Jean Edward Smith (1932–2019)

Dwight D. Eisenhower seems at this distant remove a not terribly colorful American president. His term of office was an extraordinarily peaceful one and prosperity largely enveloped the country. So it is perhaps not surprising that many do not think of him as a particularly exciting leader. But this fine biography makes clear that this calm and methodical man was one of the most gifted leaders the country has ever known, and, between his remarkably wise guidance as commander of U.S. forces in World War II Europe and his nuanced juggling of the dangers of the Cold War as president, he is revealed as a most dramatic and remarkable figure on the world stage. A staunch Republican, Eisenhower nonetheless rejected reactionary ideas and was the first to state clearly the dangers of business becoming too entrenched in government and the defense of the nation. Not a gifted battlefield commander, his flair was in management and political subtleties during his military career, and these same gifts served him remarkably as president. A man who left the presidency even more popular than when he began, Eisenhower's career and personality are rewarding studies, and Jean Edward Smith has done a splendid job illuminating them. His prose is imminently readable and compelling, his research apparently precise and assiduous. This book is highly recommended for anyone who cares to have a clear impression of the conduct of the war in the European theater or of the dynamics of the Cold War and the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. It is as vital, forthright, and finely organized as was the man who is its subject.… (more)