Overview
In the third installment of the Great Generals series, WWII expert John Wukovits explores Dwight D. Eisenhower's contributions to American warfare. American general and 34th president of the United States, Eisenhower led the assault on the French coast at Normandy and held together the Allied units through the European campaign that followed. The book reveals Eisenhower's advocacy in the pre-war years of the tank, his friendships with George Patton and Fox Conner, his service in the Philippines with Douglas MacArthur, and his culminating role as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. Wukovits skillfully demonstrates how Eisenhower's evolution as a commander, his military doctrine, and his diplomatic skills are of extreme importance in understanding modern warfare.
Synopsis
In the third installment of the Great Generals series, WWII expert John Wukovits explores Dwight D. Eisenhower's contributions to American warfare. American general and 34th president of the United States, Eisenhower led the assault on the French coast at Normandy and held together the Allied units through the European campaign that followed. The book reveals Eisenhower's advocacy in the pre-war years of the tank, his friendships with George Patton and Fox Conner, his service in the Philippines with Douglas MacArthur, and his culminating role as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. Wukovits skillfully demonstrates how Eisenhower's evolution as a commander, his military doctrine, and his diplomatic skills are of extreme importance in understanding modern warfare.
Library Journal
In this brief military biography, the third in Palgrave's "Great Generals" series, edited by Gen. Wesley K. Clark (ret.), Wukovits (Pacific Alamo) shows how a rather reluctant West Pointer from a dirt-poor background evolved into one of the greatest commanders of all time. He emphasizes Ike's character, his willingness to be at odds with his superiors, and his empathy for the common soldier. Ike's decades-long quest to gain a unit to command was frustrated time and time again by superiors who wanted his incredible organization abilities for their own staffs. These abilities ultimately made Eisenhower the best choice for supreme commander of Allied forces in World War II Europe. Wukovits emphasizes the role that mentors played in Ike's development as a leader. From his enduring friendship with Patton, to his education under Fox Conner and long-suffering service under the egomaniacal Douglas MacArthur, Ike gained his skills in unconventional classrooms, which prepared him for his greatest military undertaking. There are many Eisenhower biographies, but Wukovits provides an accessible if narrowly focused work that will likely inspire readers to find additional works on Eisenhower's military career not to mention on his later political life. Recommended for all public libraries. Brian DeLuca, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, MD Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"In his highly readable and concise style, John Wukovits has once again succeeded in packing a wealth of information into a single volume on the life of one of the greatest soldier-statesmen in history. He conveys the strength of character and innate leadership of Dwight Eisenhower in a manner which will captivate the reader."--Michael E. Haskew, Editor, WWII History Magazine "With his depth of research, insightful approach, and clarity of style, the author and military historian John Wukovits has managed to put a human face on one of the 20th century's greatest figures and turn an historical icon into a flesh-and-blood human being. One comes away from this book feeling as if Ike is a friend, not just a legend."--Flint Whitlock, author of The Fighting First: The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day "Wukovits' book is excellently researched but his greatest merit as an historian is a rare ability to make the past a real living thing. This book is a special pleasure to read, for it is peopled by real figures the reader can understand and care about. Eisenhower is not cast as the Olympian figure he is too often made out to be. A superior history of an intensely human man."--Robert Barr Smith, Colonel, USA (ret) "Wukovits gives us a portrait of a general who devised and sustained a broad-front strategy that led to Germany's unconditional surrender, and a man who never took his eyes off the prize."--Jonathan E. Lazarus, The Star-Ledger.
"John Wukovits now offers a concise portrayal of the commander who served as the chief architect of D-Day and the campaign in northwest Europe."--Col. Cole C. Kingseed, USA Ret., ARMY