In his book, The General Vs. The President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War, renowned historian H.W. Brands takes an in-depth look at the Korean War and the dominating personalities behind U.S. involvement in the conflict. With World War II five years past, Communism is on the march as North Korea invades South Korea and America must face this new threat. Caught off guard and ill prepared, President Truman must respond and do so quickly, while MacArthur already has plans—total victory. Will the President and his General be able to subdue the threat before Communism spreads in Asia and elsewhere?



The General Vs. The President is exceptionally well-written and H.W. Brands proves to be a masterful storyteller. The narrative is engaging and entertaining as the author tells the history of events through the eyes of Truman and MacArthur. Every page has action, drama, and conflict, far from the manuscript of a dry textbook.



However, I find the treatment of Joseph McCarthy, depicted as a fringe character, troubling. As history suggest with the declassification of the Venona Papers, the Senator seems justified in his concern about Communist infiltration into the U.S. government. In addition, President Truman may have been correct in firing General MacArthur for insubordination, however, it is troubling that it was Truman’s piece-meal, police-action foreign policy that caused more bloodshed. The consequences of his limited victory are still being felt today. Ultimately, both men had tremendous egos and the American Forces were caught in the middle of a power struggle.



All in all, The General Vs. The President is written in an intriguing and interesting fashion, even if a bit partial.





I was given a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.