Dwight David Eisenhower

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-- In this well-documented, easy-to-read chronological biography, Cannon expresses her opinion that, ``Ike was a reluctant hero, a man who seemed unaware of his own greatness.'' Eisenhower's success, says Cannon, was due primarily to his perseverance and hard work. While bordering on the adulatory, Cannon doesn't neglect Ike's temper, stubbornness, and barbed tongue that could be formidable when aroused. As a result, her portrait is more rounded than Archer's Battlefield President (Messner, 1967), and more complete than Ambrose's Ike: Abilene to Berlin (Harper, 1973; both o.p.). However, there is very little about the domestic problems and mistakes of the White House years, especially those created by Sherman Adams and other advisors and subordinates. Supporting the text is a selection of black-and-white photographs; the dust cover photo is an excellent choice, portraying a very human Eisenhower during World War II. --David A. Lindsey, Lakewood Junior/Senior High School, WA