Fleet Admiral King

by Ernest J. King, Walter Muir Whitehill

674 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Richard Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories about Admiral King shaving with a blow torch and “being the SOB to whom the country turned when things got tough” may not actually be historically accurate but the overall picture is. He was one tough sailor and the US and, indeed, the free world owes him much for his leadership during the Second World War.

My father told me he heard from another serviceman that Admiral King had once said his wartime memoir should simply read “we won”. Fortunately, this book is longer. A great read for historians.

[Jay Behel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree, an old fashioned biography, but King is so important. He was instrumental in turning our morale and material around at the start of the war. When the going gets tough they call for the sons of b******

[Fridtjof Karlstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old fashion biography. The most interesting part is his early career, it shows that the US Navy was a global navy well before 1.world war.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autobiography of King, published in 1952, right after the war. Suffers from inability to discuss Enigma and other classified matters or be honest about Personalities like Marshall, the British, Stimson, etc. who were still alive or still thought of as heroes by the public (FDR, Knox, Forrestal, etc.). Plus King wasn't exactly Mr. Charisma to begin with.

That said, it gives King's take on some of the strategic decisions made during the war and fighting in the Pacific. The best part is King's description of his life BEFORE Pearl Harbor.

BTW, I've often wondered at the lack of interest in King but it seems that he just, well, somewhat dull.. He was apolitical, and didn't care much about anything except the US Navy. Intelligent and forceful, he was respected and did an excellent job as CNO, but wasn't an intellectual or a philosopher.

He had no desire to charm anyone, and was actively disliked by Eisenhower, Forrestal, and Stimson and merely tolerated by Knox, Marshall, and Arnold. Perhaps that's why his political opinions - expressed to FDR and Churchill - regarding French North Africa and "Unconditional Surrender" were given little consideration. Unlike Eisenhower, Marshall, and MacArthur, King was content to go into a quiet retirement after WW2.

Bottom Line: Like many immediate post-war autobiographies (war as I knew it (Patton), Soldiers Story Bradly), etc.) this a bland retelling that's informative but been superseded by more detailed and honest biographies.

[John Lomnicki, · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an entertaining book, but a very informative one. My assumption is that because of the classified nature of his knowledge there were specific details omitted. It did give me some insight into Admiral King.