My Father's Compass:
Leadership Lessons for an Immigrant Son

Author: Dr. Perry J. Martini
Hardcover: 125 pages
Publisher: Academy Leadership Publishing (October 2006)
ISBN-10: 0972732349
ISBN-13: 978-0972732345

My Father's Compass is a story about Perry Enio Martini, an immigrant who crossed an ocean come to a new land to find freedom and a better life. It is also a story about his father Vincenzo, whose vision sparked the quest to America, and on the other end of the timeline, his son Perry J. Martini, who shares the lessons he learned from both of them in the pages of this book. But even more important, it is a story about America.

Countless Italian immigrants passed through Ellis Island, known to many as the "Island of Tears", from 1892 to 1934. These peasant farmers abandoned their lifestyle of hardships to follow their dream of prosperity and freedom. The author takes you on a personal journey with his family from the moment they walked down the hills of their Abruzzi village in Italy, to the arduous crossing of the Atlantic, to their first glimpse of the welcoming Statue of Liberty, and finally, to their settling in Northeastern Ohio.

The Martini family made their crossing in 1927 on a passenger liner named after their countryman, the Cristoforo Colombo. On that vessel, 16-year-old Perry searched his soul for his own "compass bearing," a metaphor the author revisits throughout the book. And as he movingly reveals, his own American journey as a successful career naval officer is a result of the course that was set on his father’s compass, an Italian immigrant who became an American first and consequently a bonafide member of the Greatest Generation.

My Father's Compass is a book you will not want to put down. Not only does it tell a fascinating story, it reveals the power of faith, family, friends, and country and the lessons of life while serving others above self. It is a dynamic and inspirational exploration of lessons of leadership at its deepest roots, and a glimpse into the soul of an Italian-American who has inherited a strong and enduring passion for both his heritage and the nation that too many of us take for granted.

About the Author

Perry Martini, a native of Warren, Ohio, retired from the Navy as a Captain in 1998 after 31 years of service spanning the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. 

During his military career, he earned three master's degrees in International Affairs, Business Finance, and Education. Following retirement, he was awarded a doctoral degree with distinction in Education from The George Washington University. He is currently the Director, Executive Leadership Programs with Academy Leadership and an adjunct professor in Organizational Leadership Management and Ethics at Regent University. 

During his military career, he commanded a U.S. Navy P-3 squadron and worked directly for the Chairman, JCS and the CNO, and was awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. 

Perry is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and is the President of the Class of 1971. He and his wife, Jean, reside in Annapolis, Maryland. They have four children: Bernadette, Stephen, Yolanda, and Ellen.