Eisenhower: the Man and the Symbol

by John Gunther

A very good hardcover copy with bright silver spine lettering. Light wear and fading to edges. Tight binding. Clean, unmarked pages. Good jacket; some chipping and fading with a few tape repaired tears. NOT ex-library. Indexed. 180pg. Shipped Under 1 kilogram. US History; Inventory 018554.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

John Gunther was one of the best known and most admired journalists of his day, and his series of "Inside" books, starting with Inside Europe in 1936, were immensely popular profiles of the major world powers. One critic noted that it was Gunther's special gift to "unite the best qualities of the newspaperman and the historian." It was a gift that readers responded to enthusiastically. The "Inside" books sold 3,500,000 copies over a period of thirty years.

While publicly a bon vivant and modest celebrity, Gunther in his private life suffered disappointment and tragedy. He and Frances Fineman, whom he married in 1927, had a daughter who died four months after her birth in 1929. The Gunthers divorced in 1944. In 1947, their beloved son Johnny died after a long, heartbreaking fight with brain cancer. Gunther wrote his classic memoir Death Be Not Proud, published in 1949, to commemorate the courage and spirit of this extraordinary boy. Gunther remarried in 1948, and he and his second wife, Jane Perry Vandercook, adopted a son.

Reviews

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written shortly before I was born, about a man that grew up in my own state, this book about Dwight Eisenhower was an interesting look at the man that I thought I knew quite a bit about. Especially enlightening was the fact that this New York Times bestseller was written about Eisenhower while he was the leader of SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) between WWII and his presidency. Matters at that time stood at a political crossroads; Eisenhower still had never said he would run for president and folks from both national parties were interested in having him represent THEIR party in the election. (Barely a spoiler: he wins the presidency in 1952 as a Republican)

The book shows an honorable, honest, hard-working man with a skill at bringing people together, among other qualities. I was even prouder of my fellow Kansan than I had been. But author Gunther does discuss some of the issues Eisenhower's detractors had, as well as those his supporters highlighted.

It is a little surprising that this was a bestseller because it seems dated, both in style and content, now. But that is part of a reason to read this one; it was interesting to read a contemporary source showing the mood of the country and world shortly after the long years of World War II and the Korean war, and the beginnings of the Cold War.