Leaders in Dangerous Times

Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower brought World War II to a close in decidedly different ways. Was MacArthur a vainglorious actor, as some who observed his triumphant ceremony aboard the Missouri concluded? Was Eisenhower as dry and colorless as the ceremony at Reims suggests? In MacArthur and Eisenhower, author Robert McDougall describes how these two very different leaders came to be two of the most important people on earth and what they each did with their fame and leadership potential after the war ended. McDougall details how the careers of both men encompass many of the important events of the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. MacArthur emerges as a brilliant strategist who defeated and rebuilt Japan and saved South Korea, but his egocentric posturing masked the heavy burden he bore aspiring to duplicate the exploits of his illustrious father. Eisenhower comes into focus as a likeable and efficient organizer who always kept his teams working together. He defeated Hitler and, as president, dealt effectively with the numerous challenges of postwar America. Yet, ever the consummate moderate, he may have missed opportunities to reach loftier goals with bold strokes. MacArthur and Eisenhower assesses the leadership styles of these men as they play their roles across the world stage during World War I, the inter-war period, and the Cold War.