Overview

Douglas MacArthur is best remembered for his ability to adapt, a quality that catalyzed his greatest accomplishments. Adaptability has become an indispensable trait for military leadership in an era of technological leaps that guarantee the nature of war will radically change during the span of an ordinary career. One of the first proponents of a new dimension in warfare - the Air Force - MacArthur was also unmatched historically for his management of peace during the U.S. occupation of Japan. For generations to come, MacArthur's legacy will yield profitable - and entertaining - examples to Americans in and out of uniform.

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9780230613973

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Reviews

'A vivid, compelling portrait of our most enigmatic battlefield commander. Richard B. Frank strips away both myth and malarkey to reveal both Douglas MacArthur the general and Douglas MacArthur the man.' - Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer prize-winning author of An Army at Dawn: The War In North Africa, 1942-1943 'Richard B. Frank's incisive biography of General Douglas MacArthur offers not only a great read, but a timely and useful study both of the dilemmas of civil-military relations and the challenges facing American military leaders thrust onto a global stage. The writing is always clear, the history always accurate, and the analysis consistently stimulating. For all his faults, MacArthur was indisputably a great man among great contemporaries, this book will make the reader ponder the disappearance of such greatness among our nation's leaders, military or civilian.' - Ralph Peters, author of New Glory and Never Quit The Fight 'Douglas MacArthur was either the greatest American military commander of the 20th century, or a dangerous meglomaniac. In this shrewd, fair, but unblinking biogaphy, MacArthur is both at once-brilliant and deeply flawed and, in Frank's skillful telling, an endlessly fascinating character. Rich Frank has long been a premier historian of the Pacific War. Now he has shown that he is first rank biographer as well.' - Evan Thomas, Newsweek editor-at-large and author of Sea of Thunder 'A classic example of good things in small packages, this addition to the Great Generals Series owes much to its author, an expert on the Pacific War and a particularly accomplished writer. Those attainments allow him to do a remarkable degree of justice to his subject, one of the most controversial leaders in American history. From early on, MacArthur, scion of a military family, exhibited great talents and a colossal ego that made it difficult for him to cooperate with either his fellow commanders or his civilian superiors, leading one of the latter, President Truman, to terminate his career during the Korean War. MacArthur's insensitivity to politics didn't, however, prevent him from practicing a high level of statesmanship as military governor of occupied Japan. Frank's portrait of him is that of a man clearly related to the little girl who had a little curl in the middle of her forehead. When he was good, he was indispensable; when he was bad, he made colleagues and superiors think of firing squads. A good addition for any and all twentieth-century American history collections.' - Booklist 'Frank (Guardalcanal) presents the reader with a fair assessment of both the man and the soldier, covering the failures and triumphs in an assured and dispassionate tone.' - David Lee Poremba, Haines City P.L., FL 'His own unique take on this historic figure.' - NewsMax 'No general in American uniform during World War II was more controversial or more idolized than Douglas MacArthur. It takes a rigidly objective historian and painstakingly careful research to produce a biography of him that is both balanced and accurate. Richard B. Frank has succeeded brilliantly.' - Brian John Murphy, America in WWII 'America is hard on its politicians and generals. Whereas writers and composers are remembered for their creative peaks, and their lesser works are forgiven, politicians are often remembered for their failures, generals for their blunders. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was long an exception to this rule, for he spent a lifetime burnishing his image and training a staff to do likewise. But history is catching up, and we now have a readable and objective biography by respected World War II historian Richard B. Frank, who is immune to the general's considerable charisma.' - John M. Taylor, The Washington Times 'A classic example of good things in small packages, this addition to the Great Generals Series owes much to its author, an expert on the Pacific War and a particularly accomplished writer. Those attainments allow him to do a remarkable degree of justice to his subject, one of the most controversial leaders in American history!A good addition for any and all twentieth-century American history collections.' - Booklist on MacArthur

'A vivid, compelling portrait of our most enigmatic battlefield commander. Richard B. Frank strips away both myth and malarkey to reveal both Douglas MacArthur the general and Douglas MacArthur the man.' - Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer prize-winning author of An Army at Dawn: The War In North Africa, 1942-1943 'Richard B. Frank's incisive biography of General Douglas MacArthur offers not only a great read, but a timely and useful study both of the dilemmas of civil-military relations and the challenges facing American military leaders thrust onto a global stage. The writing is always clear, the history always accurate, and the analysis consistently stimulating. For all his faults, MacArthur was indisputably a great man among great contemporaries, this book will make the reader ponder the disappearance of such greatness among our nation's leaders, military or civilian.' - Ralph Peters, author of New Glory and Never Quit The Fight 'Douglas MacArthur was either the greatest American military commander of the 20th century, or a dangerous meglomaniac. In this shrewd, fair, but unblinking biogaphy, MacArthur is both at once-brilliant and deeply flawed and, in Frank's skillful telling, an endlessly fascinating character. Rich Frank has long been a premier historian of the Pacific War. Now he has shown that he is first rank biographer as well.' - Evan Thomas, Newsweek editor-at-large and author of Sea of Thunder 'A classic example of good things in small packages, this addition to the Great Generals Series owes much to its author, an expert on the Pacific War and a particularly accomplished writer. Those attainments allow him to do a remarkable degree of justice to his subject, one of the most controversial leaders in American history. From early on, MacArthur, scion of a military family, exhibited great talents and a colossal ego that made it difficult for him to cooperate with either his fellow commanders or his civilian superiors, leading one of the latter, President Truman, to terminate his career during the Korean War. MacArthur's insensitivity to politics didn't, however, prevent him from practicing a high level of statesmanship as military governor of occupied Japan. Frank's portrait of him is that of a man clearly related to the little girl who had a little curl in the middle of her forehead. When he was good, he was indispensable; when he was bad, he made colleagues and superiors think of firing squads. A good addition for any and all twentieth-century American history collections.' - Booklist 'Frank (Guardalcanal) presents the reader with a fair assessment of both the man and the soldier, covering the failures and triumphs in an assured and dispassionate tone.' - David Lee Poremba, Haines City P.L., FL 'His own unique take on this historic figure.' - NewsMax 'No general in American uniform during World War II was more controversial or more idolized than Douglas MacArthur. It takes a rigidly objective historian and painstakingly careful research to produce a biography of him that is both balanced and accurate. Richard B. Frank has succeeded brilliantly.' - Brian John Murphy, America in WWII 'America is hard on its politicians and generals. Whereas writers and composers are remembered for their creative peaks, and their lesser works are forgiven, politicians are often remembered for their failures, generals for their blunders. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was long an exception to this rule, for he spent a lifetime burnishing his image and training a staff to do likewise. But history is catching up, and we now have a readable and objective biography by respected World War II historian Richard B. Frank, who is immune to the general's considerable charisma.' - John M. Taylor, The Washington Times 'A classic example of good things in small packages, this addition to the Great Generals Series owes much to its author, an expert on the Pacific War and a particularly accomplished writer. Those attainments allow him to do a remarkable degree of justice to his subject, one of the most controversial leaders in American history!A good addition for any and all twentieth-century American history collections.' - Booklist on MacArthur

Author Information

RICHARD B. FRANK is the author of Guadalcanal and Downfall and winner of the General William Greene Award and the Harry S. Truman Book Award. He lives in Annandale, Virginia, USA.

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