To Risk It All

“Action-packed and colorful . . . Retired U.S. Navy admiral Stavridis unpacks nine instances of critical decision-making in this insightful mix of naval history and leadership guide . . . Readers will come away both entertained and informed.” —Publishers Weekly

“Stavridis imbues his evaluations of the highlighted decisions with his own wealth of knowledge and command experience in this fascinating work of military history and biography.” —Booklist

“Stavridis works hard to find common threads among his subjects, and each chapter includes insights into their characters, stressing those qualities responsible for their triumphs, which readers can put to use in their own lives. An expert in his field, the author is not shy about deploring character defects that tarnished some achievements. . . . Admiring accounts of some genuinely admirable American sailors.” —Kirkus

“I served in the Department of Defense with Admiral Jim Stavridis and his unique ability to offer incisive insights based on history, military judgement, and risk analysis made him an invaluable member of the team. Reading To Risk It All takes us on a voyage into danger and the fast decisions that extraordinary leaders had to make under extreme pressure—it is full of lessons for anyone who aspires to lead well.” —Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors

“As a Navy Chief Petty Officer and deck plate leader I have come to quickly recognize those who can impart important lessons with both intelligence and scholarship. In To Risk It All Admiral Jim Stavridis powerfully displays a unique ability to blend history, leadership, and character to reveal our Navy’s story at its best. Sailing on this voyage will be an exciting learning experience for anyone who may come to deal with risk in their lives.” —Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretative) Malcolm W Nance, USN (Ret.)

“A terrific book!  The sea stories in To Risk It All provide invaluable lessons for anyone facing difficult decisions in life. Readers will be admirably equipped to make tough choices after going on this voyage with Admiral Jim Stavridis, my great shipmate in many demanding endeavors from Afghanistan to the Pentagon.” —General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan and former Director of the CIA

“This book will make you think—hard—and it likely will make you angry! This book gets you involved. Each of the nine stories is a catalyst for a vigorous discussion on the demands of leadership. If you’re like me, you’ll agree with the author sometimes and disagree other times. Two things are clear: one, you’ll be better prepared to lead if you dive into this book, and two, nobody is more qualified to help us navigate these waters than ADM Jim Stavridis, who has not only studied the charts in detail, but also and more importantly, has sailed these heavy seas himself.” —Admiral John Richardson, USN, (Ret.) former Chief of Naval Operations