Douglas MacArthur: American Warrior

Recognized as a brilliant staff officer and proud combat hero who possessed a strong sense of destiny and yet equally vilified for the Bonus Army March in 1932 and the Korean War controversy in the 1950s, Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) continues to be a disputed figure. This admiring biography does not ignore MacArthur's faults; however, historian Herman (The Cave and the Light) selectively delves into the myths surrounding his subject's career to prove that MacArthur's critics are wrongheaded. Recounting MacArthur's life from childhood to postmilitary, the account touches upon his respect for his Civil War hero father, a childhood with an overprotective mother, and two marriages, creating a somewhat incohesive psychological and social narrative. Gen. MacArthur's strategic vision allowed him to forge a unified Pacific campaign during World War II, earning him the Medal of Honor; he later oversaw the Occupation of Japan and the Korean War. The author, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, writes with a right-wing perspective throughout. While there are many footnotes, the majority are from secondary sources.