Dear General: Eisenhower's Wartime Letters to Marshall [Paperback]

Joseph P. Hobbs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 1999

While carrying out his missions, Eisenhower sent over one hundred letters to Marshall, his superior officer, mentor, and chief supporter. The seventy-five letters published and analyzed here trace the growth of the relationship between Eisenhower and the man who had elevated him to the position of Supreme Commander. They also describe Eisenhower's response to the problems he faced in commanding the largest and most complex military organization in history. This collection offers an interesting and penetrating look at the events that transpired and the man who orchestrated them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Perhaps one of the best volumes on the problems of command during World War II.

(Leo J. Daugherty III Armor )

This collection is the raw material of history refined by an able historian. Here are seventy- five significant letters sent by Eisenhower to his chief supporter and mentor, General of the Army George C. Marshall, from the time of Torch (the invasion of North Africa) to victory in Europe... Without doubt, Eisenhower's reputation as a man and a leader will be enhanced by this fine work.

(Air Force Magazine )

"Reveals (as only unofficial documents can) the magnitude of Eisenhower's task and his steady, poised progress toward V-E Day. His maturation from Marshall's staff representative to Supreme Commander is evident here, providing a magnetic study in diplomacy, strategic expertise, and profound intuition of how human beings as individuals or en masse.

(Library Journal )

Eisenhower's letters to Marshall are some of the most fascinating documents in the Eisenhower Papers... a valuable commentary on various phases of Allied strategy and the American war effort. They also disclose the man who wrote them, the development of his thought, his grasp of strategy and his technique of command.

(Army Quarterly )

Although poles apart in personality—Marshall being as cool and aloof as Eisenhower was open and gregarious—they shared characteristics and attitudes that were militarily important. Both were staff rather than command officers who excelled in planning operations. Both agreed that a commander's first responsibility should be to build an efficient command organization, and they shared heroes in common in their admiration of Ben Franklin and Robert E. Lee.

(Kansas City Star )

About the Author

Joseph P. Hobbs is professor of history at North Carolina State University at Raleigh. He served as assistant editor on the staff which edited The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower: The War Years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 267 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (May 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801862191
• ISBN-13: 978-0801862199
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,646,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Marshall, John
  • #54 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( E ) > Eisenhower, Dwight D.

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