Macarthurs War: Korea and the Undoing of an American Hero - Softcover

Weintraub, Stanley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743205030 ISBN 13: 9780743205030

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2001

Synopsis

In a dramatic chronicle of an almost forgotten war, Stanley Weintraub reveals why the most famous American general of the twentieth century failed to grasp the realities of the Korean conflict and its political repercussions. Focusing on MacArthur's leadership of the U.N. forces during the bloody summer of 1950 and beyond, Weintraub portrays an arrogant and failing autocrat more concerned with his own image than with military strategies.Weintraub's descriptions of fellow officers, ordinary soldiers, and civilian reporters at the mercy of MacArthur's rule add a moving dimension to a seminal study of a highly flawed American legend. His original research makes it clear that MacArthur's gross insubordination and persistent attempts to extend the conflict into mainland China, not his call for the use of nuclear weapons, made his downfall inevitable.

About this title

Review:

Brigadier General Edwin Howard Simmons (ret.),

Director Emeritus, Marine Corps History and author of "The United States Marines: A History"

Stanley Weintraub gives a fast-moving, vivid, and revealing account, in very human and personal terms, of the flawed genius of General Douglas MacArthur in his roller-coaster conduct of the first ten months of the Korean War.

Douglas Brinkley

Director of the Eisenhower Center and Professor of History at the University of New Orleans; author of "The American Heritage History of the United States"

With vivid clarity Stanley Weintraub retells the amazing story of General Douglas MacArthur's Cold War escapades in Korea. A fascinating, well-rendered history of the General who refuses to fade away.

D. Clayton James

author of "The Years of MacArthur"

A passionate account of the Far East chief's stewardship, surely one of the most vivid and penetrating critiques of The Great One that has been penned. Combining fresh insights and some often-overlooked sources, Weintraub mixes in his strong personal sentiments and masterful style to give us an unforgettable 'you are there' spellbinder.

John Lehman "The Wall Street Journal" An excellent book to read on the...anniversary of "The Forgotten War."

Bob Minzesheimer "USA Today" Weintraub vividly re-creates the first ten months of the Korean War -- from MacArthur's daring and successful amphibious landing at Inchon to his disastrous Chosin Reservoir campaign.

David M. Kennedy "The New York Times Book Review" For depicting the agony of the war on the ground and for cutting MacArthur down to size, this impassioned book has few equals.

About the Author:

Stanley Weintraub is Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities at Pennsylvania State University. He has written acclaimed works of military history on World Wars I and II, including A Stillness Heard Round the World and Long Day's Journey into War. He lives in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0743205030
• ISBN 13: 9780743205030
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400