"I doubt his superior can be found in all history."  Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. 

Reviews 
  
                      "Ulysses S. Grant was a perceptive and surprisingly modern manager," 
                      writes Al Kaltman. "A pragmatist who learned from his own and others' 
                      successes and failures, he brought new dimensions to strategic planning. 
                      He was adept at seizing and exploiting opportunities as they presented 
                      themselves, and he boldly shattered paradigms long before the term 
                      paradigm had made its way into the management jargon." 

                      Kaltman uses Grant's military career, beginning with his enrollment at 
                      West Point through his early successes in the Civil War to his eventual 
                      command of the entire Union Army, to illustrate 250 basic principles of 
                      business success, from "Bureaucrats do the dumbest things" to "You 
                      can't stop the clock." In an afterword, Kaltman considers how President 
                      Grant failed to live up to the principles of teamwork and planning that led 
                      General Grant to victory, with a resultant career as chief executive 
                      whose legacy has been less than stellar. 

                      Book Description 
                      250 valuable lessons for today's managers from one of America's finest 
                      leaders--a seamless blend of biography, history, and management 
                      wisdom. 

                      Long before management became a science--complete with an endless 
                      parade of multi-step, jargon-laden programs for business success--the 
                      Civil War's winning general was battle-testing his own ways of getting 
                      things done, and becoming a consummate leader in the process. By 
                      war's end, Ulysses S. Grant was managing the world's largest 
                      organization, with over one million men and $1.5 billion in annual 
                      expenditures--and all without computers. 

                      How did a man of only average talents lead a group of ordinary men to 
                      victory after victory over highly motivated, well trained and often 
                      brilliantly led opponents? In this masterful retelling of Grant's story, Al 
                      Kaltman draws on Grant's writings and life experiences to present a 
                      series of practical lessons in management that are more relevant than 
                      ever today. 

                      Going beyond mere "how-to's", Cigars, Whiskey and Winning deals 
                      with character traits, core beliefs and fundamental values to reveal 
                      secrets to becoming a winning manager that are as much about "who to 
                      be" as "what to do". And there isn't a chart, table, or checklist in 
                      sight--just a handy index of lessons for ready inspiration on demand. In 
                      short, a refreshing and truly enjoyable alternative to management book 
                      overload. 

                      Includes 16 page photo insert. 

                      Synopsis 
                      Al Kaltman offers 250 valuable lessons straight from Grant's Civil War 
                      experiences in a seamless blend of biography, history, and leadership 
                      wisdom. In this masterful retelling of Grant's story, the author draws on 
                      the general's writings and life experiences to present a series of practical 
                      lessons on how to get superior performance from the troops. 16-page 
                      photo insert. 

                      From the Inside Flap 
                      "The great thing about Grant...is his perfect correctness and persistency 
                      of purpose." Abraham Lincoln 

                      "I doubt his superior can be found in all history." Robert E. Lee, 
                      Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia 

                      Renowned as a superb strategist and courageous battlefield general, 
                      Ulysses S. Grant also owed his success to another key attribute: He was 
                      one of the first great geniuses of modern management. Long before 
                      leadership became identified as the catalyst for corporate success, the 
                      Civil War's winning general was showing the world how a dynamic 
                      vision of the future can overcome any odds and achieve victory where 
                      others find only defeat. 

                      Drawing on Grant's writings and life experiences during his meteoric rise 
                      from tannery clerk to commanding general of over one million men, 
                      Cigars, Whiskey & Winning presents 250 concise, practical lessons for 
                      getting superior performance from the troops, whether military or 
                      corporate. 

                      An inspiring management treatise torn from the pages of Civil War 
                      history, this unique book goes beyond mere "how-to's" to reveal the 
                      character traits, core beliefs, and fundamental values that turn a manager 
                      into a leader, whether on the battlefield or in the boardroom. 

                      Cigars, Whiskey & Winning is a savvy blend of biography, history, and 
                      leadership wisdom that will appeal to aspiring business leaders and Civil 
                      War buffs alike. 

                      Al Kaltman has over thirty years of practical management experience, 
                      gained after earning his Ph.D. in political science from George 
                      Washington University. He has managed systems departments for two 
                      major U.S. companies and one state government, been a group vice 
                      president of GEICO Corporation and president and CEO of two 
                      companies. He is currently a senior executive vice president of MBNA. 
                      Kaltman and his wife of 35 years live in Vienna, VA.