Noncommissioned officers stand as the backbone of the United States Marine Corps. The corps is among the most lasting institutions in America, though few understand what makes it so strong and how that understanding can be applied effectively in today's world. In this insightful and thoroughly researched book, Julia Dye explores the cadre of noncommissioned officers that make up the Marine Corps's system of small-unit leadership. To help us better understand what makes these extraordinary men and women such effective leaders, Dye examines the fourteen leadership traits embraced by every NCO. These qualities--including judgment, enthusiasm, determination, bearing, and unselfishness--are exemplified by men like Terry Anderson, the former Marine sergeant who spent nearly seven years as a hostage in Beirut, John Basilone, a hero of the Pacific front in World War II, and many others. To assemble this extraordinary chronicle, Dye interviewed Anderson and dozens of other marines, mining a trove of NCO heroes who comprise the Marine Corps's astonishing legacy, from its founding in 1775 to the present day.