26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating look at a surpisingly complex man, March 2, 2003
Through the lens of history, Dwight David Eisenhower, General of the Army, Supreme Allied Commander, President, is often seen as the affable embodiment of all that it is to be American. Of course, the truth is actually much more interesting. In Carlo D'Este's superb biography we are introduced to an Eisenhower who is full of contradictions and failings, but one who ultimately takes on a greater, and certainly more real, stature as a result of them.
As with his likewise excellent biography of Patton, D'Este sets the stage for Eisenhower's life by exploring the origins and beliefs of his forebears. As a result, the reader is introduced to perhaps the greatest irony of Eisenhower's life: his parents were staunch pacifists, and while proud of their son's accomplishments, were never particularly comfortable with his chosen career path. It is also worth noting that Eisenhower's life was utterly different from George Patton's, whose career became intertwined with his own. Unlike Patton's privileged upbringing, Eisenhower was dirt poor for pretty much his entire life, and yet the two men were close friends for decades before the pressures of war drove them irretrievably apart.
What is perhaps most interesting about Eisenhower, is that America's most well known soldier never actually directly commanded men in combat. His proficiency as a trainer kept him out of the trenches of WWI, and his skill as a staff officer meant that thereafter, he was always the brain behind the throne for a string of officers including such luminaries as MacArthur and Marshall. Yet, it was this perceived deficit in his resume that actually proved to be his greatest strength.
Above all, Eisenhower was a master administrator; he could take a long view of the situation, and insomuch as he was able, build a consensus out of the egos of his generals. It is perhaps the greatest strength of D'Este's research that he can paint a portrait of Eisenhower beset on all sides by prima donnas like Montgomery, Bradley and Patton, who is still able to maintain control over the long term progress of the war. D'Este is particularly scathing of Bradley, who is clearly the most overrated general of World War II, but even with Montgomery and Patton, who were undoubtedly Eisenhower's superiors in matters of operational art, he correctly recognizes that they lacked the fundamental character traits that made Eisenhower so successful as Supreme Commander. Traits like patience, affability, and the ability to place the good of the Allies above his own feelings meant that he could guide a supremely fractious coalition to victory.
That's not to say that D'Este is an unabashed admirer of Eisenhower. He correctly recognizes that, particularly early in the war, Eisenhower was far too tentative in his command. Moreover, he had a tendency to place personal loyalty above competency, and tolerated far too many laggards on his staff for political reasons. Moreover, as an infantryman, Eisenhower never completely grasped the need for maneuver and speed in his operations, a failing that lay at the root of his problems with Patton. That said, Eisenhower is often unduly criticized for not capturing Berlin. Military considerations and possibilities aside, any captured territory behind that designated in the Yalta agreements would have been turned over to the Soviets at the conclusion of hostilities anyway.
Finally, a few complaints about what is overall an excellent work. First, D'Este all too frequently digresses into long descriptions of the operational situation and then fails to link it back to Eisenhower. It is perhaps inevitable in that Eisenhower was in a position where he was frequently just an overseer. Still, I would argue that there are plenty of fine operational histories of WWII, and that the narrative could have been greatly improved by more effectively tying Eisenhower to the action on the ground. Secondly, while I applaud the use of primary sources, D'Este's use of the them is oddly stilted. For example, he will insert the text of a letter from Mamie Eisenhower to Ike, but then fail to link it to the overall flow of the narrative. Such non sequitors can be very disruptive, and more than once I had to flip back a page to pick up the point D'Este was trying to convey. Lastly, I was rather disappointed that D'Este didn't include Eisenhower's illustrious post-war career. While 1945 is certainly a logical stopping point, and D'Este can hardly be blamed for not tackling the monumental task of researching the post-war years, I finished this work feeling that I didn't have a complete picture of either Eisenhower the soldier, or the man.
