This remarkable book is a landmark in the field of the study and practice of leadership. If, like me you have been puzzled by the abundance of sunny-side up leadership texts in airport bookshops or the disembodied austerity and faux objectivity of many 'scientific' contributions to the field, whilst every day we witness more and more examples of amoral, corrupt, incompetent, and dishonest leaders, this is the book you have been waiting for. The chapters within are fastidiously researched and stylishly communicated, making a complex and often contradictory phenomenon fresh and accessible. An essential resource for any serious leadership researcher, it will also prove a very useful one for many managers and professionals who are appalled by current leadership failures.