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Summary: The life of a great man.
Review: In 1941 the United States of America started fighting the expansionism of the Japanese Empire during World War II. We needed a man who could win the war, save as many soldiers as possible and make the American people proud of their choice. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a smart choice. He chose General Douglas McArthur, the man would win World War II, make Japan the economic powress it has become, and charmed the American people with his great voice after Korea. This is the life of a man, who many people think, he should have been God, this is the life of General Douglas McArthur.
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Summary: Hero worshipful and dated, but still interesting
Review: Manchester began this examination of the flamboyant MacArthur with the intent to write a critical biography. Yet he became so enamored with his subject that the book turned into an extremely pro-MacArthur book, nearly devoid of criticism. Yet his gifts as a writer/researcher are so pronounced that the reader overlooks this problem. Manchester is in the same league with the brilliant David McCullough, and both historians are able to hold a reader's interest through 800 pages.Manchester's infatuation with MacArthur is evident is his unwillingness to criticize Mac for any military decision. Why is no blame attached to MacArthur leaving his planes on the Manila airstrip in December, 1941? What about his gross insubordination towards his Commander in Chief, Harry Truman, throughout the Korean War? Though Manchester examines these issues in depth, he fails to throw much blame on MacArthur, who remains resplendent, fascinating and brilliant throughout. A particular strength of the book is the examinations of the private relationships in MacArthur's life. Manchester explains in depth Mac's two marriages, the suffocating love he displayed towards son Arthur, and his competitive relationship with Ike, "the best clerk I ever had." This is the standard MacArthur biography and by a wide margin the most readable. Opt for this over the more recent MacArthur biography by Geoffrey Perret, which is almost comically awful. This book is highly recommended.
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Summary: THE FINEST REVIEW OF MAC ARTHUR
Review: Manchester has produced a book that covers the entire life of the controversial five star general, from his infancy to his death, in the finest of detail and in a lively literary style. - If you want to know about MacArthur, this is the book for you. The author very carefully presents facts about the general and lets you the reader make up your mind on where the truth lies. Manchester does not appear to "take sides" in this book; he does not take the general and make him a god, nor does he denigrate what the general has done. He presents the many sides of this mysterious general and lets you, the reader, put it all together which is not difficult, since Manchester provides you the tools to do it: plenty of rich detail, plenty of quotes, excerpts of memos and messages, much detail on his private family life. Again, Manchester does not tell the reader what to think. For example, with the fall of the Philippnes, it seems that the general has made up his mind to stay and, along with his family, expects in a matter-of-fact way to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner by the Japanese. You wonder about his wife and child, but Manchester doesn't tell you what they want to do: he lets them speak. - An excellent biography and significant historical account. Probably the best ever on MacArthur whether you like the general or not.
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Summary: Brilliantly written and inspirational. It is living history
Review: The book is alive and very interesting. It is like reading a newspaper and not a rendition of the facts about a dead man's life. It is inspiring to read how the general overcame every obstacle to achieve his goals. I have read the book more than once.
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