From Dwight D. Eisenhower's modest childhood in Kansas to his years at West Point, from his rapid ascent through the military ranks and appointment as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II to his two terms as President, Paul Johnson's brief yet comprehensive biography paints a rich portrait of Eisenhower's life, including the many elements of his presidency that speak to American politics today.

Examines the White House years of Dwight Eisenhower and reveals the former president, often viewed as a doddering lightweight, as a brilliant, intellectual tactician who could be patient and ruthless, and generous and self-serving.

Traces the life of the thirty-fourth president, from his childhood in Kansas, through his military career, to his terms as president and his efforts to preserve American strength during the start of the Cold War.

This biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower places particular emphasis on his brilliant generalship and leadership in World War II, and provides, with the advantage of hindsight, a far more acute analysis of his character and personality than any previously available, reaching the conclusion that he was perhaps America's greatest general and one of America's best presidents. The book starts with the story of D-Day--it was Ike's plan, Ike's decision, Ike's...