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At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends
This is a reprint of a classic book written by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1967 (Doubleday). These anecdotal essays span his childhood and his career and are enjoyable and informative reading. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Dwight D. Eisenhower
169 books113 followersDwight David Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower, nicknamed "Ike", was a General of the Army (five star general) in the United States Army and U.S. politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953 – 1961). During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944-45. In 1951, he became the first supreme commander of NATO.
As President, he oversaw the cease-fire of the Korean War, kept up the pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War, made nuclear weapons a higher defense priority, launched the Space Race, enlarged the Social Security program, and began the Interstate Highway System.
As President, he oversaw the cease-fire of the Korean War, kept up the pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War, made nuclear weapons a higher defense priority, launched the Space Race, enlarged the Social Security program, and began the Interstate Highway System.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 13, 2013
I remember Ike but that seems strange to say in a way, because for so many people to whom I speak, he is an historical figure, someone distant and dusty, of another time. And so he is, yet I remember posters above the seats of the bus on which I traveled to school in NYC that were full head shots of the man running for President. That is my first real recollection of him as a person. Being a kid, I really didn't pay very much attention to him as President but I remember he had a cute grand-son about my age. And then, on our visits to Gettysburg, I'd always look over from Cemetery Ridge to see if the flag was flying over that house beyond the white picket fence. If it was then he and maybe Mamie and the grandkids were in residence. I remember, too, my Dad speaking of Ike during WW II, as well as other Generals who played roles in that conflict and how he felt about them. He liked Ike, thought Montgomery was an ass, wasn't too fond of Marshall. All of it went over my head. I didn't like history and it bored me to hear these things. How I wish I'd listened more closely.
Last year, on our cross country trip, my husband and I stopped in Abilene, Kansas at Eisenhower's boyhood home, Presidential library, museum and burial site. As we left I stopped in the gift shop, as I always do, to purchase a book or two about the subject and this was one I chose. The picture on the front was the Eisenhower of my memory--the old man, past all the years of military service and the uniforms and the jacket bearing his name. The title AT EASE was perfect and the Stories I Tell to Friends, an invitation to an inside look at who this man was.
The book did not disappoint. I had already read the biography chosen on the same trip but reading these scattered memories written by the man himself were so much more lively. It is easy to read and one can almost hear his voice speaking the words. Having walked through his home the early days in Abilene were particularly appealing. I, too, went to college on the Hudson and, in the days before 9/11, had been to the Point several times and knew several cadets so the scenes of his education were also vivid.
The life of a career military man was less familiar to me but as he described his career from young Point graduate through various stints as staff officer to many other famous names, in particular, MacArthur, the evolution of the man and his experiences was fascinating. Last year I'd been to General Pershing's home and bought his biography. Now, in the twilight of his career, young Eisenhower encounters him and describes the old Cavalry officer from a totally different slant.
Obviously, much of the book takes place before World War II even though to the rest of the world it is his position as Commander of the ETO--European Theatre of Operations--and later as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe that he is best remembered. These positions came when he was 52 years old and had spent 30 + years in the Army without actually getting very many promotions and having never served in combat. As a result there is much to tell about those early years and they are as interesting, because of the lack of notoriety if nothing else, as the years of action and danger of a World War. Stories about the young George Patton and Mark Clark among others is more revealing about the men they were than the heroes and icons they became.
Once the War ended, Eisenhower continued for awhile in the military--serving as Army Chief of Staff in the new Pentagon building. My Dad was an electrician on that construction job and his descriptions of the building and its many corridors and security features made Ike's recounting of his getting lost all that more amusing.
He finishes his stories with his stint as president of Columbia University and his new hobby of oil painting. I found this section a bit anticlimactic although interesting. Finally, he relates his efforts in getting NATO off the ground. Until I read this section I'm not sure I realized when studying about the organization in 1959 I realized how recently the pact had been formed.
Disappointingly, although written in 1967, two years before his death and six years after leaving the Presidency, he tells no stories about that period of his life. From the '40's onward members of both parties had tried to convince him to run for President ( as many were also encouraging MacArthur ) but he steadfastly refused to even consider such a thing. He implies that through his efforts in getting NATO established that he realized there was a real need for change in government and that the people seemed to be wanting that change. He, therefore, entertained the possibility of running on the Republican ticket and that is where he ends his stories--though there certainly was more he could have told.
All in all, if you are my vintage, I think you'd enjoy hearing your childhood memories in more detail. If you are a younger student of history this is a good place to start this period--it is far from a complete telling but it is fascinating reading and begs the reader to go to other sources to fill in the blanks.
Last year, on our cross country trip, my husband and I stopped in Abilene, Kansas at Eisenhower's boyhood home, Presidential library, museum and burial site. As we left I stopped in the gift shop, as I always do, to purchase a book or two about the subject and this was one I chose. The picture on the front was the Eisenhower of my memory--the old man, past all the years of military service and the uniforms and the jacket bearing his name. The title AT EASE was perfect and the Stories I Tell to Friends, an invitation to an inside look at who this man was.
The book did not disappoint. I had already read the biography chosen on the same trip but reading these scattered memories written by the man himself were so much more lively. It is easy to read and one can almost hear his voice speaking the words. Having walked through his home the early days in Abilene were particularly appealing. I, too, went to college on the Hudson and, in the days before 9/11, had been to the Point several times and knew several cadets so the scenes of his education were also vivid.
