Customer Reviews

15 Stars: Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall: Three Generals Who Saved the American Century

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read this shortly after "Partners in Command"Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace. "Partners in Command" succeeds where "15 Stars" fails, by -relating- the individuals and their relationships to the actual execution of WWII. My reaction to "15 Stars" was that it's a collection of anecdotes, much of it salacious gossip, without relating the personality quirks/issues so revealed to the execution of the war itself. How much did MacArthur's willingness to manage his persona contribute to his success in WWII?

On the plus side, the post WWII era was handled much better than WWII, where there was much more discussion on the accomplishments and impacts of each individual and their relationships.

Buy "Partners in Command" instead of "15 Stars" unless you're particularly interested in MacArthur or are interested in Post-WWII politics.

dave

"15 Stars" is an examination of how the careers, personalities, and goals of America's first 5-star Army Generals, George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur, intersected and intertwined at critical moments.

(Previous Generals of the Army were limited, at most, to 4-stars, however, it is generally considered that the highest military rank in the U.S., regardless of the number of stars associated with it, was that of General of the Armies of the U.S. Only two soldiers ever held this title: George Washington and John J. Pershing.)

The 5-star rank was created by Congress in late 1944. Before then a British Field Marshal was considered to outrank a 4-star U.S. General, regardless of his title or how many troops he commmanded. As the Second World War progressed British Field Marshals were being placed in positions of inferiority to U.S. Generals and the British Field Marshals were thus, technically, taking orders from their subordinates. The 5-star rank was intended to remedy this touchy situation.

(There is an apocyphal story that George Marshall objected to the new U.S. 5-star rank being called "Field Marshall" because, as its first recipient, he would then be known as "Field Marshal Marshall".)

The author tracks these three great American icons as they become America's premier soldier leaders during World War II (while often engaging in not always friendly maneouvering against each other): Marshall as America's top career soldier in the U.S.; Eisenhower as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe; and MacArthur as commander in the Pacific.

The author also follows their respective career trajectories after the war as well as all continued to hold positions of prominence during the early stages of the Cold War: Marshall as Secretary of State and proponent of what became known as the Marshall Plan (and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace); Eisenhower as U.S. President; and MacArthur as overseer of Japan and both hero and goat in the Korean Conflict.

The author's portrayal of these men as they interacted with each other, other leaders, and those around them is not all that different from the public's perceptions of these men: Marshall comes off as a calm, often cold, administrator even in times of great crisis; Eisenhower was the genial mediator; and MacArthur, perhaps the most brillant of the bunch, a strutting peacock, feisty bantam rooster, and wily hawk all tightly contained in a regal framework prone to demagoguery.

Nonetheless, the story is told in a fresh and engaging manner that makes it worthwhile reading for a greater understanding (even if not a complete one given the breadth of the subject matter) of how America came out on top in World War II and thereafter.

The author is an important historian of WWII. He looks in this volume at the of the first three five star generals. Their dates of rank were seperated by two days. Marshall, first, followed by MacArthur and then, Eisenhower. Their elevation put them on an equal footing witht the Field Marshals of other countries they commanded. I found the study balanced and interesting although I wouldn't consider it as profound as some of the author's other works. Some reviewers have remarked on the unfavorable comments about MacArthur. They are, as far as my own reading is concerned, as well as several lengthy discussions while an undergraduate with a member of the Army's historians assigned to the Southwest Pacific during WWII, accurate. This individual was a professional historian with his Phd prior to the outbreak of the war.

Each of these men in their own way played an important role in the execution of the war plan and organization. Despite his shortcomings, MacArthur was a force and managed a theatre with limited resources. Some students of war call him one of our best fighting generals. It's hard to weigh that evaluation against history, but it's important to measure his accomplishments rather than focus on his personality.

This book is recommended for anyone's collection of military history. It shows the range of individuality in the execution of senior command, and the army's felxibility in allowing such different personalities to get the job done. One has to reflect on John Eisenhower's comment about his father. Ike was far more jealous of his place in history among the great military leaders than his role as president.

The further we get from those years, the more amazing it is that such a man as Marshall was available for the key position he played. Credit should also be given to Roosevelt for the courage to reach so far down in the ranks of generals to select Marshall as Chief of Staff. Over fifty active generals had dates of rank exceeding Marshall's.

Weintraub obviously is no expert on any of these gentlemen, and even less so on the war in which they fought. His opinions of their various actions can best be forgotten as mostly due to his personal likes and dilkes of their personalities. These three generals all had enormously different jobs to do, something Weintraub fails to grasp in making comparisons. Some of his "facts" are pure fantasy and absolutely none of his opinions
concerning respective talents can be taken seriously. He makes the worst blunder of any historian - he allows his personal feelings to completely color his "analyses" (such as they are). He doesn't tell the facts, he explains them in the manner most in line with his personal likings of these three gentlemen. It's a very disturbing work for those of us who have devoted a large part of our lives understanding World War II and
its commanders. David Eisenhower has written a far more objective
study of his grandfather than Weintraub, who isn't even a member of the family. Read David's book if you want the whole story, Weintraub if you
only desire to read a valueless "hero book."

