In 1941 the United States of America started fighting the expansionism of the Japanese Empire during World War II. We needed a man who could win the war, save as many soldiers as possible and make the American people proud of their choice. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a smart choice. He chose General Douglas McArthur, the man would win World War II, make Japan the economic powress it has become, and charmed the American people with his great voice after Korea. This is the life of a man, who many people think, he should have been God, this is the life of General Douglas McArthur.

Manchester has produced a book that covers the entire life of the controversial five star general, from his infancy to his death, in the finest of detail and in a lively literary style. - If you want to know about MacArthur, this is the book for you. The author very carefully presents facts about the general and lets you the reader make up your mind on where the truth lies. Manchester does not appear to "take sides" in this book; he does not take the general and make him a god, nor does he denigrate what the general has done. He presents the many sides of this mysterious general and lets you, the reader, put it all together which is not difficult, since Manchester provides you the tools to do it: plenty of rich detail, plenty of quotes, excerpts of memos and messages, much detail on his private family life. Again, Manchester does not tell the reader what to think. For example, with the fall of the Philippnes, it seems that the general has made up his mind to stay and, along with his family, expects in a matter-of-fact way to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner by the Japanese. You wonder about his wife and child, but Manchester doesn't tell you what they want to do: he lets them speak. - An excellent biography and significant historical account. Probably the best ever on MacArthur whether you like the general or not.

The book is alive and very interesting. It is like reading a newspaper and not a rendition of the facts about a dead man's life. It is inspiring to read how the general overcame every obstacle to achieve his goals. I have read the book more than once.

Written at the family's request between 1964-68, this is one of the most detailed accounts of the JFK case, Although embracing the official perspective - L.H. Oswald the lone killer / no conspiracy - the book is a detailed story of the last days of President Kennedy's life and the next days until the funeral, the deeds of lots of White House staff, the president's family, Dallas people and the touching reaction of American people - the ones which shoudn't have asked what America can do for them, but what THEY can do for America. William Manchester is one of the great non-fiction writers which makes written history as vivid as real life. "The death of a president" is one of his masterpieces - famous enough to be translated into romanian, the language in which I first read it, since it is my mother tongue.

William Manchester's first Churchill volume is one of those books that makes you just love to read.

This clearly isn't a book for all those who are fascinated by the mediocre and skeptical of the possibilities for true greatness. This is an unreconstructed and unapologetic look at a leader whose instincts often cut against the grain of the 20th century, but who would emerge as one of the great heroes of it, just when extraordinary leadership was needed the most.

Manchester is the rare gifted writer who has mastered the biographical craft as well as the sweeping narrative needed to succinctly encapsulate the mores and habits of an entire nation at a particular moment in time. He does this brilliantly in his introduction, about one hundred pages long, which sets the stage with a lavish description of Victorian England. This is one of the best parts of the book.

Early on, it is clear that the ambitious young Winston is headed for big things. This wasn't only because he came from one of Britain's most prominent families -- his father rose to become the second most powerful man in the government, and his mother was romantically linked to the Prince of Wales. Despite this, Manchester convinces us, successfully, that Churchill was the best of his generation, that he would have risen even from less auspicious circumstances (admittedly, this interpretation has its limits, since entire social classes were excluded from Parliament at the time).

Churchill made his career as a political maverick, changing parties not once, but twice, consistently taking positions that brought him close to political death. Yet Churchill survived -- and what's more, he turned out to be one of the most enduring political presences any democracy has ever seen. What is striking about Churchill's career is that it didn't simply culminate in 1940 after a plodding journey up the political ladder. No -- Churchill had first been elected to Parliament forty years earlier, and he rose quickly within a few years of his election. But then his career plateaud for about a quarter of a century. Here you had a man who was considered a future Prime Minister at age 30, who was in a position to be considered the heir apparent in governments of two different parties at various points from World War I until the late 1920s, and yet didn't take the next step. What happened?

The Great War and its aftermath, more than anything, foreordained Churchill's postponed "rendezvous with destiny." It was here where Churchill was the most out of step with prevailing political attitudes. Churchill held close to his heart a heroic vision of Britain, and believed deeply in the nobility of a war fought for a just cause. He also believed in the Empire, and did not think that Britain should relinquish what was already hers, even in a time of relative decline vis a vis the United States. Where most saw senseless slaughter in the trenches of France, he saw selfless heroism, a nation at its best.

