With Schwarzkopf is Gus Lee's remembrance of his mentor and friend, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, and his firsthand account of how Schwarzkopf shaped his life. In 1966, Lee, a junior-year cadet at West Point, was bright, athletic, and popular. He was also on the verge of getting kicked out. Near the bottom of his class due to his penchant for playing poker and reading recreationally instead of studying engineering, he was assigned a new professor: then-Major Norman Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf's deeply principled nature and fierce personality took hold of Lee, and the two began meeting regularly and discussing what it meant to be a scholar, a soldier, and a man.
Lee's vibrant, witty narrative brings Schwarzkopf and his teachings to life. Schwarzkopf—or “The Bear” as his pupil called him—imparted wisdom on everything from friendship and courtship to leadership and courage. As Lee took on more professional and personal roles, he approached every crisis and difficult decision by channeling his mentor, and he inspires readers to do the same. In With Schwarzkopf, Lee passes along the lessons he learned so future generations can benefit from Schwarzkopf's philosophies and values.