Victory on the Potomac

James R. Locher III, a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School, began his career in Washington as an executive trainee in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He has worked in the White House, the Pentagon, and the Senate. During the period covered by this book, he was a staff member for the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Since then, he has served as an assistant secretary of defense in the first Bush and the early Clinton administrations. Currently, he works as a consultant and lecturer on defense matters.

... a comprehensive account of the battle to make the GNA a reality. Skillfully bringing to life not only the players but also the issues, Mr. Locher, who was a prime mover in framing the legislation that resulted in Goldwater-Nichols, has written the definitive history of the Act. - Washington Times; ""... a monumental Washington battle in prose that is both exciting for experts and informative for novices... offers a unique historical lesson in rational decision making and civilian control of the military, and reminds us that the United States never pauses on the path to perfection."" - William S. Cohen, former Secretary of Defense; ""A definitive case study of the most important and successful American defense legislation of the twentieth century. Victory on the Potomac is probably the best informed book we are ever going to get on this critical chapter in the history of U.S. military policy. As such, it is must reading for military professionals and civilian defense policy experts alike."" - Air and Space Power Journal; ""... a tale of the careful preparation and tenacity required to overturn an entrenched bureaucratic position... lays out the manner in which a handful of senior officers, vigorously supported by farsighted members of Congress, managed to overcome bitter institutional resistance to pass the Goldwater-Nichols Act - which embodied a veritable organizational revelation."" - James R. Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense; ""... provides a superb insight into how the system works in the marble, stone, and cement battlefields