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Nikola Ivanov's avatar

Brilliant post. Anybody who desires to become a leader should read this.

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Gruntled History Teacher's avatar

Thank you kindly! I definitely don't think it's an accident that so many leaders read and study history. At some point, I have an idea for looking at the education of some of the most famous American generals in WW II. It's impressive how many of them were well-read in the classics and history.

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Nikola Ivanov's avatar

That's a great idea! I'm particularly fond of Patton's reading habits. If you look at the man or the way he carried himself you'd think that he hasn't read a book in his life! But as you read more about him you see his hidden love for reading.

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Gruntled History Teacher's avatar

I actually finished the big Carlo D'Este biography of Patton this past spring, and yeah, that was really remarkable. He had a huge wealth of knowledge to draw on. One of my favorite bits was the fact that, in preparation for the Normandy breakout, he re-read the campaigns of William the Conqueror, on the theory that it might help show where the terrain was still passable for an army.

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