I just finished reading Jean Edward Smith's Eisenhower in War and Peace , and I have to say that it was such a fine book that I couldn't put it down for a minute. I've been on a World War II book reading binge these past few months and seeing that it had a good rating on Amazon I decided to pick it up. I surely wasn't disappointed, Mr. Smith's book is one of the most comprehensive articles written on President Eisenhower. This book is based on personal diaries, first-hand interviews of those closely associated with President Eisenhower and recently unclassified documents. Just to show how timely the book is. It's quite a long book (766 pages), so be prepared to rest your eyes a lot.
This narration of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's life starts from birth till his death in March 28, 1969. It begins with his simple background and how he ended up in the military. It then details how he gets on the fast track to getting noticed by the powers-that-be thanks to the help of his friend, George Patton (yes the General Patton.) It was General Patton who introduced him to General Fox Conner. General Fox Conner was known as the man who mentored the young Eisenhower and saw his potential to be a good leader. It was also General Conner who he relied on to move his career along the way whenever he was in a bind. Afterwards, the book details how Eisenhower became General Douglas MacArthur's deputy. How he initially worshipped MacArthur and then came to loathe him. The book then focuses on Eisenhower's administrative career during the build up to World War II and his assignment as Supreme Commander for the operation of the invasion of Europe.
Speaking of General Patton, he was the one who coined Eisenhower's D.D. initials to stand for "Divine Destiny." Patton said that Eisenhower's luck and skill made him destined for more extraordinary things. Very prophetic of General Patton.
When it was announced that Eisenhower would be in charge of Operation Overlord (the invasion of Europe), he was heavily criticized for not having the suitable experience to lead men into battle. However, despite not having the tactical genius of Gen. Patton and Gen. Montgomery, it was his skill in being able to wage coalition warfare that got him the job. Coalition warfare was the ability to meld the different attitudes and egos of men from different cultural backgrounds into fighting seamlessly for a common cause. General Eisenhower was no spring chicken; he knew the art of finesse and politics to get coalition leaders to work together to accomplish the task at hand. He did this by not having any qualms about bypassing his bosses if he knew it was for the greater good of the endeavour. That unique gift of getting people to move the way you want to move is known as charisma, and General Eisenhower overflowed with it.
One part of the book that shocked me was the revelation that during his presidency, the people around him were so flippant in recommending the use of the atomic bomb to settle international squabbles. To them, using the atomic bomb was just like chucking a hand grenade. So it was a good thing that President Eisenhower abhorred the use of nuclear weapons, as he preferred diplomacy and indirect tactics to resolve issues. It is his legacy of self-control, in finding a more peaceful or political resolution to any conflict, that we of the present day owe to this man. Could you just imagine?, if he had not set this precedent of nuclear restraint we would probably be living in a post-apocalyptic world right now.
I've long admired General Eisenhower for his exploits during World War II, but after reading this book it made me admire him even more for what he had accomplished beyond his career in the military. A testament to that is the high approval rating that he had during his presidency. This book does not fluff up the life of President Eisenhower; in fact, it exposes both the good (civil rights, Suez Canal affair, National highway, etc) and the bad (Iran, Guatemala, etc). Like all men, General Eisenhower falls prey to human frailty but it's his quality of unflinching justice for the greater good and infectious calm in the face of adversity that made him one of the best world leaders.
