Allies: Pearl Harbor To D-day [Paperback]

John S.D. Eisenhower (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2000

Dwight D. Eisenhower once remarked that "the history of alliances is a history of failure." This provocative, absorbing work, based on a study by the General and written by his son, is a history of one of the great exceptions, the most successful military alliance the world has ever seen—the Anglo-American military alliance of World War II. At once a study of the prodigious undertaking that brought millions of men and women together to defeat the Axis and a portrait of the great personalities who built and sustained the alliance, Allies offers vivid glimpses of war at the working level: on a convoy crossing the Atlantic, with a secret landing party on the coast of northern Africa, and with armored units in Tunisia. Eisenhower has crafted a powerful narrative and a most valuable contribution to the literature of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A satisfying history, at once colorful and clear...[of] the grand strategy of the war." -- New York Times Book Review

"Already a proven military historian, the son of General Dwight Eisenhower enhances his reputation with this study." -- Choice

About the Author

John S.D. Eisenhower's books include The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge, Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott, and So Far from God: The U.S. War with Mexico, 1846–1848. He lives near Easton, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (November 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306809419
• ISBN-13: 978-0306809415
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,175,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winston, Franklin, Ike, and gang, July 9, 2005

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Allies, Pearl Harbor to D-Day (Hardcover)

John S.D. Eisenhower is a very competent historian who has written half a dozen outstanding books about war. What he lacks in flash and dash he makes up for with clarity and an interesting sustained narrative.

"Allies" is about the making of joint British/American strategy to defeat Germany in World War II. It was not an easy relationship. The Brits and the Yanks often disagreed on fundamental issues of how to fight the war. The British regarded the American as rank unrealistic amateurs and the Americans were suspicious that they were being used to preserve the British empire. The opening quote from Winston Churchill describes the relationship: "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them."

"Allies" is enlivened by many ancedotes illustrating both the foibles and the virtues of the high and mighty in the two commands. It was brought home to me the difficulty and dangers of traveling in those days -- even for prime ministers and commanding generals.

The principal characters of the book are Churchill, Roosevelt, and Marshall and their staffs -- but Dwight David Eisenhower comes into his own during the book. He seems to have been the one man on both sides who could forge a workable military partnership and the book ends with his laconic decision to invade Europe, "OK, we'll go." (The author apologizes for his emphasis on his father -- but such emphasis seems justifed.)

"Allies" was written more than 20 years ago, but is not out of date in any way that I can find. I recommend it highly for the strategic overview it provides to the conduct of the war in Europe by the United Kingdom and the United States.

Smallchief