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General Ike : A Personal Reminiscence
General Ike A Personal Reminiscence
Author: John Eisenhower
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 I...  more » 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; na‹ve 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 admiring son. It is history at its best.
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ISBN-13: 9780743256001
ISBN-10: 074325600X
Publication Date: 5/25/2004
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1

4 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Free Press
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
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Top Member Book Reviews

hardtack avatar reviewed General Ike : A Personal Reminiscence on + 2569 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Since I am fascinated by the history of World War II, and have widely read in that area, I have read many books about Dwight Eisenhower, even some of his own. I wasn't sure if a book about him by his son would reveal anything new. Boy, was I wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and picked up new insights on Ike.

Granted, the author does not make many critical remarks on any of his father's actions of decisions, but he does reveal many of the reasons why Ike did what he did. I knew John was on his father's staff beginning in June 1944 (after the author's graduation from West Point), but I was not aware that he traveled with his father extensively and often stood or sat in the background while his father had conversations and meetings with many of the war's other famous personages. In fact, the book is divided into chapters that concentrate on Ike's relationship with some of the major players.

The book is also a easy read for those who do not want to get too involved in military history. In fact, I was surprised how quickly I went through it. The military campaigns only served as a background to the discussion of Ike's relationship with the people he worked with.

If you like this book by John Eisenhower, then plan on reading his "The Bitter Woods," a great history of the Battle of the Bulge, fought during December 1944 and January 1945.
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