Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott [Paperback]

John S. D. Eisenhower (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1999

The hero of the War of 1812, the conqueror of Mexico City in the Mexican-American War, and Abraham Lincoln’s top soldier during the first six months of the Civil War, General Winfield Scott was a seminal force in the early expansion and consolidation of the American republic. John S. D. Eisenhower explores how Scott, who served under fourteen presidents, played a leading role in the development of the United States Army from a tiny, loosely organized, politics-dominated establishment to a disciplined professional force capable of effective and sustained campaigning.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's about time somebody wrote a biography of Winfield Scott, and reading this fascinating account by accomplished military historian John S. D. Eisenhower, you'll wonder why nobody did it sooner. Scott's career spanned an astonishing 54 years and he spent most of it as a general. He was one of the few American heroes to emerge from the War of 1812; he launched a daring and successful invasion of Mexico in 1847; and he defended a vulnerable Washington, D.C., during the first months of the Lincoln administration in 1861. Scott was a profoundly courageous man with a flair for the organizational side of military life. Yet an unseemly amount of ambition and vanity marred his character, even as these qualities help make him an interesting subject for Eisenhower (who is, you guessed it, the son of Ike). Agent of Destiny is a skilled portrait of a man who is often overshadowed by the generation of Civil War leaders following him. Eisenhower deserves our thanks for writing this magnificent book about a vital figure. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A great but frequently overlooked figure in America during the early decades of the 19th century now gets his due. Military historian Eisenhower (son of the late president, and author of Intervention! The United States and the Mexican Revolution, 1993, etc.) describes a natural leader of imposing stature, overweening pride, exceptional courage, and wide learning, who possessed considerable organizational and diplomatic skills along with outstanding martial instincts. Descended from a Scottish warrior who followed ``Bonnie Prince Charlie'' and escaped from bloody Culloden Moor, Scott was educated at William and Mary College and trained as a lawyer. But he was a born soldier: He loved the glamour of the military life. He raised a ragtag national army to professional levels and boldly recruited social outcasts like Irish and German immigrants, offering advancement to ambitious ethnic men when other professions did not. As the nation's youngest general, Scott distinguished himself in the War of 1812, and he was a hero of the Mexican War in the 1840s. After a brilliant campaign fought entirely on foreign soil, he stormed and captured Mexico City despite considerable political maneuvering on the battlefield and the homefront by a variety of influential enemies. In peacetime, he served successfully as a diplomat to the Canadians, the British, the Seminoles, and the Cherokees. Eisenhower argues that the outspoken Scott's military exploits vastly overshadowed those of Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War--but Taylor, who became president in 1850, was an astute politician and Scott, who lost his bid for the presidency in 1852, was not. Scott served 15 presidents, from Jefferson to Andrew Johnson, retiring as general- in-chief. In an afflicted old age, he organized the defense of Washington and started to build the Union Army in 1861. While Eisenhower largely skirts Scott's personal life, he offers a vivid portrait of Scott's times and accomplishments, and of the violent young nation in which he came to prominence. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806131284
• ISBN-13: 978-0806131283
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States > Civil War > Military Leaders

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid biography, expertly researched and well-written., September 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Agent Of Destiny: The Life And Times Of General Winfield Scott (Hardcover)

Outstanding biography about one of the most important figures in early U.S. military history by one of the finest military historians writing today. General Scott's engaging humanity in all its noblest -- and sometimes ignoble -- forms comes through very clearly in this much-needed biography. Author Eisenhower's wry comments, exemplary writing quality, and impeccable research make reading the story of Scott's life a pleasure from cover to cover. "So Far From God," Eisenhower's history of the Mexican War, 1846-48 (and Gen. Scott's triumphal campaign through Mexico), is currently out of print. This state of affairs should be instantly rectified, if for no other reason than to give this paramount moment in Winfield Scott's military career its proper place on the bookshelf next to John S.D. Eisenhower's wonderful biography of his life.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb study of a fascinating historical character., May 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Agent Of Destiny: The Life And Times Of General Winfield Scott (Hardcover)

In a climate where even the most obscure historical characters have been chronicled many(sometimes too many) times, it's incredible that not more has been written about Winfield Scott. This man's career in uniform spanned over 50 years, it's the equivalent of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs today having entered the armed forces in World War II as a private. A lesson for all of us who tend to read mainly about the "big' events of our nation's history; there were so many smaller conflicts and events that eventually lead up to the Civil War, border conflicts with the Canadians and British,the Seminole Wars, etc., and Scott was there for all of it.<P>John Eisenhower doesn't quite have his son's flair for the written word, but he is a meticulous researcher, and the chapters flow seamlessly together. He has not just written a fine book on a facinating character, but has also written about an under reported, turbulent time in our nation's history.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brief biography of America's foremost antebellum general, September 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott (Paperback)

This book is about the early Republic's leading career Army officer, a man whose many accomplishments over a 50-year span definitely deserves a full biography. The author covers the battles well and provides some insight into period politics, but does not adequately cover Scott's domestic life (such as done in Remini's excellent biography of Henry Clay) and many years are passed by without any mention or barely a mention of Scott's activities, especially during the turbulent 1850's. For example, the book covers the years 1853-1859 in just six pages. It is gratifying to see a biography of this great warrior, but it will be even more rewarding when a more complete, definitive account is undertaken. From what material is provided, the reader is relieved that such a military genius, but political innocent, did not attain the highest office in the land (e.g., Zachary Taylor, Ulysses Grant).