We invited the New London submarine commanders to a cocktail party at the Nautilus Memorial this afternoon.  I explained why I had written the book –the perceived rise of China and Russia, the impending budget battles within the Navy over the shipbuilding account and the recapitalization of the Trident force (similar issues to those Admiral […]

Against the Tide: Rickover’s Leadership Principles and the Rise of the Nuclear Navy was released 15 November. John Hamre, the former Deputy Secretary of Defense (current President of the Center for Strategy and International Studies), sponsored my first book signing event the next week at his new building off Dupont Circle. Peter and Mary Rose […]

Last summer the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, co chaired by Senators Levin and McCain, asked several individuals to write about the process of getting equipment for our fighting forces, or in the shorthand of Washington, defense acquisition. Those papers were recently published, Defense Acquisition Reform: Where Do We Go From Here? A Compendium […]

Against the Tide will be published on 15 November. The Center for Strategy and International Study has agreed to sponsor a discussion of the influence of Rickover’s management style on American industry. This event is planned for the early evening of Wednesday, 19 November in Washington, DC. This will be the first of several events […]

Yesterday an international watch company (Jaeger-LeCoultre) rolled out a new watch based on a model they had first introduced during the International Geophysical Year in 1958. In America they unveiled the collection in New York City at the Explorer’s Club on East 70th Street (the former Clark residence of Singer sewing machine fame). Since the […]

My brother, Tim Oliver, has served for eight years as the President of the Capitol Chapter of the Naval Submarine League. For his last meeting today he invited me to speak. I have therefore poached a little from my upcoming book (Against the Tide). For those who may not know, after he had served in […]

At the invitation of Fred Rainbow, I gave a presentation to the Leadership Forum of The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association last night. At the conclusion, Linda and I took questions for an hour before we went to dinner with old friends Chris and Stephanie Johnson. Since I hate reading from notes, the conversation […]

After living in Northern Virginia for a couple of decades, Linda and I are moving this Spring to Patrick’s Point which is just north of  Trinidad in Northern California, where the redwoods kiss the fog.  Trinidad is two hundred miles north of San Francisco and four hundred miles south of Portland, Oregon.  We will live […]

 Commented today on the culture Admiral Rickover installed in the Navy and the recent Nuclear Cheating Scandal. Clip attached. Defense News Interview on Nuclear Cheating Scandal 2/10/14 http://bcove.me/8id7omis

Last night I had a discussion about culture change with Norm Augustine, Barry Blechman, Bill Chambers, David Graham, John Harvey and Rich Mies. I provided these leaders with a paper discussing how Admiral Rickover altered submarine culture. The ideas I presented will be further explored in a book about Rickover’s leadership that the Naval Institute […]