More Details

Summary:

The first full biography of Smith, a fascinating American soldier and diplomat who began his career in 1911 as a private in the Indiana National Guard, and retired as a four-star general.

Table of Contents:

• Epilogue as prologue : soldier, diplomat, spymaster. Soldier turned diplomat ; Expecting the worse ; Dulles's number two ; The Geneva Conference ; "Ike's prat boy"
• Officership in the army of the "long generation," 1917-1939. Born to be a soldier ; The summons to war ; "They don't make 'em any better than Smith" ; "Expunge the bunk, complications, and ponderosities" ; The other class stars fell on ; "No one ever graduates"
• The towering figure : George C. Marshall. The chief's apprentice ; Forging the mold ; "Exceptionally qualified for service as Chief of Staff"
• The Mediterranean campaign. "Smith will save Ike" ; "We are on the threshold of a magnificent success" ; "Thank God you are in London" ; "We shall continue to flounder" ; "Allies are very difficult people to fight with" ; The many travails of an Allied Chief of Staff ; The road to Messina ; The Italian job ; "A feeling of restrained optimism" ; "We conduct our wars in a most curious way"
• France 1944. The Supreme Command ; "Enough to drive you mad" ; "It's go" ; Normandy deadlock ; What has the Supreme Command amounted to? ; End the War in '44 ; "The logistical bottleneck now dictates strategy" ; Après le déluge
• The victory campaign. One desperate blow ; Déjà vu all over again ; The German is a whipped enemy ; Mission fulfilled
• Appendixes. Marshall's reorganized War Department General Staff ; AFHQ command and staff structure ; SHAEF command and staff structure.

Author/Creator:

Crosswell, D. K. R. (Daniel K. R.)

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Beetle: the life of general Walter Bedell Smith [by Crosswell, D.K.R.]

Related Series:

American warriors (Lexington, Ky.)

Subjects:

Smith, Walter Bedell, 1895-1961

Generals — United States — Biography

United States Army — Biography

Statesmen — United States — Biography

United States — History, Military — 20th century

United States Army

1900-1999

Statesmen

History, Military

Generals

United States

Genres:

Biographies

General Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 1045-1052) and index.

Physical Description:

xvii, 1070 pages : maps ; 25 cm.

Call Numbers:

E745.S57 C75 2010

ISBNs:

9780813126494 (hardcover, alk. paper)
0813126495 (hardcover, alk. paper)

Library of Congress Control Numbers:

2010026300

OCLC Numbers:

639159464