The life of a career military man was less familiar to me but as he described his career from young Point graduate through various stints as staff officer to many other famous names, in particular, MacArthur, the evolution of the man and his experiences was fascinating. Last year I'd been to General Pershing's home and bought his biography. Now, in the twilight of his career, young Eisenhower encounters him and describes the old Cavalry officer from a totally different slant.
Obviously, much of the book takes place before World War II even though to the rest of the world it is his position as Commander of the ETO--European Theatre of Operations--and later as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe that he is best remembered. These positions came when he was 52 years old and had spent 30 + years in the Army without actually getting very many promotions and having never served in combat. As a result there is much to tell about those early years and they are as interesting, because of the lack of notoriety if nothing else, as the years of action and danger of a World War. Stories about the young George Patton and Mark Clark among others is more revealing about the men they were than the heroes and icons they became.
Once the War ended, Eisenhower continued for awhile in the military--serving as Army Chief of Staff in the new Pentagon building. My Dad was an electrician on that construction job and his descriptions of the building and its many corridors and security features made Ike's recounting of his getting lost all that more amusing.
He finishes his stories with his stint as president of Columbia University and his new hobby of oil painting. I found this section a bit anticlimactic although interesting. Finally, he relates his efforts in getting NATO off the ground. Until I read this section I'm not sure I realized when studying about the organization in 1959 I realized how recently the pact had been formed.
Disappointingly, although written in 1967, two years before his death and six years after leaving the Presidency, he tells no stories about that period of his life. From the '40's onward members of both parties had tried to convince him to run for President ( as many were also encouraging MacArthur ) but he steadfastly refused to even consider such a thing. He implies that through his efforts in getting NATO established that he realized there was a real need for change in government and that the people seemed to be wanting that change. He, therefore, entertained the possibility of running on the Republican ticket and that is where he ends his stories--though there certainly was more he could have told.
All in all, if you are my vintage, I think you'd enjoy hearing your childhood memories in more detail. If you are a younger student of history this is a good place to start this period--it is far from a complete telling but it is fascinating reading and begs the reader to go to other sources to fill in the blanks.
Read
June 9, 2013President Eisenhower tells about various times in his life from early childhood to just before becoming a candidate for President. I found the stories to be informative,instructive and entertaining.
December 22, 2021
A great read, from the 34th President of the United States of America. This book is a personal but informative look at his life and walks a balance between hometown\family life and growing up, to joining the army and playing roles in world war 1 and and an even greater role in world war 2. It also has amusing storys about him and about some people he knew as well as what he did after the war ~ 1951, he became the first supreme commander of NATO and his lead up to his dive into politics. His book Crusade in Europe (I want to get round to read it sometime) may be a better look into his time in world war 2 but this covered a lot and makes you realize how much was going on in the world at this time and how much Eisenhower achieved even before becoming president.
January 8, 2018
This book was enjoyable! It is titled "stories Ike tells his friends", and that is the way it reads. It is also a biographical sketch that corrects a number of myths like the movie version of his relationship with the General Patton. One of his stories dealt with his tenure as President of Columbia University, he and his wife enjoyed this experience and he had a number of significant accomplishments in this role and the University trustees were sorry to see him go, yet, a call from President Truman ordered Ike to Europe to work on the military alliance that became NATO. Ike was instrumental in developing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he did this through the use of his persuasive talents with European Statesmen and our Congress; at that time he envisioned a future European Union that in the fifties was very far sighted. His eye to the future also was instrumental in the development of our current interstate highway system; this modern highway system was the result of his Pentagon work on the need for the east west mobility of our military in times of crisis. Ike accomplished much in his many careers and the book speaks in his modest words about some of his achievements.
If you want to be an Eisenhower scholar than this book needs to be on your reading list.
If you want to be an Eisenhower scholar than this book needs to be on your reading list.
October 28, 2023
I like Ike
April 11, 2020
At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends by Dwight D. Eisenhower is a series of antidotes from the former President of the United States. He tells stories about how he met his wife, Mamie and other memories from his time at West Point. He also talks about the different assignments and Army bases where he was assigned during his career up to his service during WWII.
I enjoyed reading his take on historic happenings and also his person reflections on the events. Anyone with an interest in history will enjoy reading this book.
I enjoyed reading his take on historic happenings and also his person reflections on the events. Anyone with an interest in history will enjoy reading this book.
July 8, 2020
"I didn't have enough sense to apologize to him on the spot and make a joke of the whole thing. I just turned my head and went to my tent where my roommate, P.A. Hodgson, was sitting. I looked at him and said, 'P.A., I'm never going to crawl another Plebe as long as I live. As a matter of fact, they'll have to run over and knock me out of the company street before I'll make any attempt again. I've just done something that was stupid and unforgivable. I managed to make a man ashamed of the work he did to earn a living.'
And never again, during the remaining three years at the U.S.M.A., did I take it upon myself to crawl (correct harshly) a Plebe." (18) // during West Point
"One circumstance that helped our character development we were needed. I often think today of what an impact could be made if children believed they were contributing to a family's essential survival and happiness. In the transformation from a rural to an urban society, children are - though they might not agree - robbed of the opportunity to do genuinely responsible work." (33)
"To satisfy our unreasonable appetites but still determined to avoid overindulgence, she would give us an apple, a pear, or now and then a piece of pie or cake. 'Now one of you is to divide it,' she said, 'and the other is to get first choice.' This insured fair play but put an almost intolerable burden on the divider." (35)
"I was rapidly learning that domination of others in this world often comes about or is sought through bluff. But it took me some years to learn that pounding from an opponent is not to be dreaded as much as constantly living in fear of another." (35)
"Not long ago, for instance, I was briefed on the distinguished background of a man who would shortly visit my office. One of my associates stressed the positions and notable careers of the man's forebears. Among them, he said, were Dutch patroons and royal governors in colonial times, generals in all our wars, governors, senators, famous scholars and lawyers and bankers. His intention was not to impress me; it was to prepare me for any names which might e dropped during the visit. I listened attentively to his genealogical survey and thought: Heaven help the poor man carry so heavy a burden.
