Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders

Novelist Ruggero tries to explain precisely what makes the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point, a breeding ground for future leaders. He should know: not only is Ruggero a graduate, he taught English literature there for several years and has written a novel, The Academy, set at the school. By following a handful of cadets through their first year, Ruggero approaches anecdotally the attributes that set West Point apart and presents a variety of viewpoints on sticky subjects like the demanding honor code. At the outset, Ruggero, who co-authored the army's field manual on leadership, acknowledges that the academy's approach to teaching leadership is experiential rather than scientific. In an early training exercise, first-year cadets are required to enter a building filled with tear gas and remove their masks. According to Ruggero, the exercise is designed to take the cadets outside their ""comfort zone,"" helping them to develop self-confidence and character. While West Point undeniably fosters fierce loyalty in many of its graduates, Ruggero makes clear that the experience is not for everyone. The military life is five parts tedium to one part excitement: ""For every hour a soldier spends in the field, he or she will spend two or three hours cleaning and repairing field equipment."" The minute attention to details of dress, etiquette and hierarchy may make for good soldiers, but they do so at a cost. At least as portrayed by Ruggero, the cadets come up strikingly short in self-awareness and intellectual curiosity, despite the fact that they are expected to lead others at an early age. But then, that may be the point. In presenting the question of how to develop leaders, Ruggero offers a balanced portrayal of West Point by a true insider that is likely to become required reading for incoming cadets much the way that Scott Turow's One L has for aspiring Harvard law school students. (Feb.)