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A review by ksammons
Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World by Evan Thomas
4.0
Before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of President (or General as he preferred) Eisenhower. I remember a framed Parade magazine that hung in my dad's bedroom when I was a kid, on which Eisenhower looks serious and brave in full military regalia. I was afraid of the picture, as I always felt like Eisenhower was watching me with disapproval. Now I know that he probably was.
Eisenhower is a fascinating man, and his spirit is wonderfully captured in this book. I found myself worrying about him during his various health scares and rooting for him when the press attacked him or he was entertaining Soviet leaders at the White House. This is a wonderful profile of a very complicated and serious man. And, because of the subject matter, I believe it is especially poignant to read this book in modern times. With the constant threat of nuclear war hanging over Ike's head, he successfully navigated the US through a portion of the Cold War, and adapted to the ever-changing scientific developments of weapons and technology. Eisenhower proved to be a shrewd leader, despite the press often labeling him as a friendly, senile grandfather of a president.
Eisenhower is a fascinating man, and his spirit is wonderfully captured in this book. I found myself worrying about him during his various health scares and rooting for him when the press attacked him or he was entertaining Soviet leaders at the White House. This is a wonderful profile of a very complicated and serious man. And, because of the subject matter, I believe it is especially poignant to read this book in modern times. With the constant threat of nuclear war hanging over Ike's head, he successfully navigated the US through a portion of the Cold War, and adapted to the ever-changing scientific developments of weapons and technology. Eisenhower proved to be a shrewd leader, despite the press often labeling him as a friendly, senile grandfather of a president.