This reaction, through silent, was unkind; I feared that a man so endowed with family distinction would turn out to be a pompous bore. He was not. Instead, his familiarity with his own and the nation's history gave me a fresh perspective on a crisis or two that was on my desk that afternoon." (56)
"The name Eisenhower translates roughly as 'iron' and 'hewer.' To further refine the original German, I'm told, one should know that eisenschmidt would mean blacksmith, while an eisenhower was something of an artist in iron, a man who literally hewed metal into useful and ornamental shapes, such as armor, weapons, etc. At various times, friendly people have shown me or presented me with swords stamped Eisenhower, which they thought my relatives had lost. Now and then I have explained that the designation was only the mark of a man's trade, not his name. But I do not always trouble the happy owners by pointing this out." (56)
"Mrs. Richardson reports that the first land record in his [Eisenhower's great-great-great grandfather Hans Nicholas Eisenhauer] name is dated January 20, 1753. (And for the collector of coincidences, she points out that this was exactly two hundred years to the day before I was inaugurated President.)" (57)
"He was a good and farsighted steward of the land and the valley farm he bought on the edge of Elizabethville in Pennsylvania's Lykens Valley was ideally situated for a thrifty farmer.
Protected by ridges in all directions, a snug place in winter, the fields running east and west got the full benefit of summer sun. Harvests there are still bountiful, for the loam is deep, and those who followed were good land stewards, too." (60)
"For him to go [from Pennsylvania to Kansas] took courage. And there is a monument to his memory, on the lawn before the house, his Elizabethville home, just off the highway. It was dedicated while I was President by my brother Milton. My name is in the center of the plaque. This is a compliment I appreciate but I think Jacob Eisenhower's worth rests far more on his own deeds, on the family he raised and the spiritual heritage he left them, than on one grandson." (63)
"In an age when, far more than now, most girls looked forward to careers as housewives, Mother was determined to get a good education before all else. This she did and very much on her own, using a small inheritance from her parents and grandfather, William, to see her through high school. To earn money for college she taught the 1882 school year at Limestone near Mount Sidney. In 1883 she left Virginia for Lecompton, Kansas, where she enrolled at Lane University." (77)
"Their [Eisenhower's parents] wedding photograph hands beside my desk here in Gettysburg. Others, analyzing their photograph, have tried to analyze their characters. The analyses have sometimes seemed farfetched, even preposterous, to those of us know knew them in daily life. I'm not much of a hand at that sort of thing myself, although as I loo k at them on the wall almost eighty years later they seem to me what others find paradoxical: both very sober and very happy." (78)
"Then, at least west of the Alleghenies, the well-educated man was more likely to be a well-read man than a much schooled man. Thirty years after Lincoln, to write a good, clear hand, to spell fairly well, to be able to read fine print and long words, to 'cipher' accurately was still enough to go with native intelligence and a willingness to work hard. Given those qualities, Abilene [Kansas city] thought that most anyone could succeed in the American environment." (81) // still true
"The drummer could turn the tumult of a recess crowd into some semblance of quiet, orderly movement. I've always admired the drum since and despised the siren. The drum communicates a message and calms as it warns. The siren is an assault on the senses. In later years, when well-intentioned escorts elected to use a siren on my behalf, I asked - or ordered - that it be stopped." (82)
"...they feel that they may be losing their identity and any control over their destiny. Either implicitly or explicitly, the letter writers tend to blame forces beyond their control.
Those who write really want more inspiration than explanation, but at least they are questioning and that is healthy in itself. Their letters cannot be answered by one of my old proverbs or succinct statements of rosy optimism.
I could say, if we were talking together, 'My friend, I know just how you feel. Everyone, including ancients like myself, feels the same as you do at times. The only thing to do is keep questioning but keep plugging.' I never make that reply. It would be fast rejected as the pat answer of a man who, already in the evening of life, does not appreciate what happens when day to day work seems sterile or purposeless. . . Washington got his gripes off his chest, much in the mood of those who write me, by putting them down on paper. Then he went back to work.
