American Caesar

Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964

By: William Manchester

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Virtually all Americans above a certain age hold strong opinions about Douglas MacArthur. They either worship him or despise him. Now, in this superb book, one of our most outstanding writers, after a meticulous three-year examination of the record, presents his startling insights about the man. The narrative is gripping, because the general's life was fascinating. It is moving, because he was a man of vision. It ends, finally, in tragedy, because his character, though majestic, was tragically flawed.©1978 William Manchester (P)1991 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Listening to Parker, one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. The 'you-are-there' quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation." ( AudioFile)

Best biography

I've listened to many biographies, and this one is the best. I'd never thought much about MacArthur before I listened to this book. I'd just thought he was an egotistical old general. Now I know that he was one of the towering figures of the last century. If you are interested in WWII, the Korean War, or a history of Japan, you need to listen to this book.

Loved it!

A true American hero in all senses of the word.
I wish he would have punched that coward Truman in the face.

Mesmerizing

I picked this up for sale mainly because I love Grover Gardner. I ended up listening to the majority of this tome when I was hiking across Scotland and I could not possibly love it more. It was awfully educational for me and with my favorite narrator at the helm it was like a free Harvard lecture series. I wish there were more titles like this.

Engaging

Very informative — obviously a lot of work went into this book. For my taste, I would have preferred a strict adherence to reporting and none of the author’s opinions. The book was written in the 1970’s, from a comfortable, middle class, lifestyle. The author had been involved in World War II, in the Pacific, 30 years earlier. It seems obvious to me, at least, that this experience and the intervening years could not help but color his views.

the details

I liked all the detail about his life. it provides great insight into the military and political battles.