Crusade in Europe: A Personal Account of World War II
£9.00
Five-star General Dwight D. Eisenhower was arguably the single most important military figure of World War II. Crusade in Europe tells the complete story of the war as he planned and executed it. Through Eisenhower’s eyes the enormous scope and drama of the war–strategy, battles, moments of great decision–become fully illuminated in all their fateful glory. Penned before his Presidency, this account is deeply human and helped propel him to the highest office. His personal record of the tense first hours after he had issued the order to attack leaves no doubt of his travails and reveals how this great leader handled the ultimate pressure. For historians, his memoir of this world historic period has become an indispensable record of the war and timeless classic.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Vintage (2 Jan. 2013) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 69639 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 682 pages |
by Philip Mayo
Published in 1948 this book is so close to the events in time, and also in the person of the actual author, that one could be forgiven for suspecting that perhaps the passage of time and the treatment of the subject by others further removed, might produce a better, or more accurate, history. Well, perhaps that is a fair observation, but I have read many books on WW2 and this one stands as my joint favourite, along with Churchill’s magnificent “The Second World War”, again a history bound to be somewhat slanted by the author’s personal involvement with the momentous events described. The two books taken together very much show, in certain instances, how each man viewed the same events and decisions from quite different perspectives.
This book, “Crusade in Europe”, deals almost exclusively with the European campaign and Eisenhower’s own involvement in it. I found it to very lucidly present the progression of the war from the North African campaign (Operation Torch) through Sicily, Italy and finally the incredible undertaking of the Normandy landings (Overlord), through to Germany’s unconditional surrender on 07/05/1945 – effective from midnight on the 8th. A myriad of background military and political facts are included along with ongoing observations and recollections of personalities involved and of how decisions regarding strategy and tactics were reached. It is undoubtedly an extraordinary achievement that such a virtually flawless level of cooperation and cohesion was arrived at between the British Empire and her US allies under the overall leadership in the European theatre of one man – Eisenhower. That this unity was achieved is clearly a reflection on his exceptional abilities to deal with a multitude of competing high-ego personalities in a way which allowed all involved to ultimately defer to his authority with respect and confidence. Success in building this relationship must also be credited to the political leaders involved, Churchill and Roosevelt, particularly Churchill who had to eat some pie (not too humbly!) on a number of occasions when his own strong feelings regarding strategy were overruled by the Commander in Chief. And Eisenhower had the ability to personally and solely take some decisions, in the face of opposing advice, in relation to mind numbingly frightening options, not the least of which was his final “go” for Overlord to begin. Had he been wrong the consequences would have been too horrific for most men to even contemplate. He was the right man for the time and his account is mandatory reading for all who are interested in the history of those extraordinary times.
Incidentally, I read the Kindle edition, which I found excellent, but I used Google maps in conjunction with it to keep track of where everything was happening. I feel sure I would do the same even with the print edition as a side by side map with the book really brings the entire story alive.
by Grant
Early days but enjoying the perspective.
by Thomas A. Regelski
A classic, though in many places a self-serving one.
by Steven
A surprisingly easy read. But the post world war 2 insight was interesting about the fundamental difference in East and west cultures. This is more than another history but is useful in understanding Crimea and Russia’s Ukrainian attitude.
by Andy Q
Good read but not an easy read for me personally. Written in a style of still issuing orders. Full of respect for the guy for holding the allies together and for what he achieved in his life.
by Grandad Joe
it was very good
by M. Lee
I am well-acquainted with the history of WWII, but in all these years of study I had never read Eisenhower’s viewpoint. It is a fascinating read, explaining the military, political and human conditions which he and his staff faced. This book has given me a much more balanced view of that war, and I will encourage my children & grandchildren to read it.
by RogerP
Reading this book, as opposed to many others on military campaigns by those involved, one gets a graphic picture of a man in control, acting in an way as a Conductor and subordinating everything to the achievement of the overall objective – which was absolutely clear. An example is the Battle of the Bulge which, in many texts, comes over as a major threat to the campaign, but in his book, Eisenhower considered the exposure as an acceptable risk and an opportunity to cause major damage to the enemy. I thought the book was a tour de force.