To me, his method makes good sense. Early letters of mine display a dazzling ignorance of coming events. Whenever i had convinced myself that my superiors, through bureaucratic oversights and insistence on tradition, had doomed me to run-of-the-mill assignments, I found no better cure than to blow off steam in private and then settle down to the job at hand." (134)
"The trip lasted for almost four days, each a year long." (154)
"I had missed the boat in the war we had ben told would end all wars. A soldier's place was where the fighting went on. I hadn't yet fully learned the basic lesson of the military - that the proper place for a soldier is where he is ordered by his superiors." (155)
*Several hilarious stories about Eisenhower and his friend, Major Brett, messing with some of the young city boy officers. (161)
"At a time when I was being criticized by many people who thought I was moving too slowly about matters close to their hearts, Robert Frost visited my office one day. He gave me a book of his poetry. On the flyleaf, at the end of the inscription, he wrote:
'The strong are saying nothing until they see.'" (168)
"Our conversations continued throughout the three years I served with him in the isolated post of Camp Gaillard. It is clear now that life with General Conner was sort of graduate school in military affairs and the humanities, leavened by the comments and discourses of a man who was experienced in his knowledge of men and their conduct. I can never adequately express my gratitude to this one gentleman, for it took years before I fully realized the value of what he had led me through. And then General Conner was gone. But in a lifetime of association with great and good men, he is the one more or less invisible figure to whom I owe an incalculable debt." (187)
"In my experience Blackie - and earlier with allegedly incompetent recruits at Camp Colt - is rooted my enduring conviction that far too often we write off a backward child as hopeless, a clumsy animal as worthless, a worn-out field as beyond restoration. This we do largely out of our own lack of willingness to take the time and spend the effort to prove ourselves wrong: to prove that a difficult boy can become a fine man, that an animal can respond to training, the the field can regain its fertility." (193)
"But on this business of who you know, a one-minute lecture to any young person who may read these words:
Always try to associate yourself closely with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you. Don't be afraid to reach upward. Apart from the rewards of friendship, the association might pay off at some unforeseen time - that is only an accidental by-product. The important thing is that the learning will make you a better person." (200)
"In July 1932, an event occurred which brought the General [MacArthur] a measure of lasting unfavorable publicity. This was the 'Bonus March.' The marchers were veterans who wanted the bonus money promised them by the Congress. Almost a decade earlier, the Congress - buffeted on one side by veterans who wanted immediate bonuses and on the other by an administration opposed to them - attempted to please both by authorizing a liberal grant for World War I service, postponing payment until 1945, when most of the Senators and Representatives would have left Washington and the earth." (215)
"In all history, the American decision [to set the Philippine Islands up for self-rule] was at that time unique. So far as I can recall, never before had a great power, a war victor, deliberately proposed independence a a certain and fixed date for an occupied country except under the pressure of armed revolt." (218)
"Suddenly, out of the clear at an isolated railroad station hundreds of miles from Washington, to learn that a new COS had been appointed caused him [General MacArthur] to express himself freely. It was an explosive denunciation of politics, bad manners, bad judgment, broken promises, arrogance, unconstitutionality, insensitivity, and the way the world had gone to hell. Then he sent an eloquent telegram of congratulations to his successor." (223)
"My ambition in the Army was to make everybody I worked for regretful when I was ordered to other duty." (241)
"More and more, I came to realize that brainpower is always in far shorter supply than manpower." (253)
*Commendation of Omar Bradley and his role in WWII. (261)
*The Faid Pass incident. (262)
"The reaction from the island [Pantelleria] was so feeble that I said, 'Andrew, if you and I got into a small boat, we could capture the place ourselves.'
When the attack was put on as scheduled, the men in the landing ships had not even completed getting int their landing craft when white flags began to appear all over the island.
Winston Churchill, by the way, was convinced that there were not more than three thousand Italians on the island. Our intelligence reports showed eleven thousand. On this difference of opinion, we had made a small wager. 'If you'll give me an Italian sou for every soldier fewer than three thousand, I'll give you one for each man more than three thousand.' At the surrender, we got almost exactly eleven thousand. Winston paid off the debt, remarking in a note that at this rate, he would buy all the Italians I could capture. I think the entire settlement came to about $1.60." (265)
"There was a considerable difference in the methods used by the British government and those used by the Americans in communicating with and supporting a theater commander. The American Chiefs of Staff, with the approval of the President, gave the theater commander a mission, provided him with such supplies and troops as they deemed adequate, and let him alone to fail or succeed. If he failed, he was relieved and a new commander assigned. As long as he was succeeding, they largely let him make his own decisions." (275)
"The enemy did fail. but to put it in those terms is to understate grievously what happened. Our men responded gallantly. These were the times when the grand strategy and the high hopes of high command became a soldiers' war, sheer courage, and the instinct for survival.
More than the constant threat of imminent death, our men had overcome all that the unbridled elements could inflict on them in the way of sow and ice and sleet, clammy fog and freezing rain; all the pain of arduous marches and sleepless watches. They had given up their wives and children, or set aside their hope of wives and children, overcome luxuries or poverty, fought down their own inclinations to rest their tired bodies, to play it safe, to search out a hiding place." (291)
"But what I tried to express, in part, was that the honor was mingled with sadness - sadness that we had ever been faced with the tragic situation that compelled the appointment of an Allied Commander-in-Chief, and sadness which is known to any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends." (300)
(310)
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"There is at least one striking difference between the American soldier and numerous other soldiers in history. The Army, however, as far back as the days of Von Steuben, learned that Americans either will not or cannot fight at maximum efficiency unless they understand the why and wherefore of their orders. To Von Steuben, after his professional career in Europe, where troops were only pawns to be moved about the board of war without consideration of them as individual human beings, this was a wonder." (383)
And never again, during the remaining three years at the U.S.M.A., did I take it upon myself to crawl (correct harshly) a Plebe." (18) // during West Point
"One circumstance that helped our character development we were needed. I often think today of what an impact could be made if children believed they were contributing to a family's essential survival and happiness. In the transformation from a rural to an urban society, children are - though they might not agree - robbed of the opportunity to do genuinely responsible work." (33)
"To satisfy our unreasonable appetites but still determined to avoid overindulgence, she would give us an apple, a pear, or now and then a piece of pie or cake. 'Now one of you is to divide it,' she said, 'and the other is to get first choice.' This insured fair play but put an almost intolerable burden on the divider." (35)
"I was rapidly learning that domination of others in this world often comes about or is sought through bluff. But it took me some years to learn that pounding from an opponent is not to be dreaded as much as constantly living in fear of another." (35)
"Not long ago, for instance, I was briefed on the distinguished background of a man who would shortly visit my office. One of my associates stressed the positions and notable careers of the man's forebears. Among them, he said, were Dutch patroons and royal governors in colonial times, generals in all our wars, governors, senators, famous scholars and lawyers and bankers. His intention was not to impress me; it was to prepare me for any names which might e dropped during the visit. I listened attentively to his genealogical survey and thought: Heaven help the poor man carry so heavy a burden.
