Customer Reviews

Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War

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Larrabee presents a convincing study of FDR as a shrewd strategist. However, I was quite taken by his concise, penetrating pieces on Marshall, Eisenhower, Nimitz, and King all whom came alive to this reader. His treatments of Arnold, Vandergrift, MacArthur, Stillwell, and LeMay are also well done. Never having read much on either Marshall and Eisenhower, I came away from this book with a profound respect for both men.If for some reason you labor under the illusion that Eisenhower is merely a "political general", read this book. Look at this way. George C. Marshall, a man whose strength of character is equalled only by maybe Robert E. Lee, handpicked Eisenhower. That in itself speaks volumes about Ike. King emerges as perhaps the best strategist of this star-studded group. It is indeed a shame that the hard-nosed, brilliant King is virtually forgotten. The author peppers his writing with lively anecdotes that keep the reader alert and provide telling insights to these men who made the decisions that brought us victory in WWII. Read this book if for no other reason than to enjoy Larrabee's wonderfully crafted treatments of these titans of WWII.

This is an excellent, highly readable overview of the American involvement in World War II. The author himself served as a staff officer in the US Seventh Army fighting Germany and has a strong grasp of air, naval and ground force strategies. Roosevelt is convincingly shown as a leader with a strong understanding of strategy and geo-political factors. The principal commanders of US forces are profiled candidly and fairly. Recommended as a good overall view of the most seminal event of this century.

If you want a good read on the overall strategy and leadership qualities that these men brought to our country in its finest hour, then take off your shoes and settle into your favorite armchair. The referencing that went into the book is impressive. The facts are stunning. The leadership was impressive.

This is one of the most useful and well written books that I have read on World War II. Larrabee discusses in depth some of the leading American commanders, including: Nimitz, Eisenhower, Lemay, MacArthur, King, Marshall, and Stilwell. His discussion of Vandegrift included a lengthy discussion of Chesty Puller and his exploits on Guadalcanal. Obviously, any discussion of Chesty Puller can be extremely humorous, but Larrabee's anecdotes left me in stitches. I have also read a review on this site alleging that Franklin Roosevelt was aware of the pending attack on Pearl Harbor. The reviewer alleges that based upon the correspondence between the German foreign minister and the Japanese government should have made Roosevelt aware of the attack. My only response is that if German participation was a foregone conclusion, then why did Germany wait until December 11th to declare war? This is an extemely useful overview of the American leaders and the strategy that they employed in World War II. It should be required reading by any American history class studying the 20th century.

I picked this book up not by choice in the beginning. I had to have it for a WWII class; I thought the book was going to put a strain on my already hectic schedule. Not the case at all.

This book was outstanding and Larrabee did an excellent job showing the mental, physical, and emotional strain on our leaders. The book is written in profiles so the book started with FDR and worked its way to Lemay for the ending. The profiles do not have to be read consecutively. The profiles were great descriptions with the Vandergrift profile being my favorite. Larrabee did an excellent job describing the Marines battles through their leader General Vandergrift. The profile on FDR showed that he had more strengths than weaknesses. The only apparent weakness being his health. Larrabee does an excellent portrayal of all the leaders and seemed a bit put off by Macarthur. Macarthur's profile was definately the most damning one in the book.

I agree with the one review that says this book should be read. This was a time when our country was united as one. Larrabee also does an excellent look at the Japanese command in the book. He has an in depth history of the Chinese Burma theatre. The book is a great starting point with WWII because the foundations are laid in leadership. Larrabee shows that the war was one with the competence of many great leaders during that time.

He also lead me to ask myself one question. Could FDR run his type of war in present time. I mean he did intern and imprison thousands of Japanese on the West Coast that had done nothing at all. He attacked Germany who never attacked the U.S. It was Japan who struck us on Dec. 7, 1941 not Germany. FDR saw the impending danger of Hitler and struck his head before there was a chance for attack. Maybe History needs to be read more often so future mistakes are not based on lack of knowledge. Also Larrabee shows that FDR did have enemies and the Chicago Tribune leaked a war plan against the Japanese. Thank God the Japanese did not heed this plan.

Larrabee shows there is always opposition against our leaders. FDR had the fortitude to stand up for what he believed and protect the world. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership or WWII.

