This title was first published in 2003. Corps and Clienteles offers a unique approach to this debate by focusing on the intersection between institutions and personal relationships in the financial strategies surrounding Louis XIV's final two wars. It argues that, in appealing to the elite for financial support to wage war, Louis in return stabilised many of the structures on which the elite stood, entrenched elements of privilege throughout the political landscape, and devolved power to provincial institutions. Especially with the participation of privileged corps as financial intermediaries, the politics of war finance in the last twenty five years of Louis' reign profoundly influenced the direction in which absolutism developed through the remainder of the Old Regime. The book situates the period 1688 to 1715 as a crucial stage in the development of absolutism; tying the choices available to Louis XIV with the structures and institutions that he inherited from his predecessors, while setting his approach apart.

What's the best-run enterprise in the world? It just may be the Marine Corps. Far from being the hidebound, autocratic entity that most people imagine, the Corps has created a stunningly nimble, almost freewheelingly adaptive organization. The result: Though often faced with extraordinarily dynamic and complex challenges, the Marines get the job done every time. Their secret? Don't think boot camp. Instead, the Marines have refined a wide-ranging system of management practices that have undergone continuous evolution under the most demanding conditions conceivable. Armed with these straightforward principles, any organization can achieve the high-impact responsiveness demanded by today's ultra-competitive, fast-changing business environments. In Corps Business, author David H. Freedman brings these principles--and their application to the business world--to light in clear, fascinating form. Freedman brings you along to observe, firsthand the high-speed Marine environment, where you'll take part in urban combat practice maneuvers, sit in on mission planning sessions, spend time on a "floating invasion party," and participate in a live-fire combat exercise. Along the way, you'll tap the wisdom of scores of Marines from three-star generals to grunts. Here are some examples: Managing by end-state--Tell people what needs to be accomplished and why, and leave the details to them. The 70-percent solution--It's better to decide quickly on an imperfect plan than to spend time considering every angle and roll out a perfect plan when it's too late. Authority on demand--While retaining a strong management pyramid, encourage people even at the lowest levels to make any and all decisions necessary to accomplish the mission when management guidance isn't at hand. Anyone facing entrenched or predatory competitors, short time frames, chaotic markets, and obstacles in every direction, has a simple choice: Learn to move fast, change on the fly, and inspire employees--or die. The Marines are here to help. With a foreword by Gen. Charles C. Krulak, Thirty-first Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.

This quick-reference manual lets you help clients take full advantage of their S corporation status and minimize their taxes. it leads you directly to authoritative information on every aspect of the S corporation, enabling you to: Arm the S corporation against the potential tax traps hidden in the Small Business Tax Protection Act. Maximize the tax benefits of S corporation status. Make a qualified Subchapter S Subsidiary (QSub) election. Identify dispositions that will trigger the built-in gains tax. Avoid added tax liability or loss of S corporation status from passive investment income. Capitalize on the permissible differences in stock rights to facilitate estate planning and ownership transfers. Determine allocation of income, losses, and deductions in the termination year of the S corporation . Plus, there are citations To The controlling rules, regulations, and court decisions that will save you hours of research.

An examination of the financial decline of Louis XIV's France during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714).

A Marine-turned-investment banker applies the Corps' core principles to Wall Street and the world of business.