At a time in American military history when such issues as chain of command and the legality of military orders have taken center stage in public discourse, Nye's The Challenge of Command would seem to be a necessary addition to any aspiring military officer's reading list. It is inaccurate to say that Challenge is also sufficient, since military history, theory, and praxis are dynamic, not static. Even so, there are some constant verities. Nye locates them in the person, training, and experience of the commander. It is around the various identities, or roles, that an executive military officer inhabits that Nye organizes his text. He begins by advising those who desire top command to erect a coherent vision of themselves as complex actors: "It is in the mind of the commander that all specialization, personalities, doctrines, and missions must be integrated into some pattern of united effort" (Nye, 1986, p. 16).
After a chapter each on the theory of command and what could be c
3 
)
= 662
= 3 (250 words per page)
