Focusing entirely on General George C. Marshall, chief of staff of the U.S. Army during World War II, and his selection of the best generals to carry out American grand strategy, this book chronicles and critiques the background, character, achievements, and failures of the more than three dozen general officers chosen for top combat group commands—from commanders like Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur.
-A cogent, well-researched, and important contribution to our understanding of Marshall and his commanders that explores their conflicts with each other as well as their battlefield successes and failures.---
Mark A. Stoler, editor of the
George C. Marshall Papers -Provides a marvelous synthesis of the specialized literature on the dozens of leading generals--some famous, many obscure--who directed the military campaigns in the European and Pacific theaters of war.---
Michael Schaller, author of
Douglas MacArthur: Far Eastern General -A superb portrait of a group of army officers that deserves to be read by everyone interested in World War II.---
Jonathan House, author of
Combined Arms Warfare in the Twentieth Century -A crisply written study and effective introduction to the relationship of Marshall and his lieutenants as they waged war in an extremely complex international conflict. It deserves a wide readership.---
Kevin C. Holzimmer, author of
General Walter Krueger: Unsung Hero of the Pacific War"Taaffe's penetrating look at the Army's 'one indispensable man' shows how commanders like Omar Bradley, 'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell, Courtney Hodges, and their peers were selected and deployed--and how they kept their jobs."--
Wall Street Journal"Rarely does an academic historian offer insight into the past and a tutorial on the art of senior-level command. Taaffe accomplishes both. . . . Essential reading."--Proccedings, U.S. Naval Academy
"Provides a collective portrait of the ground army's senior officer corps that is searching and complex."--Pacific Historical Review
"A well-written and refreshing approach that makes a valuable contribution to the study of senior military leadership in war."--Army
"A cogent, well-researched, and important contribution to our understanding of Marshall and his commanders that explores their conflicts with each other as well as their battlefield successes and failures."--Mark A. Stoler, editor of the George C. Marshall Papers
"Provides a marvelous synthesis of the specialized literature on the dozens of leading generals--some famous, many obscure--who directed the military campaigns in the European and Pacific theaters of war."--Michael Schaller, author of Douglas MacArthur: Far Eastern General
"A superb portrait of a group of army officers that deserves to be read by everyone interested in World War II."--Jonathan House, author of Combined Arms Warfare in the Twentieth Century
"A crisply written study and effective introduction to the relationship of Marshall and his lieutenants as they waged war in an extremely complex international conflict. It deserves a wide readership."--Kevin C. Holzimmer, author of General Walter Krueger: Unsung Hero of the Pacific War
