Synopses & Reviews
John S.D. Eisenhower modestly explains General Ike as "a son's view of a great military leader -- highly intelligent, strong, forceful, kind, yet as human as the rest of us." It is that, and more: a portrait of the greatest Allied military leader of the Second World War, by the man who knew Ike best. General Ike is a book that John Eisenhower always knew he had to write, a tribute from an affectionate and admiring son to a great father. John chose to write about the "military Ike," as opposed to the "political Ike," because Ike cared far more about his career in uniform than about his time in the White House. A series of portraits of Ike's relations with soldiers and statesmen, from MacArthur to Patton to Montgomery to Churchill to de Gaulle, reveals the many facets of a talented, driven, headstrong, yet diplomatic leader. Taken together, they reveal a man who was brilliant, if flawed; naive at times in dealing with the public, yet who never lost his head when others around him were losing theirs. Above all, General Ike was a man who never let up in the relentless pursuit of the destruction of Hitler.
Here for the first time are eyewitness stories of General Patton showing off during military exercises; of Ike on the verge of departing for Europe and assuming command of the Eastern Theater; of Churchill stewing and lobbying Ike in his "off hours." Faced with giant personalities such as these men and MacArthur, not to mention difficult allies such as de Gaulle and Montgomery, Ike nevertheless managed to pull together history's greatest invasion force and to face down a determined enemy from Normandy to the Bulge and beyond. John Eisenhower masterfully uses the backdrop of Ike's key battles to paint a portrait of his father and his relationships with the great men of his time.
General Ike is a ringing and inspiring testament to a great man by an accomplished historian. It is also a personal portrait of a caring, if not always available, father by his admiringson. It is history at its best.
Review
"An excellent appreciation of Dwight Eisenhower's skills as a military commander, though by a biased observer....Eisenhowers account is nontechnical and free of jargon and carries you along from start to finish. Soon to be bedside reading for West Point cadets and budding generals. We'll hope that Eisenhower follows with an account of his father's presidential years." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"This thoroughly worthwhile memoir recalls the author's father in his association with various distinguished soldiers and statesmen of the past century....[T]he author paints no one in rosy hues, not even his father, and his research puts them all in their proper context." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Most readers will likely zero in on the author's views of the bad boys Ike dealt with, Patton and Monty, and Eisenhower's anecdotes fit the popular impression of a profane Patton and an obstreperous Monty. With such personalities plus the author's perspective on historical disputes, these recollections are sure to find an eager audience." Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
Review
"Eisenhower's observations give the reader unusual insight into the relationships General Ike developed during the war....The book is short, but it is not meant to be an in-depth biography on the level of Stephen Ambrose's Eisenhower." Library Journal
Synopsis
Mr. Eisenhower's descriptions of battles are both complex and gripping and include some of the most fabled elements of the war.
Synopsis
A unique perspective on one of history's greatest leaders by an acclaimed military historian and the man who knew Ike best his son John. Telling the story of Ike's military career as a series of stories of his relationships with generals Pershing, Patton, MacArthur and statesmen De Gaulle, Churchill the author shows why Ike was the right man at the right time to lead the Allies to victory in Africa and Europe.
About the Author
John S.D. Eisenhower, a graduate of West Point, a retired Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, and the former American ambassador to Belgium, is also the author of seven books, including the bestseller
The Bitter Woods; Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott; and, most recently,
Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I. Table of Contents
Author's Note
An Atlas of Turning Points in Ike's Command
1 Early Influences: George S. Patton, Fox Conner, and John J. Pershing 1
2 Ike and MacArthur: A Study in Contrasts 19
3 A General in the Wings (Or, An Exercise in Nostalgia, 1940-1941) 35
4 Ike and Patton: The Master and His Pit Bull 45
5 Marshall and Ike: A Winning Combination 74
6 Monty: Ike's Dynamic Headache 112
7 Ike and De Gaulle: The Friendship That Grew 143
8 Ike and Winston Churchill: Soldier and Statesman, but Comrades-in-Arms 176
Epilogue 217
App. A The Guildhall Address 223
App. B The English-Speaking Union Address 228
App. C John S. D. Eisenhower's Address to the Joint Session of Congress, March 27, 1990 234
Notes 237
Bibliography 256
Acknowledgments 259
Index