Eisenhower

A Soldier's Life

Carlo D'Este

A John Macrae/Holt Paperbacks Book

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“An excellent book . . . D’Este’s masterly account comes into its own.” —The Washington Post Book World

Born into hardscrabble poverty in rural Kansas, the son of stern pacifists, Dwight David Eisenhower graduated from high school more likely to teach history than to make it. Casting new light on this profound evolution, Eisenhower chronicles the unlikely, dramatic rise of the supreme Allied commander.

With full access to private papers and letters, Carlo D’Este has exposed for the first time the untold myths that have surrounded Eisenhower and his family for over fifty years, and identified the complex and contradictory character behind Ike’s famous grin and air of calm self-assurance.

Unlike other biographies of the general, Eisenhower captures the true Ike, from his youth to the pinnacle of his career and afterward.

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The noise was deafening. Eisenhower and the members of his party climbed onto the roof of the division headquarters to watch in silence as hundreds of aircraft and gliders lumbered into the rapidly darkening sky, again saluting as each aircraft passed by. For Eisenhower, a man unused to publicly expressing his emotions, it was a painfully moving, yet exhilarating experience, and the closest he would come to being one of them. NBC correspondent Merrill Mueller stood nearby and noted that Eisenhower, his hands deep in his pockets, had tears in his eyes.

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Reviews

Praise for Eisenhower

“A persuasive picture . . . D’Este brings to his subject a deep understanding of World War II.” —The New York Times Book Review

“D’Este’s thorough research and careful analysis show us an Eisenhower feeling his way into command.” —Chicago Tribune

“A distinguished historian of World War II . . . Not only a breezy read but a thought-provoking one too.” —The Wall Street Journal

Reviews from Goodreads

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Steven  rated it  
Dec 7, 2009
This massive biography of Dwight Eisenhower, focusing on his life up until World War II's end (705 pages of text), is a major investment of time--but well worth it. A major strength of this work is the nuanced analysis of Ike, both his strengths and his weaknesses. He had many flaws, but he also had ...more
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Michael  rated it  
Jan 14, 2009
An excellent biography of Eisenhower the warrior. I've always been person who thought Eisenhower was overrated. I now a a sense in what George Marshall saw in him. A good read. ...more
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Mike  rated it  
Jan 30, 2012
This is a very good book about Eisenhower from his early life through WWII. It is a very good view of early 20th century American military and what it really takes to become a "surpreme commander." It takes more politics and smarts than most military leaders have. If you like history it is ...more
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About the Author

Carlo D'Este

Carlo D’Este, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and a distinguished military historian, is the author of Patton: A Genius for War and three other books on World War II, all of which received high praise. He lives in New Seabury, Massachusetts.

Carlo D'Este

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Available Formats and Book Details

Eisenhower
A Soldier's Life
Carlo D'Este

Trade Paperback

Trade Paperback
Henry Holt and Co.
A John Macrae/Holt Paperbacks Book
May 2003
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780805056877
ISBN10: 0805056874
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 880 pages, Includes sixteen pages of black-and-white pictures, with five maps
$29.99

Hardcover

Hardcover
Henry Holt and Co.
A John Macrae Book
June 2002
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780805056860
ISBN10: 0805056866
6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches, 864 pages, 16-page b&w insert, 12 maps
$35.00
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From The Publisher

Holt Paperbacks

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