Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Eisenhower in War and Peace is an exhaustive look at Eisenhower's military career and an overview of his presidency. Jean Edward Smith goes into great detail on Ike's upbringing and rise in the military from his time at West Point through his tenure as Chief of Staff. One chapter is devoted to his time as President of Columbia University and the final chapters cover his two terms as President and his retirement spent at Gettysburg, PA. It is very well researched with some wonderful side notes that are worth the read.
I enjoyed the book and feel like I have a good understand of Eisenhower the military man. I think, though that Smith glosses over some things, or will introduce an aspect of Ike's life, but then never really ties it up later. I was disappointed that more was not included on his White House years and his retirement. It sounded like once he retired he did nothing more than write his memoirs and play golf, yet there was some commentary that he did get involved in some issues during JFK's tenure.
Eisenhower in War and Peace is still worth the read, but it does lead me to want to search out more books on his presidential years.
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