Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen [Paperback]

George C. Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Matthew B. Ridgway was a significant figure in United States history. He commanded the 82nd Airborne Division in the invasion in Europe; he succeeded MacArthur in Korea; he was the U.S. delegate to the United Nations; he served as Supreme Commander of the Far East and Supreme Commander in Europe. He was counselor to four presidents, helped found a university research center on national security, and was a powerful influence in national affairs for 40 years. Using Ridgway's personal papers, George Mitchell offers a unique and compelling view of this authentic American hero.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Affectionate, tightly written and comprehensive, this is a masterful distillation of the essence of Matthew Ridgway--soldier, statesman and scholar. -- Army Magazine, September 2002

About the Author

George C. Mitchell was a career diplomat and president of the National Council of World Affairs Organizations. He currently resides in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811722945
• ISBN-13: 978-0811722940
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, January 6, 2008

By 

David Gwinn "TWA Capt-Ret." (KCMo) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen (Paperback)

Through correspondence and telephone calls, Matt Ridgway and I became friends. I attended his 85th birthday party in Pittsburgh, with all of his old General-staff from WWII and Korea. he was still 'flint' at 85. Matt talked Ike out of entering Vietnam (IndoChina) in '54, and convinced JFK that it could not be won. this is a wonderful book about a man who lost his beloved son, Mattie (age 20) and rather emotionally imploded after that. Incidentally, I presented him with 'the book' that saved his life in Korea. It was a paperback, with a 50-caliber shell sticking about 3" out either side. Matt is beside me in the photo and howling. "Penny, I know you want this book that brought Matt home to you." It was title: "Hot Army Nurses". The room went up in laughter. Great man...great book....Marshall called him "the finest soldier who ever wore the uniform'. [e-mail]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid, October 8, 2008

By 

Cosmoetica "cosmoeticadotcom" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen (Paperback)

Of all the great American military leaders the last century produced, from Black Jack Pershing to the World War Two icons- Dwight D, Eisenhower, Chester Nimitz, George Patton, Omar Bradley, George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, through Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf, perhaps the greatest of them all, militarily speaking, was General Matthew Bunker Ridgway, the man who took over from MacArthur after Big Mac was dismissed by President Harry S. Truman during the Korean War. It was Ridgway, Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, who rallied the UN Forces from nearly being pushed into the sea by the North Koreans, Russians, and Chinese, and forced what has been an over half century long stalemate. Because of things as this, General Marshall, in fact, called Ridgway, `the finest soldier I have known.' General called it `the greatest feat of personal leadership in the history of the Army.'

Yet, the book Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen, rereleased in 2002 by Stackpole Books (231 pages, $15.95), and penned by George C. Mitchell, does little to expand on the essence of the man. His personal life is a virtual cipher, which renders his son's accidental death, years before his own death, a mere fact, with no pathos nor gravitas given to it, for we hardly know the boy, nor his relationship with his father, to care that much over the loss. At best, this book is a straightforward rendering of the four aspects of the man its subtitle claims. While this makes for a good encyclopedia entry, as a book, it makes for rough reading. Especially odd is that this rather dry rendering was written by Dr. George C. Mitchell, a well known journalist, diplomat, and educator who had the advantage of knowing his subject before his death before his July 26, 1993, death at the age of 98. Yet, he never exploits this fact to his reader's benefits, with personal anecdotes nor reminiscences of the great man in his dotage. There is no play with form nor stretching of the medium. Of course, given its subject, the book could not be bad, for even an A to B to C journey through the life of such as man as Matthew B. Ridgway is informative and enlightening. Yet, the book never makes a claim for putting its subject on a par with his contemporaries, as MacArthur nor Patton.... I just hope that a book like this will serve as a spur to a future military historian who feels that Matthew B. Ridgway deserves better and deeper treatment. Often it takes a third or fourth stab at a biography of a historical figure to get the true historical significance of a man. Perhaps someone like a David McCullough, if he ever decides to turn his attention to more recent times, will take a stab at Ridgway before he, too, leaves this earth. The only other book to really even deal with Ridgway in any extended manner was Clay Blair's The Forgotten War: America In Korea, 1950-1953, but that only did so in a few sections about the larger war. Ridgway, of course, won many honors, such as a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Distinguished Service Medal, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a Medal of Freedom, as well as a Combat Infantryman Badge- rarely given to officers, and he was also decorated by many other nations. Would that these words held the same regard for him and the time reading this book would be a good way to be entertained while learning. As it is, even a stroll through the factual online mess that is Wikipedia can satisfy the casual fact hunter as well as this book can. It will also save your fingers the burden of turning pages, although it may not ease you into sleep as well. Such tradeoffs are what military men endure in life, and what some leave after their deaths.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent review of a great soldier's life, July 11, 2007

By 

Brooklyn "History Guy" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Matthew B. Ridgway: Soldier, Statesman, Scholar, Citizen (Paperback)

I have to respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer's take on this book. While the book is choppy at times in the way that it is formatted, it is still a very good biography.

The previous reviewer stated that it was disappointing because it did not compare to Carlo D'Este's biography of George Patton ( A Genius for War). However I do not feel that this is a fair comparison. How many military biographies can compare to this classic?

I think that this book should be judged on its merits and in my opinion; the author does a good job of telling the life story of this great American General.

Each chapter is dedicated to a certain section of Ridgeway's life; Korea, Joint Chiefs of Staff, etc and while at times this does make the book seem choppy, it still is a pretty good book if you want to learn about Matthew Ridgeway.

One last note about the book, to his credit the author George C. Mitchell does manage to accomplish something very important when writing a biography. It left me wanting to know more about the subject and read more about Ridgeway's life.

I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a good introduction into Ridgeway's career and life.