This reaction, through silent, was unkind; I feared that a man so endowed with family distinction would turn out to be a pompous bore. He was not. Instead, his familiarity with his own and the nation's history gave me a fresh perspective on a crisis or two that was on my desk that afternoon." (56)
"The name Eisenhower translates roughly as 'iron' and 'hewer.' To further refine the original German, I'm told, one should know that eisenschmidt would mean blacksmith, while an eisenhower was something of an artist in iron, a man who literally hewed metal into useful and ornamental shapes, such as armor, weapons, etc. At various times, friendly people have shown me or presented me with swords stamped Eisenhower, which they thought my relatives had lost. Now and then I have explained that the designation was only the mark of a man's trade, not his name. But I do not always trouble the happy owners by pointing this out." (56)
"Mrs. Richardson reports that the first land record in his [Eisenhower's great-great-great grandfather Hans Nicholas Eisenhauer] name is dated January 20, 1753. (And for the collector of coincidences, she points out that this was exactly two hundred years to the day before I was inaugurated President.)" (57)
"He was a good and farsighted steward of the land and the valley farm he bought on the edge of Elizabethville in Pennsylvania's Lykens Valley was ideally situated for a thrifty farmer.
Protected by ridges in all directions, a snug place in winter, the fields running east and west got the full benefit of summer sun. Harvests there are still bountiful, for the loam is deep, and those who followed were good land stewards, too." (60)
"For him to go [from Pennsylvania to Kansas] took courage. And there is a monument to his memory, on the lawn before the house, his Elizabethville home, just off the highway. It was dedicated while I was President by my brother Milton. My name is in the center of the plaque. This is a compliment I appreciate but I think Jacob Eisenhower's worth rests far more on his own deeds, on the family he raised and the spiritual heritage he left them, than on one grandson." (63)
"In an age when, far more than now, most girls looked forward to careers as housewives, Mother was determined to get a good education before all else. This she did and very much on her own, using a small inheritance from her parents and grandfather, William, to see her through high school. To earn money for college she taught the 1882 school year at Limestone near Mount Sidney. In 1883 she left Virginia for Lecompton, Kansas, where she enrolled at Lane University." (77)
"Their [Eisenhower's parents] wedding photograph hands beside my desk here in Gettysburg. Others, analyzing their photograph, have tried to analyze their characters. The analyses have sometimes seemed farfetched, even preposterous, to those of us know knew them in daily life. I'm not much of a hand at that sort of thing myself, although as I loo k at them on the wall almost eighty years later they seem to me what others find paradoxical: both very sober and very happy." (78)
"Then, at least west of the Alleghenies, the well-educated man was more likely to be a well-read man than a much schooled man. Thirty years after Lincoln, to write a good, clear hand, to spell fairly well, to be able to read fine print and long words, to 'cipher' accurately was still enough to go with native intelligence and a willingness to work hard. Given those qualities, Abilene [Kansas city] thought that most anyone could succeed in the American environment." (81) // still true
"The drummer could turn the tumult of a recess crowd into some semblance of quiet, orderly movement. I've always admired the drum since and despised the siren. The drum communicates a message and calms as it warns. The siren is an assault on the senses. In later years, when well-intentioned escorts elected to use a siren on my behalf, I asked - or ordered - that it be stopped." (82)
"...they feel that they may be losing their identity and any control over their destiny. Either implicitly or explicitly, the letter writers tend to blame forces beyond their control.
Those who write really want more inspiration than explanation, but at least they are questioning and that is healthy in itself. Their letters cannot be answered by one of my old proverbs or succinct statements of rosy optimism.
I could say, if we were talking together, 'My friend, I know just how you feel. Everyone, including ancients like myself, feels the same as you do at times. The only thing to do is keep questioning but keep plugging.' I never make that reply. It would be fast rejected as the pat answer of a man who, already in the evening of life, does not appreciate what happens when day to day work seems sterile or purposeless. . . Washington got his gripes off his chest, much in the mood of those who write me, by putting them down on paper. Then he went back to work.
