, and the decisions they make have a profound effect on what happens on the battlefield. McKenzie provides an honest assessment of his time in command--describing decisions that were sound, as well as some outcomes he wishes were different.
Full Product Details
Author: (ret) ,
Gen James Mattis ,
Charles Constant
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Imprint: Tantor Audio
ISBN: 9798228301061
Publication Date: 29 October 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Audio
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Author Information
Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., USMC (Ret.) retired as the fourteenth commander of US Central Command in 2022, completing a forty-two-year career as a Marine. Prior to Central Command, he served as the director of the Joint Staff. He is currently the executive director of the Global and National Security Institute and the Florida Center for Cyber Security at the University of South Florida and resides in Tampa Bay. Actor Charles Constant's professional storytelling career began at the age of thirteen, when he became an Actors' Equity Association apprentice. After training in Chicago and London, he went on to appear onstage in theaters across the country. Charles was chosen by Mark Cuban to narrate his book How to Win at the Sport of Business, and his work on Into the Crossfire became an Audible Listener Favorite in February 2014. Publishers Weekly says that he provides ""strong"" narration and finds his voice to be ""deep and assertive.""
