SECDEF by Charles A. Stevenson PAPERBACK 9781574887952

SECDEFThe Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense\nAuthor(s): Charles A. Stevenson\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Potomac Books Inc, United States\nImprint: Potomac Books Inc\nISBN-13: 9781574887952, 978-1574887952\nSynopsis\nSECDEF offers an expert's insights into one of the most difficult jobs in Washington. Of the twenty-one men who have held the post of secretary of defense since it was created in 1947, only half served more than eighteen months. The first, James Forrestal, committed suicide soon after leaving the Pentagon. Seven of his successors were fired or allowed to resign gracefully after losing the confidence of the president. Many left frustrated and disappointed, while few retained the celebrity and esteem they held while in office. One observer has called the job \""the graveyard of political ambitions.\""Charles A. Stevenson, who as a national security adviser to four [url] senators has seen several defense secretaries in action, examines the unique challenges of .