Eisenhower

It is very difficult to write a one volume biography of Eisenhower but this comes as close as one can get to being a thorough and accurate account of his life. The biography is a fair treatment of Eisenhower and looks at many of the myths that have come up about his life and dispels them. Starting with his early years and time growing up in Abeline to the days in the white house the reader can clearly see the evolution of Eisenhower. It covers not only his personal evolution but really looks at the situations he was in and addresses how he changed the situation of the army and the structures of command in Europe. Perret is a specialist in the military biography and his treatment of Eisenhowers war years is among the most thorough ever written on the man. The book is plainly written and easy to read making it a fast 600 pages that leave the reader well informed and with the right amount of information on their subject. If you are really looking for the complete history of Eisenhower though you should consider some of the multivolume works that have been done but for a thorough one volume account this cannot be beat and will leave you saying "I Like Ike"

In "Eisenhower" Geoffrey Perret gives an outstanding biography of a very interesting and important historical figure. Here we meet Ike from birth to death.The reader is treated to an introduction to the Eisenhower family, to the father who could never be close to his sons, the mother who had little influence over them and the brothers with whom Ike grew up and continued his mutually supportive relationship through their highly successful careers.The relationship with Mamie, their lost son, and son John, all reflect Ike's personal strengths and limitations.Perret does equally well in telling the stories of the junior officer and the commander as well as those of the President and senior statesman.Eisenhower's evaluations of many of the characters who crossed his path add to the allure of this book. Ike's admiration, followed by his contempt for MacArthur, his dislike of FDR, his lack of respect for Truman and his lack of affection for Nixon, all add to the insight into Ike's times. Omar Bradley, George Marshall, John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge and Joseph McCarthy are just a sampling of the world characters who played on Eisenhower's stage.Perret thoroughly reports each phase of Ike's life in a way as to maintain interest throughout. He comments on Eisenhower's rights and wrongs in a way which provokes thoughts, without seeming to be opinionated. I believe that this is what makes this biography superior so many others..

From the brilliantly simple and understated cover that is backed up with a Biography of a man, much recorded, but possibly never truly discovered. As with 'Old Soldiers Never Die' Geoffrey Perret is fast establishing himself as the military historians' biographer. This is a simply a great book. Perret shows his depth of both perception and study in this volume. Ike is never portrayed as more than a man where history has done its best to lionise or in some cases cannonise him. Perret simply knows his subject and has written what I believe is the Biography of Ike that all previous have sought to be.Where most have shown the frustrated soldier come politician Perret shows the depth of the individual and portrays the great man as the sometime flawed human being that he was. BRILLIANT

This latest biography of Eisenhower adds depth and understanding to this very complex man. His role as supreme commander in the European Theatre and as president is extremely well researched and well written. The character and foibles of the generals around Ike are presented in such a way that the reader feels he is in the same room. An excellent read.