To me, his method makes good sense. Early letters of mine display a dazzling ignorance of coming events. Whenever i had convinced myself that my superiors, through bureaucratic oversights and insistence on tradition, had doomed me to run-of-the-mill assignments, I found no better cure than to blow off steam in private and then settle down to the job at hand." (134)
"The trip lasted for almost four days, each a year long." (154)
"I had missed the boat in the war we had ben told would end all wars. A soldier's place was where the fighting went on. I hadn't yet fully learned the basic lesson of the military - that the proper place for a soldier is where he is ordered by his superiors." (155)
*Several hilarious stories about Eisenhower and his friend, Major Brett, messing with some of the young city boy officers. (161)
"At a time when I was being criticized by many people who thought I was moving too slowly about matters close to their hearts, Robert Frost visited my office one day. He gave me a book of his poetry. On the flyleaf, at the end of the inscription, he wrote:
'The strong are saying nothing until they see.'" (168)
"Our conversations continued throughout the three years I served with him in the isolated post of Camp Gaillard. It is clear now that life with General Conner was sort of graduate school in military affairs and the humanities, leavened by the comments and discourses of a man who was experienced in his knowledge of men and their conduct. I can never adequately express my gratitude to this one gentleman, for it took years before I fully realized the value of what he had led me through. And then General Conner was gone. But in a lifetime of association with great and good men, he is the one more or less invisible figure to whom I owe an incalculable debt." (187)
"In my experience Blackie - and earlier with allegedly incompetent recruits at Camp Colt - is rooted my enduring conviction that far too often we write off a backward child as hopeless, a clumsy animal as worthless, a worn-out field as beyond restoration. This we do largely out of our own lack of willingness to take the time and spend the effort to prove ourselves wrong: to prove that a difficult boy can become a fine man, that an animal can respond to training, the the field can regain its fertility." (193)
"But on this business of who you know, a one-minute lecture to any young person who may read these words:
Always try to associate yourself closely with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you. Don't be afraid to reach upward. Apart from the rewards of friendship, the association might pay off at some unforeseen time - that is only an accidental by-product. The important thing is that the learning will make you a better person." (200)
"In July 1932, an event occurred which brought the General [MacArthur] a measure of lasting unfavorable publicity. This was the 'Bonus March.' The marchers were veterans who wanted the bonus money promised them by the Congress. Almost a decade earlier, the Congress - buffeted on one side by veterans who wanted immediate bonuses and on the other by an administration opposed to them - attempted to please both by authorizing a liberal grant for World War I service, postponing payment until 1945, when most of the Senators and Representatives would have left Washington and the earth." (215)
"In all history, the American decision [to set the Philippine Islands up for self-rule] was at that time unique. So far as I can recall, never before had a great power, a war victor, deliberately proposed independence a a certain and fixed date for an occupied country except under the pressure of armed revolt." (218)
"Suddenly, out of the clear at an isolated railroad station hundreds of miles from Washington, to learn that a new COS had been appointed caused him [General MacArthur] to express himself freely. It was an explosive denunciation of politics, bad manners, bad judgment, broken promises, arrogance, unconstitutionality, insensitivity, and the way the world had gone to hell. Then he sent an eloquent telegram of congratulations to his successor." (223)
"My ambition in the Army was to make everybody I worked for regretful when I was ordered to other duty." (241)
"More and more, I came to realize that brainpower is always in far shorter supply than manpower." (253)
*Commendation of Omar Bradley and his role in WWII. (261)
*The Faid Pass incident. (262)
"The reaction from the island [Pantelleria] was so feeble that I said, 'Andrew, if you and I got into a small boat, we could capture the place ourselves.'
When the attack was put on as scheduled, the men in the landing ships had not even completed getting int their landing craft when white flags began to appear all over the island.
Winston Churchill, by the way, was convinced that there were not more than three thousand Italians on the island. Our intelligence reports showed eleven thousand. On this difference of opinion, we had made a small wager. 'If you'll give me an Italian sou for every soldier fewer than three thousand, I'll give you one for each man more than three thousand.' At the surrender, we got almost exactly eleven thousand. Winston paid off the debt, remarking in a note that at this rate, he would buy all the Italians I could capture. I think the entire settlement came to about $1.60." (265)
"There was a considerable difference in the methods used by the British government and those used by the Americans in communicating with and supporting a theater commander. The American Chiefs of Staff, with the approval of the President, gave the theater commander a mission, provided him with such supplies and troops as they deemed adequate, and let him alone to fail or succeed. If he failed, he was relieved and a new commander assigned. As long as he was succeeding, they largely let him make his own decisions." (275)
"The enemy did fail. but to put it in those terms is to understate grievously what happened. Our men responded gallantly. These were the times when the grand strategy and the high hopes of high command became a soldiers' war, sheer courage, and the instinct for survival.
More than the constant threat of imminent death, our men had overcome all that the unbridled elements could inflict on them in the way of sow and ice and sleet, clammy fog and freezing rain; all the pain of arduous marches and sleepless watches. They had given up their wives and children, or set aside their hope of wives and children, overcome luxuries or poverty, fought down their own inclinations to rest their tired bodies, to play it safe, to search out a hiding place." (291)
"But what I tried to express, in part, was that the honor was mingled with sadness - sadness that we had ever been faced with the tragic situation that compelled the appointment of an Allied Commander-in-Chief, and sadness which is known to any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends." (300)
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"There is at least one striking difference between the American soldier and numerous other soldiers in history. The Army, however, as far back as the days of Von Steuben, learned that Americans either will not or cannot fight at maximum efficiency unless they understand the why and wherefore of their orders. To Von Steuben, after his professional career in Europe, where troops were only pawns to be moved about the board of war without consideration of them as individual human beings, this was a wonder." (383)
June 11, 2019
I absolutely loved this book, and really sense you can feel a connection to the great man through its pages. I say great man, as I personally challenged myself about ten years ago to look into Eisenhower more. When I started, I thought his strategic ideas childish and malformed, compared to the succinct elegance of Montgomery, Slim or MacArthur (pre-Korea). But as the last decade has shown me, it was his man-management, of those above, below and most ingeniously on his own level - that made him so incredibly effective. Managing truly integrated Coalition warfare was in its infancy- and Eisenhower INVENTED HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY with all groups feeling heard and respected- but also demanding direct obedience. He was in fact a genius of military management in the modern era- something that continued into his post-war and political life.
