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The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 06:16:11
50 copies available
U.S. only
A thrilling new biography of Dwight Eisenhower set in the months leading up to D-Day, when he grew from a well-liked general into one of the singular figures of American history.
On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the “Great Crusade” they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed.
In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhoweras he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance. In a world of giants—Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Marshall, MacArthur—it was a barefoot boy from Abilene, Kansas, who would master the art of power and become a modern-day George Washington.
Drawing upon meticulous research and a voluminous body of newly discovered records, letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts from three continents, Paradis brings Eisenhower to life, as a complicated man who craved simplicity, a genial cipher whose smile was a lethal political weapon.
With a page-turning pace and an eye for the overlooked, Paradis interweaves the grand arc of history with more human concerns, bringing readers into the private moments that led to Eisenhower’s most pivotal decisions. By deftly integrating the personal and the political, he reveals how Eisenhower’s rise both reflected and was integral to America’s rise as a global superpower.
An unflinching look at how character is forged, and leadership is learned, The Light of Battle breathes new life into the man who made “the leader of the free world” the mantle of the American presidency.
On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the “Great Crusade” they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed.
In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhoweras he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance. In a world of giants—Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Marshall, MacArthur—it was a barefoot boy from Abilene, Kansas, who would master the art of power and become a modern-day George Washington.
Drawing upon meticulous research and a voluminous body of newly discovered records, letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts from three continents, Paradis brings Eisenhower to life, as a complicated man who craved simplicity, a genial cipher whose smile was a lethal political weapon.
With a page-turning pace and an eye for the overlooked, Paradis interweaves the grand arc of history with more human concerns, bringing readers into the private moments that led to Eisenhower’s most pivotal decisions. By deftly integrating the personal and the political, he reveals how Eisenhower’s rise both reflected and was integral to America’s rise as a global superpower.
An unflinching look at how character is forged, and leadership is learned, The Light of Battle breathes new life into the man who made “the leader of the free world” the mantle of the American presidency.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
528 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2024
If you will indulge me for a second as I quote a line from the description of this book, "In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhower as he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance."
This is too much. The Light of Battle is a book which needs to be about 1,000 pages to do justice to everything it purports to investigate. That said, you get a little bit of everything which means there are some very enjoyable passages. However, your enjoyment depends on your point of view and expectations. Let's break it down.
The book succeeds mostly as an intimate personal portrait of Eisenhower as he is positioned to lead the execution of D-Day. Every major name you would expect to hear is mentioned. I would also say each character is given some background in a sometimes gossipy way. Paradis's tone is informal for a World War II book and this won't be for everyone. If you want the facts presented in a neutral way, then you may find it off-putting. If you want to hear how Patton could be a total child without mincing words, then you'll be happy.
I personally found that Paradis tried to handle too many complex people and events. Paradis tries to focus on the events leading up to D-Day, but he has to constantly jump time periods (often in the middle of a chapter) to give backstory. Other characters seem to drop into the narrative and then disappear for extended periods of time. D-Day, the event, is not until the very end of the book and almost feels like a footnote. People who have read a lot of World War II history may find a lot of characterizations of both people and events overly simplified.
What it comes down to is point of view and familiarity with the material. If you have read a lot of World War II literature, then I think this will fall short of expectations. If you are not well-versed and want a high-level overview of Eisenhower and a straightforward narrative, then you should find this enjoyable.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Mariner Books.)
This is too much. The Light of Battle is a book which needs to be about 1,000 pages to do justice to everything it purports to investigate. That said, you get a little bit of everything which means there are some very enjoyable passages. However, your enjoyment depends on your point of view and expectations. Let's break it down.
The book succeeds mostly as an intimate personal portrait of Eisenhower as he is positioned to lead the execution of D-Day. Every major name you would expect to hear is mentioned. I would also say each character is given some background in a sometimes gossipy way. Paradis's tone is informal for a World War II book and this won't be for everyone. If you want the facts presented in a neutral way, then you may find it off-putting. If you want to hear how Patton could be a total child without mincing words, then you'll be happy.
I personally found that Paradis tried to handle too many complex people and events. Paradis tries to focus on the events leading up to D-Day, but he has to constantly jump time periods (often in the middle of a chapter) to give backstory. Other characters seem to drop into the narrative and then disappear for extended periods of time. D-Day, the event, is not until the very end of the book and almost feels like a footnote. People who have read a lot of World War II history may find a lot of characterizations of both people and events overly simplified.
What it comes down to is point of view and familiarity with the material. If you have read a lot of World War II literature, then I think this will fall short of expectations. If you are not well-versed and want a high-level overview of Eisenhower and a straightforward narrative, then you should find this enjoyable.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Mariner Books.)
February 27, 2024
A fascinating examination of America's development as a superpower, through the lens of a general considered by many to be one of the great leaders of the Allied war effort during the Second World War. It's both a micro-biography and a transitional history of the emergence of the 'new world order'.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews