(FORTUNE Magazine) – Don't let the title of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf's autobiography, It Doesn't Take a Hero (Linda Grey/Bantam Books, $25), fool you. In an age sorely lacking heroes, Stormin' Norman is the real thing, the first American general in nearly 50 years to return home a victor from a war. His heroism in the Gulf war didn't involve physical courage, though he displayed plenty of that earlier in Vietnam. It was, above all, a triumph of management. Often operating in a bunker 80 feet below the streets of Riyadh, Schwarzkopf spent seven months juggling the needs of 570,000 troops with the often conflicting demands of Saudi princes, coalition generals, and a U.S. President. The measure of his skill in handling these players diplomatically while attending to the mind-boggling logistics of moving an army halfway around the world is this: An operation that could easily have ended in chaos unfolded like clockwork -- and with minimum casualties. No matter how you feel about the war, the general put on a command performance. This engaging memoir, written with the help of FORTUNE senior editor Peter Petre, covers Schwarzkopf's life from his boyhood in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he got a taste for the military from his Army officer father, to his days at West Point, his tours in Vietnam, and his ascent through the Army's upper reaches. Through it all, Schwarzkopf remains the good soldier, one who steers clear of policy decisions but, once they are made, carries them out with a vengeance. That's why anyone who picks up this book hoping for an inside account, say, of the debate over whether the U.S. should have rolled into Baghdad to finish off Saddam Hussein will be disappointed. The general backs the Bush Administration's decision 100%. But his tale has plenty of other virtues. Military buffs will love reliving the exciting moments of the Gulf war through Schwarzkopf's eyes. Less obvious, but far more valuable to business executives, are the lessons in leadership that he sprinkles throughout his life story. What makes the general such a good manager of people? Simple. He lives by some basic principles, which can be summed up as follows: Always be truthful, never look down on the people who report to you, and have the courage to say no. In the months after Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait, some top White House advisers pressed Schwarzkopf to launch an early ground attack into Kuwait. Knowing it would be some time before his troops were ready, Schwarzkopf just said no to the hawks. History proved him right. By waiting, he kept casualties low. ''To be an effective leader,'' Schwarzkopf writes, ''you have to have a manipulative streak -- you have to figure out the people working for you and give each tasks that will take advantage of his strength.'' As a young company commander at West Point, Schwarzkopf motivated one indifferent cadet who had artistic ability by asking him to design a company beer mug. During the Gulf war, Schwarzkopf, an impatient man by his own admission, would spend endless hours philosophizing with members of the Saudi royal family because it was their way of making decisions. The general understands, however, that the art of manipulation has its limits. As a young officer in the Army, he once had a private who would fall into a catatonic state just before a long march or barracks cleaning detail. One day, hearing screams, he rushed to the second floor of the barracks and saw his sergeant holding the private out the window by his ankles and yelling: ''You little bastard, it didn't take you long to wake up this time.'' STORMIN' NORMAN operated in the most hierarchical organization known to man: the U.S. Army. In the early months before the war, Operation Desert Storm nearly went bust because the Pentagon couldn't release money for troops and ! supplies. Fortunately, some shrewd negotiating by Schwarzkopf with the Saudis and a last-minute check from the Japanese bailed him out. The best recommendation for paying attention to Schwarzkopf's management techniques is that he showed how they could work in a bureaucratic behemoth.

BOX:

EXCERPT: ''After listening to their presentations, I looked at each of the men: 'One of the things we have going for us is that we don't bullshit the President.' ''