We get the whole story of Ike's life- from Abilene to just before the White House. So there are stops all over America and the Philippines, and early contact with just about the whole panoply of WWI and WWII American generals- as their stories were formed. The fine character of the Author- a Muscular Wordly "Square" with a touch for human contact and respect- sort of embodied the best elements of American in that period- so its understandable how this small-town guy became a world Icon. All along he tells the tale in a friendly and cheerful way- even when things look bleak. I was transported into the world he describes- it's a hopeful America.
This is a great book for the Junior reader- with little real adult content, so I'd say kids as young as 10 can take this on. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast- this is a mixed bag. For the gamer- not really that useful- unless you want to understand the SHAEF organisation better. But for the Modeller/Military enthusiast- pure gold. There must be 50 cool little possible vignettes of WWI, Between the Wars, WWII, and Post-war meetings described in this book. And the insight into Ike's thinking at various stress points in the war is really compelling. This is a strong recommendation- read it!
We get the whole story of Ike's life- from Abilene to just before the White House. So there are stops all over America and the Philippines, and early contact with just about the whole panoply of WWI and WWII American generals- as their stories were formed. The fine character of the Author- a Muscular Wordly "Square" with a touch for human contact and respect- sort of embodied the best elements of American in that period- so its understandable how this small-town guy became a world Icon. All along he tells the tale in a friendly and cheerful way- even when things look bleak. I was transported into the world he describes- it's a hopeful America.
This is a great book for the Junior reader- with little real adult content, so I'd say kids as young as 10 can take this on. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast- this is a mixed bag. For the gamer- not really that useful- unless you want to understand the SHAEF organisation better. But for the Modeller/Military enthusiast- pure gold. There must be 50 cool little possible vignettes of WWI, Between the Wars, WWII, and Post-war meetings described in this book. And the insight into Ike's thinking at various stress points in the war is really compelling. This is a strong recommendation- read it!
June 1, 2019
This book by Dwight Eisenhower was not a recounting of the war years or his years as President. Rather it is a series of stories he says he might tell his friends about his past experiences. It does cover most of his life, his childhood up to his election. You really get to known "Ike", at least the parts he is willing to share. His family was a large one growing up, and he competed with his brothers. He had work to earn spending money, learning a work ethic that served him well in the future. Ike says he wasn't a great student, but he was smart enough to win a spot at West Point. He mainly went there because he could get a free college education. Based on his stories he didn't often follow the strict rules at West Point. Ike appears to be a humble person, freely admitting he was helped along the way by a few superiors in the Army. His early married life had hardships, especially the death of his oldest son. One interesting story is that he planned to go into the Air Corps but stayed in the infantry when Mamie's parents refused to let her marry him if he did so. Ike worked under General MacArthur for a number of years, a man he really didn't like that much. As World War II began, Ike was a colonel working under General Marshall. Within a few years Ike was a four star General in Charge of the European war effort. Ike also has a number of interesting stories about his years after the War and before the 1952 election, including President of Columbia University and first head of NATO. Very interesting book, highly recommend to anyone interested in Ike.
April 18, 2018
If these were stories that Ike woud tell friends, I'm surprised he had any friends at all. This book is dull upon dull. It's almost as if someone said to him, "Well you wrote about WWII and your presidency already so we'll just have you write something to fill in the blanks since we can capitalize off your former president status." The book is utterly pointless and convoluted. It's evident that Ike has an extensive vocabulary because he makes a point to throw in 25 dollar words which makes it hard to believe that anything about this book is "at ease." I'm honestly surprised at myself that I read it all the way through. Eisenhower is a military man through and through by the overwhelming amount of military stories compared to the like, 2 stories about his own family. Every story begs the question, umm..so what? An example of this is a story he tells about having fruit shipped overseas to Europe during the way only to find that the crates were opened and produce now missing. Wow...if these are the kinds of stories you hear as a friend, Lord knows I wouldnt want to be his enemy.
February 12, 2011
What's most striking about this memoir, other than Ike's humility, is just how different the world was for a boy growing up about 100 years ago in the heartland of America. From a horse and buggy life traveling wooden boarded streets, spending weeks out camping subsisting on nothing but squirrels that needed to be caught skinned and cooked to the ability to job hop at 18 from one 12 hour 6 day a week job to another in pursuit of just a little more pay to finally being faced w/death dealing contagious diseases whose only recourse was to pray.
Certainly, there is little to recommend America at the beginning of the 20th century in regards the realm of civil rights, but I'm struck in examining the America at the turn of this century that there is far less to recommend this version of America in regards grit, responsibility, and self-reliance.
Certainly, there is little to recommend America at the beginning of the 20th century in regards the realm of civil rights, but I'm struck in examining the America at the turn of this century that there is far less to recommend this version of America in regards grit, responsibility, and self-reliance.
March 13, 2013
This is an "everything else" autobiography - it did not cover much of World War II and nothing of his presidency. It gave an excellent account of his life, however, from early days in Abilene Kansas through his being Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe.
The book was well written, and gave a glimpse of life in the rapidly changing period of history from the late 1890's to the 1950's. I was amazed at Eisenhower's rapid rise from Lt. Colonel to 4 star General in less than two years. He was a truly talented organizer that chafed at the slow promotion opportunities of the small army of the 20's and 30's. He was recognized for his abilities as soon as the United States needed to be on a war footing.
