Ike: A Great American (Hallmark Editions)

A good man is hard to find, and finding great men is infinitely harder. But here was one. Dwight D Eisenhower 34th president of the United States, supreme Cmdr. of the Allied forces, devoted husband, son and father, lover of peace, passionate American. Or wherever he went, greatness walked with him. Ike tells a story in the touching introduction by his wife; Mamie, and photographs from the Eisenhower library at Abilene Kansas, in the words of the man himself. Here is the boy who chose for child hood heroes not the white headed Cowboys stars of his peers, but rather such leaders as Hannibal and Caesar and George Washington. Here is the clear thinking West Point cadet, and a young Army officer whose reputation for “woman hating” were shattered by a saucy young lady named Mamie Geneva Dowd. Ike brings the war years to life in the stirring words of Gen. Eisenhower: as supreme commander girding his troops for the invasion of France; as defender of liberty giving his famous VE day speech; as a world citizen delivering the magnificent Guildhall address to the people of London. His greatest leadership challenge came after the war. Everybody liked Ike, and a great many liked him well enough to make him president. Just as he is had inspired his men in wartime, so did he uplift his country in time of peace. His most memorable words ring throughout these pages. Soldier, president, human being Ike present some as he was. It is a rare story of a man who grew out of the heart of America to leave his mark of greatness on the entire world.