This book does a very good job at demonstrating how the Allied war effort, basically lead and coordinated by U.S. material and forces won the war. Unlike other WWII studies it doesn't focus to strongly on strictly military matters but gives a strong background into how the personalities of 3 of the commanders played in shaping the outcome. It touches on the personalities without letting them subsume the tone of the work.

The only reasons not to give this book the full five stars is that too much time is spent on the gossipy sides, include Eishenhower's possible extra-marital affairs, too little time is spent on other fine leaders like Bradley and Nimitz and the author's bias towards Marshall becomes apparent throughout the book. Otherwise, a smart, well craft book.

Fascinating account of the interaction of three of the four most famous U.S. general officers in the 20th century (and the fourth, Blackjack Pershing, of WWI fame, knew the other three very well and had a behind-the-scenes role with each of them in WWII, including direct communications with FDR -- which is also covered in this masterly work). These three giants all had unique personalities and operating styles; they collaborated when necessary, sometimes begrudgingly, and clashed on many occasions. Of the three, the ultimate arbiter was George Marshall -- who groomed Ike, put him in place as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and then kept him on a short leash. Marshall also hand-massaged the supremely egotistical Douglas MacArthur to keep him in line throughout the war in the Pacific despite MacArthur's frequent paranoia about Washington. And of course, Ike and MacArthur (Ike once was MacArthur's aide) grew to despise each other. All of these not-so-well-known nuances are brilliantly addressed by the author. A great read!

I have read several Bio's of for each of these men, but never one which covered all 3 before. The books author is quite comprehensive in detailing the professional lives of all 3 generals from the 1930's forward. Author definitely is fond of Gen. Marshall, lukewarm on Eisenhower, and clearly dislikes MacArthur. With Mac and Ike the details of their foibles and errors come through clearly in the book. The author is much gentler on the essentially colorless G.C. Marshall. Definitely not a canonization piece for any of the 3 men, lots of behind the scenes information. A good book for folks who have previously read bio's on all of these Generals. I would not recommend this book to someone who knows little about the professional accomplishments of these men or WW2. Enthusiasts will enjoy it beginners in this area of history should look elsewhere first.

15 stars provides an excellent look at three generals who played a pivotal role in shaping the United States in the 20th century. The book is filled with detail and is by no means a light read but it is worth every sentence. The scope of the book forces the author to be vague at times and it does not cover every detail but gives a general sense of how these three men shaped the century. This is not meant to be only a book about World War II as some other reviewers have complained about. It is meant to analyze the impact these men had on shaping the post war world as well which means not every detail will be covered. As to the bias of the author I have to agree that it is overly harsh on MacArthur who having many faults with his own hubris was made to be almost malevolent in his pursuit for advancement. For those who are starting out learning about World War II and how it shaped the United States this is a great place to start. For those who have read a little bit wider you may want to pass on this one as it does not add much new but summarizes the lives of these men and how their interactions shaped the country.

Stanley Weintraub's "15 Stars: Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall: Three Generals who Saved the American Century" is an engaging look at three generals who forever left their stamp upon American history. This work succeeds in showing the men, warts and all, in their struggles to win World War II and beyond. The author highlights the antagonisms, egos, brilliance, sacrifice, and dedication to duty that all three shared. Weintraub correctly paints them as soldier statesmen, officers whose rank made them as much diplomats as warriors. The book does have its flaws, however. Conceptually, a look at the generals during World War II would have made more sense than the half-hearted look at the men after than conflict. World War II takes up about 400 pages of this 500 page tomb and the last few chapters feel tacked on, more an epilogue than an in-depth continuation of the study. Both MacArthur and Marshall's deaths are accorded several pages, Ike got barely a paragraph. Weintraub justifies this by stating that after MacArthur's death their lives ceased to intertwine. Additionally, one would have liked a closer looked at the general's strategies during the war- this book is a shared biographical sketch, however, not an true military history.

Despite its flaws "15 Stars" really shines in a few areas. One comes to appreciate the tireless and thankless work of George C. Marshall, as he struggled to organize the American military establishment and coordinate strategy with an antagonistic British ally. MacArthur is shown as the egotist that he was, yet still Weintraub manages to convey his brilliant leadership that won the hearts of his men and the respect of a grateful nation. Eisenhower's personal life, such as his relationship with Kay Summersby are front and center, as is his often stumbling presidency. Nevertheless Ike is shown as a meticulous and intelligent military man whose daring and determination added greatly to the Allied cause against Hitler.

This is an interesting and informative book about three men whose contributions to their nation stand unparalleled in history. Recommended for anyone who has a greater desire to understand the American personalities who fought World War II from the top.

Having named my son after two of these generals, I was very excited to find this book. Admittedly, I'm a beginner to WWII history. I found this book very difficult to read-- Weintrab jumps back and forth through time without a lot of clarity. I'm sure if I were more well-read, all the facts he puts forth would be more clear to me. As it was, it was difficult to comprehend. Probably the biggest hang-up for me was his scathing attitude towards MacArthur-- it's so obvious he despises the man that he discredits the rest of his writing. MacArthur wasn't perfect, but his treatment of him was unfair to say the least, especially considering the title. I could hardly keep reading.