Synopses & Reviews
American Warlords is the story of the greatest team of rivals” since the days of Lincoln.
In a lifetime shaped by politics, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proved himself a master manipulator of Congress, the press, and the public. But when war in Europe and Asia threatened Americas shores, FDR found himself in a world turned upside down, where his friends became his foes, his enemies his allies. To help wage democracys first total war,” he turned to one of historys most remarkable triumvirates.
Henry Stimson, an old-money Republican from Long Island, rallied to FDRs banner to lead the Army as Secretary of War, and championed innovative weapons that shape our world today. General George C. Marshall argued with Roosevelt over grand strategy, but he built the worlds greatest war machine and willingly sacrificed his dream of leading the invasion of Europe that made his protégé, Dwight Eisenhower, a legend. Admiral Ernest J. King, a hard-drinking, irascible fighter who destroyed” Pearl Harbor in a prewar naval exercise, understood how to fight Japan, but he also battled the Army, the Air Force, Douglas MacArthur, and his British allies as they moved armies and fleets across the globe.
These commanders threw off sparks whenever they clashed: Generals against politicians, Army versus Navy. But those sparks lit the fire of victory. During four years of bitter warfare, FDRs lieutenants learned to set aside deep personal, political, and professional differences and pull a nation through the twentieth century's darkest days.
Encircling Roosevelts warlordsand sometimes bitterly at odds with themwas a colorful cast of the Second World Wars giants: Winston Churchill, MacArthur, Josef Stalin, Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Charles de Gaulle. These and other larger-than-life figures enrich a sweeping story of an era brimming with steel, fire, and blood.
Drawing upon a wealth of primary sources, American Warlords goes behind closed doors to give readers an intimate, often surprising view of titans who led America from isolation to the summit of global power. Written in a robust, engaging style, author Jonathan W. Jordan offers a vivid portrait of four extraordinary Americans in the eye of wars hurricane.
Review
"The first book to deal with the four [admirals] together, focusing on their intertwined lives, friendships, and rivalries....A very well-crafted book."--John Lehman, Washington Post
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"In his superbly reported new book, historian Walter R. Borneman tackles the essential question of military leadership: What makes some men, but not others, able to motivate a fighting force into battle?"--Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
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"Engagingly written and deeply researched... Mr. Borneman makes it easy to understand the complex series of maneuvers and counter-maneuvers at Leyte Gulf...which is not always the case with accounts of the battle."--Andrew Roberts, Wall Street Journal
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"Borneman demonstrates comprehensive command of published and unpublished sources, fingertip understanding of the period, and a polished writing style in this unique collective biography of the four men who 'with a combination of nimble counsel, exasperating ego, studied patience, and street-fighter tactics' shaped the modern U.S. Navy to win WWII at sea."--Publishers Weekly
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"Borneman deftly manipulates multiple narrative strands and a wealth of detail. He vividly fleshes out the numerous vain, ambitious men vying for power at the top and examines their important decisions and lasting ramifications. An accomplished, readable history lesson."--Kirkus Reviews
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"Walter Borneman's The Admirals is an epic group portrait of Nimitz, Halsey, Leahey, and King. Not since the heyday of Samuel Eliot Morison has a historian painted such a fine portrait of the five-star admirals who helped America beat Japan during the Second World War. Highly recommended!"--Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior
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"They were completely different in temperament and personality, but the U.S. Navy's four five-star admirals in World War II shared a sense of vision, devotion, and courage. Walter Borneman has written a rousing tale of victory at sea."--Evan Thomas, author of The War Lovers
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"This is Walter Borneman at his best. The portrait of the forgotten admiral, Leahy, is worth the whole book. But there's scarcely a page where a reader won't learn something unexpected, and occasionally shocking."--Thomas Fleming, author of Time and Tide
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"A riveting introduction to the only four men in American history to have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet in recognition of their extraordinary feats"--The History Channel
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"Walter Borneman's decision to tell the gripping story of America's war at sea through the prism of the relations between her four greatest admirals is inspired. The four very different temperaments and personalities of these giants of the US Navy, their rivalries, interactions and comradeship, make for a compelling tale...There's more about true leadership in these pages than will be found in a library of lesser books."--Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War
Review
Praise for Jonathan W. Jordans Brothers Rivals Victors:
“Brothers Rivals Victors is a landmark publication in the history of the Second World War...Jordan has written a real historical tour de force. Highly recommended!”—Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Boys of Pointe du Hoc
“One of the great stories of the American military…told here by Jonathan Jordan with insight and compassion, relish, and vigor.”—Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco, Making the Corps, and The Gamble
“Anybody who believes that generals are just, rational men, imbued with a soldierly feeling of comradeship toward one another and an ingrained respect for their political superiors, will be shocked by this book.”—Michael Korda, The New York Times Book Review
“Intimate, well-researched, and gracefully written.…Jordan succeeds in bringing Patton, Brad, and Ike to life once again.”—John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those About to Die
Synopsis
How history's only five-star admirals triumphed in World War II and made the United States the world's dominant sea power. Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led the U.S. navy to victory in World War II, establishing the United States as the world's greatest fleet.
In THE ADMIRALS, award-winning historian Walter R. Borneman tells their story in full detail for the first time. Drawing upon journals, ship logs, and other primary sources, he brings an incredible historical moment to life, showing us how the four admirals revolutionized naval warfare forever with submarines and aircraft carriers, and how these men-who were both friends and rivals-worked together to ensure that the Axis fleets lay destroyed on the ocean floor at the end of World War II.
About the Author
Jonathan W. Jordan is the author of the New York Times bestselling Brothers Rivals Victors and the award-winning Lone Star Navy. A practicing attorney in Atlanta, he lives in Marietta, Georgia.