Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War

Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War
hardtack avatar reviewed on + 2701 more book reviews


Unlike many presidents who called on their cabinets for advice, Roosevelt made up his own mind about almost everything. He was not always morally right, but often handled the politics of command perfectly.

This books deals with his use of major military figures of the World War II era for both military and political ends.

I often wondered why Roosevelt let Douglas MacArthur get away with as much as he did. This book goes a long way to explaining why Roosevelt was more interested in using MacArthur politically than as a military commander.

This book definitely belongs on the shelves of everyone who is interested in why what happened in World War II.