For those of you who could read a bit of French, there's L'Instruction de toutes manières de guerroyer tant par terre que par mer et des choses y servantes by Philip of Cleves -- nothing short of a genuine late 15th-century military manual!

http://books.google.co.id/books?id=qjs8AAAAcA...cQ6AEwAzgU

To be a good leader you have to know your enemy better than he knows himself. You have to take step with the "modern" technology, because better weapons, better trained soldiers, better production=more chance to victory. You have to fight good and be honest to be an icon in your warriors eye. You have to study geography to know where to go. You have to study oratory. You have to be a good organizer to set up the food supply and care about you men's heath. You have to study history not to make the same mistakes that your ancestors made. In my opinion it is worth to study Genghis Khan because he made that not so many people before him: he rose an empire from nothing, he was a great military leader, a good organizer, a righteous ruler, and a man whom honored his foes too. He made an empire which lived further after his death.

Lafayette, that looks like one fantastic read... Alas I know no French.

And as a quick side note; it seems that much of the recommended readings also come from political backgrounds (war is an extension of state... etc.).
As such, what sources would you recommend in the realms of "light" political texts from your chosen period?
Also, having recently finished Vitruvius' The Ten Books on Architecture and of course re-read Bem Cavalgar I believe I may have acquired a taste for any sources relating to Permaculture and Siegecraft (Poly-something isn' it? [Phillip of France was apparently pretty good at it]).

Could texts such as Fior di Battaglia, MS I.33 etc. be considered part of one reading as a leader? For one may (in theory) be expected to lead by example or be proficiant in arms not only in the sense of being able to command men, but also when they themselve become entangled in bloody forge of combat.

I'll come out of left field on this one. The book I'd add to the list is:

Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior by Steve Ellyson & John Dovidio (Eds).

This book will teach you how to comport yourself as a leader. Learning how to convey confidence and how human dominance is expressed and interpreted can be of inestimable value to a leader. This book contains an article written by my dissertation advisor, the late Ralph V. Exline. Ellyson was also one of Exline's students.

I would also recommend the work of Paul Ekman. Ekman has been the leading researcher in the field of detection of deceit for decades and has trained the Secret Service, FBI, and other agencies. I use portions of his book Telling Lies in my course, but he may have a more recent book out. The TV series "Lie to Me" was based upon his work.

If you can, take courses in Nonverbal Communication, Social Psychology and Behavior Modification. The goals here are to learn how to manage your impression, how we humans function as members of groups, and how to motivate people to change their behavior. I have taught all three course at my local university.

Be cautious though. As my father used to tell me, "a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing." Be sure you understand the correct context and consequences before you start applying the principles you have learned. I must also caution that knowledge of what makes an effective leader will not necessarily endow a person with those attributes and abilities. It may not be in your genetic makeup to be perceived as a leader, or to have the social skills to inspire others to follow your direction. Leadership is not defined by a title or aptitude. It is defined by action.

Best wishes in your quest for knowledge.


David

Ah, thankyou for correcting me Mr. Curtis. I guess Many Cities is a strange skill to have :lol:
And David, I shall look into tracking those down. I must say though that they seem to bare (at least in a slightly diluted way) similarities to course work that family and friends (and soon myself) have had to read in order to become Teachers. I guess teaching is a form of leadership in many ways. Well... To a certain extent.