Those complaints aside, I would like to reiterate that this is a superb biography. As was the case with "Patton: A Genius" for war, D'Este reveals his admiration when appropriate but is never unbalanced as a result. He gives a fair evaluation of Eisenhower's triumphs, and likewise considers his tragedies, and his miscues. Throughout, he offers a fascinating, thoroughly real portrait of a remarkable man. Perhaps the best compliment I can pay to this book is to state that it is my sincere hope that D'Este will follow it up with a second volume covering 1945 to the end of Eisenhower's life.
Jake Mohlman
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another fine biography by D'Este, June 11, 2002
In his second foray into biographies, D'este does a brillant job of bringing Eisenhower the man to the fore front. D'Este gives a great deal of insight into the nature of Eisenhower's peronality by delving into the relationships he had with his brothers and the some-what unique relationship he had with Mamie his wife. D'Este, in addition, shows a much differnt side of chain-smoking Eisenhower, than the public usually sees, who has quite a temper and a vocabulary to make a sailor blush.
One of the best sections of the book deals with Eisenhower's leadership during the North African campaign. D'Este characterizes this period of where Ike's leadership was lacking for incompetant.
The author does a great job dealing with Operation Overlord (for the definitive account of the Normandy campaign read the author's Decision in Normandy) and the time period leading up to the German surrender.
This is a fine biography and one that should be in every WW II student's library. What makes this biography great is D'Este demonstrates all sides of Eisenhower - both good and bad; and his analysis is first rate.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Human Dimensions of An American Hero, August 2, 2002
Having already read D'Este's Patton: A Genius for War, I was eager to read this biography of Eisenhower and found it to be of comparable quality in terms of scope, depth, and eloquence of analysis. Moreover, D'Este offers a portrait of Eisenhower somewhat different from those I had previously found in other studies of one of our nation's greatest generals. For example, until reading this book I was unaware of the nature and extent of Eisenhower's stress-induced illnesses and am now curious about their impact on his judgment. (Do they help to explain his commitment to the Market Garden initiative?) Also, D'Este indicates that Eisenhower was by no means the great strategist which I had once assumed him to be, nor especially effective as a field commander. Prior to leading the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942, he had never been in combat. His promotion less than two years later (from colonel to four-star general) removed him entirely from field operations. He had a volcanic temper and tended to play favorites (e.g. Bradley, Hodges, and Clark). If the buck stopped on his desk, he must assume primary responsibility for failures such as the Anzio and Salerno invasions as well as for the vulnerabilities which German strategists exploited during the Battle of the Bulge.
His greatest strengths include being able to resolve or at least neutralize conflicts between and among prima donnas such as Patton and Montgomery; gaining the loyalty and devotion of his staff officers; being revered and trusted by the troops; and meanwhile, sustaining the support of Roosevelt, Churchill, and (most importantly) Marshall.
It is important to keep in mind that D'Este limits his attention almost entirely to Eisenhower's military career, devoting almost no attention to Eisenhower's private life. Readers must seek elsewhere for a probing analysis of Eisenhower's personal relationships such as those with wife Mamie and his female driver, Kay Summersby. For me, the book's greatest value is derived from what I characterize as D'Este's "You Are There Strategy" as he enables his reader to accompany Eisenhower throughout his military career. Along the way, we learn about his childhood, his erratic years at the U.S. Military Academy, various peacetime assignments following his commission, and finally his tenure as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War Two.
According to D'Este and countless others, Eisenhower was probably the only person (with the possible exception of Marshall who was needed elsewhere) who could have assumed and discharged the duties and responsibilities entrusted to him in that position. His 'finest hour" occurred when he (and he alone) had to decide whether or not to launch the invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944. Perhaps at no other time (before or since) did Eisenhower feel greater pressure. He fully accepted that burden and, as specified in writing on the eve of the invasion, he accepted full responsibility if the invasion failed. British General Alan Brooke once observed that Eisenhower "learned a lot during the war, but tactics, strategy, and command were never his strong suits." I am unqualified to comment on that observation but D'Este seems to agree with Brooke. Be that as it may, Eisenhower's position is secure among our nation's most distinguished military leaders. Moreover, there are also quite specific reasons why so many people loved him. His is an eminence few other American heroes can claim.
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