Buying Options

Print List Price:	$34.95
Kindle Price:	$9.99 Save $24.96 (71%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

Deliver to your Kindle Library

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Witness to Power: The Life of Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy by [Henry H. Adams]

Follow the Author

Henry H. Adams

Witness to Power: The Life of Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy Kindle Edition

by Henry H. Adams (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

17 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$35.68

—

$13.70

Paperback

"Please retry"

$34.57

$29.19

$34.95

Kindle
$9.99 Read with Our Free App
Hardcover
$35.68

12 Used from $13.70
Paperback
$34.57

3 Used from $34.95 12 New from $29.19

Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy (1875-1959) served as the most senior US military officer on active duty during World War II. As Chief of Naval Operations (1937-1939), he oversaw the US Navy’s preparations for war. After retiring from the Navy, he was appointed governor of Puerto Rico in 1939 by his close friend President Franklin D. Roosevelt, before serving as US Ambassador to France (1940–42) in Vichy where he had limited success keeping the Vichy government free of German control.

Leahy was recalled to active duty as personal Chief of Staff to FDR in 1942 and chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff throughout World War II. He continued as personal Chief of Staff under President Harry S. Truman until his retirement in 1949.

“This is probably the definitive biography of Admiral Leahy... Adams has worked hard on this book: it is well written, well researched and comprehensive.” — The American Historical Review

“[A] workmanlike and overdue biography of a naval officer too long relegated to the shadows... Biographer Adams reminds us that the reticent admiral was a truly unique figure... The author relates that Leahy once told an aide that when asked about him the aide should, ‘Tell him anything so long as it’s the truth.’ Professor Adams has heeded that admonition and while the result isn’t racy, it is certainly sound.” — Naval War College Review

“Henry Adams has produced an excellent and much needed chronicle of a man generally ignored during most of his active life by the mass media. In addition, the book is enjoyable to read.” — Armed Forces & Society

Print length

648 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

December 12, 2021
File size

7553 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Phillips Payson O'Brien
381
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $6.99
Vice Admiral E. P. Forrestel USN
74
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $4.99
John Winton
579
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Henry Hitch Adams
13
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Henry H. Adams (1917-2002) received his MA and PhD from Columbia University. After service in the navy during World War II, he taught at Cornell and then joined the faculty at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was professor of English and history. In 1968 he became head of the English department at Illinois State University. He retired from teaching five years later to pursue a full-time writing career. Among the many books Adams has written are Harry Hopkins: A Biography, Italy at War, and a four-volume history of World War II: Years of Deadly Peril: The Coming of the War, 1939-1941, 1942: The Year that Doomed the Axis, Years of Expectation: Guadalcanal to Normandy, and Years to Victory: Omaha Beach to Tokyo Bay. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NL378JK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plunkett Lake Press (December 12, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 12, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 7553 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 648 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #742,803 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #516 in Biographies of World War II
- #2,056 in Military & Spies Biographies
- #2,114 in WWII Biographies

Customer Reviews:
17 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Henry H. Adams

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 out of 5

17 global ratings

5 star		100%
4 star 0% (0%)		0%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

flybytrade

A Key Leader in WW-II

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy was a very pivotal military leader during WW-II, however his role is not emphasized a great deal. He was the Senior Officer of WW-II the first person in the US Military to hold a 5 Star rank, too few people are aware of this. His role was to directly advise President Franklin D. Roosevelt in WW-II and later President Truman in Military matters he mediated and broke many stalemates of many meetings between Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and General of the Army George C. Marshall and other Generals and Admirals, US and Allied. He also attended most high level meetings with the President of the US, Prime Ministers of Britain and Premier Stalin and provided military recommendations to all. I am glad I found this book I am retired from the US Navy and few modern Sailors or Marines have even heard of William D. Leahy, which is a shame. I am also surprised that neither PBS or the Biography Channel have not created a video about this Admiral and Statesman. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Military History, WW-II History or US Navy History. The book is rare and no longer in print and has not been in quite sometime.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Intrepid

Witness to Power

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

I am a retired naval officer, therefore an avid student of military and political boigraphies, and non-fictional history. I had read this book about 20 years ago when friend loaned me his copy. Nobody ever hears about Fleet Admiral Leahy who was the senior officer in uniform during WWII, and the Military Advisor to the President, i.e., ChairmaN of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I felt that it was time to read it again, so I purchased it through Amazon. The memories came back about his devotion to duty and his ability to achieve unanimity of purpose/decision among the Joint Chiefs, and also,desire to avoid personal acclamation. He's the thin naval officer standing behind thePresident at the major conferences of the Allied Chiefs of State. I was not disappointed. For the same reason i will soon reread my copy (to refresh my memory) of the biography of Fleet Admiral King, CNO, ... and C-in-C, U.S. Navy Fleets, about whom I wrote my snior paper at the U.S. Naval Academy.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

S. McGraw

This book would have been great had I actually received the correct book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book would have been great had I actually received the correct book. I bought it three times from three separate sellers and each time it came from the same warehouse and it was the same book, Witness to Power: the Nixon Years.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sirgefro

A Must for scholars of leadership

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 4, 2020

Verified Purchase

A great book about quiet professional and unsung hero.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Scott Eveland

Haven't read it, but love it anyway. Why, you ask ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

The 5 stars are this great American and Amazon coming through when I need them.

Leahy was one of the greatest Americans of the last century. One of only a handful of 5-star general officers. An Admiral who was FDR's right-hand man.

Ok, Leahy was great. The big deal here was that I could not find, after exhaustive search an e-book version (or any other) until ...

AMAZON CAME TO THE RESCUE!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Anthony

Extremely interesting. Admiral Leahy's influence on the American World ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

Extremely interesting. Admiral Leahy's influence on the American World War II experience does not get the credit it deserves, this book helps provide that understanding

One person found this helpful

Helpful

RJ

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

AN UNSUNG HERO

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Richard F. Anderson