This is one of the best written studies on Roosevelt's commanders in WWII. It is detailed and interesting without being wordy. Great read for any WWII buff.

This is the best book written about the story of World War Two from the perspective of the American military commanders. It won an award from the Society of American Historians called the Francis Parkman Prize for historical excellence. This book is a World War Two classic. You will not find a better one-volume profile of the American commanders in WWII.

Roosevelt was great at picking the right people for the right positions, such as George Marshall, five star general. In Washington D.C., he was the overall commander of the United States military during the war (and later Truman's Secretary of State). His work was superb and, no doubt, ranks him among the greatest American leaders ever. Read about him in the book.

Many expected that Marshall would be given command of the D-Day invasion (and all it's glory), but when Roosevelt told Marshall that he was thinking of hand-picking Dwight Eisenhower and asked Marshall for his advice, leaving the door open for Marshall to lobby FDR, Marshall dutifully told Roosevelt that he should do only what he thought was best for the country. Roosevelt then moved immediately to appoint Eisenhower. It was a great moment of self-sacrifice for Marshall.

The information in this book on Eisenhower is even better. Read about it in the book.

Another great leader that FDR hand-picked was admiral Ernest King, a tough, demanding and resourceful leader. Roosevelt elevated him to commander of the United States Navy shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, and King proved to be the ideal man at the right time. King was the first aviator to obtain command of the navy, and carrier warfare would emerge as the key to naval warfare during the conflict.

But the best part of this book is how the American commanders led America to victory in World War II. This is great history. It looked very uncertain for years. All of them, including FDR, did a great job. Read the book.

Eric Larrabee not only gives the facts about these men and what made them tick, he backs it up with real OFFICIAL memoranda from the time, often from more than just 2 or 3 sources. His study of Douglas MacArthur is outstanding. What MacArthur apologists won't tell you is that this book is required reading at all US military academies. It should be required in all high schools as well. Well written, well done!

This is not so much a study of FDR as of his senior people, with the character sketches of Eisenhower, Nimitz, King, and Arnold-- and especially Marshall-- being the most rewarding. His judgment is consistently fair and he offers an excellent, if incomplete, history of the grand strategy of the two major theaters, in addition to elucidating some the practical dilemmas facing FDR and his team in building and supplying a vast war machine, almost from scratch. Learn too how FDR used the New Deal to build two aircraft carriers and almost by dictat order the re-creation of an air force on the verge of war. FDR's judgments in personnel decisions (aside perhaps from his machiavellian relationship with MacArthur) raise him to a level of shrewdness approaching genius, in elevating Marshall, and then in elevating Eisenhower to Supreme Allied Commander. Read this book solely for the Marshall section and learn about one of America's most capable and greatest leaders.

This book is an impressive study of U.S. strategy during the Second World War. The title, though, is misleading. The name of the book suggests it is an account of civil-military relations on how Roosevelt interacted with his primary lieutenants. Although that focus is part of this work, there is a lot more to this history than just how FDR worked with a series of flag officers. Larrabee explains, "An essential theme of this book has been leadership, the intangible quality that empowers human beings to influence events through their influence on others" (p. 623).

Roosevelt, of course, is the person with the most influence, but a number of others had an impact on the course of this war. Larrabee provides his readers with deftly drawn portraits of: General of the Army George C. Marshall, Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, General of the Army Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Major General Alexander A. Vandergrift, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Joseph W. Stillwell and Major General Curtis C. LeMay.

One can quibble with these selections, but only a bit. Larabee examines the course of the conflict in the air, land, and sea--a balance that is often lacking in military histories. It does seem, though, that his primary focus is on ground operations and the U.S. Army. The absence of Admirals William F. Halsey, Jr. and Raymond A. Spruance is a bit surprising. Stillwell and Vandergrift, though, are important selections who often get overlooked. Vandergrift and LeMay were primarily operational commanders and had little to no contact with FDR. Their personalities had a big impact in campaigns they initiated and, in turn, the course of the war.

It is also worth noting that Larrabee is more than just a group biographer. He depicts the actual course of combat, showing the impact his subjects had on the war. His coverage of the actual shooting is simple, but informative.

It is clear that the general reader and the military professional will enjoy and profit from this read.