Unlike most autobiographies, I found Eisenhower to be self-effacing and candid about both his successes and failures. He is a man I would have liked to have met.
The book was well written, and gave a glimpse of life in the rapidly changing period of history from the late 1890's to the 1950's. I was amazed at Eisenhower's rapid rise from Lt. Colonel to 4 star General in less than two years. He was a truly talented organizer that chafed at the slow promotion opportunities of the small army of the 20's and 30's. He was recognized for his abilities as soon as the United States needed to be on a war footing.
Unlike most autobiographies, I found Eisenhower to be self-effacing and candid about both his successes and failures. He is a man I would have liked to have met.
September 14, 2013
When i picked this book up at Ike's farm on a trip to Gettysburg, I had no preexisting inclination to learn about him or his presidency. None of his years in the white house are covered here, and most of WWII is glossed over. But his voice is so strong that you do feel as if you're a friend to whom he is telling these tales. His book is not only an interesting historical account of an incredible period of change in American history, but a portrait of a humble and self aware future president who didn't waste words or take himself as seriously as one would expect. A fun read if you enjoy learning more about a historical figure's character and sensibilities than their feats.
September 17, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It was like sitting down with your grandpa who just told personal stories. I grew up with Ike as President, but I was too young to notice much. The story of his first son was heartbreaking...many of the stories were funny...but that one was the one that stayed with me. I kept thinking that for a general, he seemed to be a very humble and kind man. From what I have read, he was a pretty good President as well....accomplished interstate system, NATO, and NASA...kept us out of war...dealt with Russians...maybe sent us on the road to Vietnam by sending advisors, however...
July 23, 2009
Dwight Eisenhower was not an unfailingly amiable, genial gentleman but often he was all of this. This book, published two years before the President's death, is an often charming recitation of "stories I tell my friends," accounts one might have heard at a dinner with DDE. Memorable among these accounts is, Chapter 11, Through Darkest America with Truck and Tank, in which Eisenhower relates a trans-continental motor journey three decades before he became president in which he recognizes a need for a highway/highways across America - the genesis of the Interstates.
January 31, 2017
I found this book among old books my mother had read. Pres. Eisenhower told stories about his boyhood up to his nomination as President. He was a great man who, while not perfect, had great integrity. His greatest gift was his ability to communicate and his people skills. He was also patient as his career didn't always end up the way he envisioned. He was patient and did every job to the best of his ability. I enjoyed his stories and ended up thinking very highly of this great man. Am very glad I read this book.
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August 3, 2011This is an autobiography of Dwight D. Eisenhower's early years, through the war years, up to his run for the presidency. What makes this book so amazing is that Eisenhower did not use a ghost writer. These are his words, expressed his way. And it makes it a great read. If you like history, especially autobiographical history, this is one of the better ones. I recommend it to those interested in the subject.
June 13, 2012
Surprised how much I enjoyed his writings. Eisenhower was a fairly straightforward man who added his experiences. These recounts are witha very focused, decided lense that only a lifetime can really give. These memoirs do have the feel of being with the subject in conversation- a chat with a friendly stranger.
December 20, 2012
The story of Dwight D Eisenhower is one of the consummate American experience. From humble beginnings in the American heartland to his ascendancy to the White House, a man who didn't take himself too seriously although he had every propensity to. A great read and his dry wit is not lost on this reader.
May 12, 2013
While visiting Gettysburg 20 years ago I went over to the Eisenhower Retirement home. This book tells you a lot about this boy from Kansas who rose to lead the ETO to victory and become President of the arsenal of democracy. Even in his old age and all his education he was still that boy from Kansas who loved Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour novels.
January 8, 2019
I found this book to be a pleasant and informative read. More autobiographical than just a bunch of stories and while he keeps his cards close to his vest his story is fascinating. At least it is to me. An example of why his generation is considered the greatest generation. Following this I need to do some research on Fox Conner and James Forrestal.
November 29, 2010
Great insights into the personality of Ike. Funny that for all the changes to US social life, many of the values and flaws discussed in this book remain. Great book if you only have short bursts of time to read as it is divided into many digestible and independent chunks.
April 10, 2011
a well written account of some of the notable times in his life. he comes across as an intelligent man who has strong values and put the welfare of his country above his own. i wish that i were alive during the time of his presidency.
June 23, 2015
I found this collection of stories from our former president and general to be entertaining, interesting, and full of little tidbits and revelations I hope my mind can hang onto. I'm very glad I happened upon this book.
April 20, 2016
i think i may have read this 30 years ago or that could just be because i have read so many books on Ike over the years that i have seen these same stories before. Some thing were new to me or thing i had forgotten? a very pleasant days read.
August 4, 2014
After visiting Ike's home in Gettysburg I felt I should read this book which I have had for a while. It was an interesting, easy read- just like visiting with him. I'll go on to read Crusade in Europe.
January 17, 2016
Readability 6. Rating 6. Date estimated. Gift from Mom. My first book on the life of The Man From Abilene. A more personal account of his life from his days in Abilene through West Point and his military career. Added significant dimension to my relatively limited knowledge of him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
I saw this book in the gift shop at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas when we visited last spring. The only copy I could find to borrow was through the Colorado statewide Prospector system. Found Eisenhower's memories and writings a worthwhile endeavor.
April 1, 2008
A good book, I learned a lot from it!
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July 24, 200892E
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