It was the controversial, eccentric, flamboyant, arrogant, and imperious Patton and MacArthur who immediately jump to mind for their very public personalities, although they certainly were brilliant and fearless.
WWII made these Generals iconic but sadly Marshall is not often mentioned in the same breath as the the other two, even though he went on eventually to create the Marshall Plan and serve as Secretary of State.But he was the planner, not the fighter and never saw combat. WWI determined those paths as it was discovered that Marshall was a splendid planner and tactician and would never become a combat commander MacArthur and Patton were born to be in combat, a trait which carried on into WWII as they often put themselves in harms way on the battlefields. Marshall graduated from VMI, and both Patton and MacArthur from West Point and their paths were set. MacArthur's father had won the Congressional Medal of Honor in the Civil War Patton's father was a cavalry man and Marshall's family was a military presence for both the North and the South in the Civil War. All three came from distinguished backgrounds and knew they wanted to serve in the military at an early age. The author gives some background on each man but the majority of the book is dedicated to their service during WWII which made them legends. The three Generals who are the subject of the book were as different as day is to night (although MacArthur and Patton were cut from the same cloth), yet their intense and total dedication to their country was unquestionable. They have certain capabilities and mind-sets that enable them to take on the responsibility of the lives or deaths of the soldiers under their command.
This book, covering the lives of three of the most famous Generals of WWII, George Marshall, George Patton, and Douglas MacArthur, proves the adage that Generals are a breed apart in the US military and not simply because of higher rank.
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