The nation, or at least the political classes, did not agree with this interpretation. In a time that Walter Lippman proclaimed was "tired of greatness" and where the great fear was that Britain had overextended herself, Churchill defended greatness and Empire. In his view, strength in the service of democracy, and not blind disarmament, would prevent future wars. This view, ascendant in World War II, and in many ways, ascendant again in America today, was seen as discredited at the time, and Churchill in the 1920's repeatedly butted heads with a Conservative leadership over disarmament and withdrawal from India. The trend was so strong in the other direction that Churchill was effectively cast out of his party by the end of the 20's, and looked destined to repeat the fate of his iconoclastic father, who was cast permanently out into the political wilderness for his own apostasies.

But with this son, there would always be a second act.

William Manchester does much more here than tell the story of perhaps the greatest person of the 20th century--he transports you back to the pre-WWII England to see the events that shaped Winston Churchill's life and political destiny. You not only come away with a true sense of who Churchill was (and he truely was the hand that slammed the door to Hell during WWII)--you also gain real insight into other key British politicial figures of the day including Lloyd George, Lord Halifax, Nevile Chamberlain and many others in the context of their often-changing relationships with Winston.

I came away with a fresh perspective of the key people and geopolitical events of the time; and gained a wealth of useful historical information as well. This, and Manchester's first volume of Churchill's bigography should be required reading in any proper 20th century college-level history course. (They're crafted so well that students might actually read them!)

Beware--you will not want to put it down once you start reading; I didn't.

Manchester begins the book by describing what life for Winston Churchill was like in the 1930s. He goes into detail about Churchill's home Chartwell and the expenses Winston had to meet to live his lifestyle. Winston earned the necessary money writing histories and newspaper columns. His writing gave him not only an income, but a voice about the coming Nazi aggression that most of England was blind to.

We've seen promising political careers derailed due to self-indulgence and Churchill's career seemed just that in the 1930s. He was a young member of the cabinet in World War I, but after a principled cabinet resignation in the early 30s, he became an outsider in his own party. This didn't stop Churchill from antagonizing everyone who wouldn't listen to him. Eventually, his rise to Prime Minister in 1940 was one of history's biggest I told you sos. But it wasn't his ability as War Prime Minister that made Churchill great, according to Manchester, but his ability to see early Nazi aggression and danger when the whole world slept. Whether you agree or disagree, Manchester has created a wonderful detailed comprehensive biography of the time period.

Manchester's easy way with words, apt scholarship and detailed descriptions really bring the time period to life...

This, the second volume of Manchester's Churchill biography, continues the extraordinary story of the British prime minister up to 1940. And as with the first volume, it is incredible reading, perhaps the best biography written about anyone. Manchester's gift as a writer is absolutely astounding. One feels there is nothing he does not know about his subject or the subject's time. Particularly interesting are the quotes he includes, which when I first read them I had to resist framing for my library wall. And almost as interesting as Churchill are the myriad individuals who surrounded him, exhumed here by Manchester for a final and proper setting of the record. Ultimately, we come to Churchill's greatest contemporaries, Chamberlain, Roosevelt, Stalin, and Hitler, and are drawn with such expertise into the relationships that we are left wondering how it will all turn out. But of course we do know, and it is with growing dismay and sadness that we let Manchester take us to the end of the book, with the detailed recounting of the terrible stumbling of the West's leaders toward WWII and the end of an era. Of course, this is the beginning of Churchll's greatest challenge, to be continued in the as yet unpublished third volume, but we still feel regret for having lost to time such an able and important man. With the last page, our respect for him has us near tears with the knowledge that the world, more than ever, needs more Churchills and will not have them.

Most people today know Winston Churchill at the great British Prime Minister of WWII. But Churchill was 65 when he became Prime Minister and had a public career spanning more than forty years. In this excellent book which is part biography, part history, William Manchester focuses on the period of 1932-1940 when Churchill was out of power, an outcast in his own party and universally derided as a warmongering relic. Churchill referred to these years as his "wilderness years" and they are among the most fascinating of his life because the years of Churchill's political exile coincide with the rise of Hitler and the growth of Germany from defeated power to world menace. Indeed, as Manchester chronicles, Churchill's return from the wilderness was intimately connected to the rise of Hitler because Churchill's relentless public opposition to Hitlerism and British policy towards Germany throughout the thirties is what led to his continuing exile while this same stalwartness preserved him from the mark of shame that infected the rest of the British elite when the policy of appeasement collapsed in 1939.

Manchester has an unrestrained admiration for Churchill. Nevertheless, at no time in this volume does he overlook Churchill's many faults of personality. Many of these faults become clear when Manchester examines Churchill's personal life at his Chartwell estate and his relationship with his family and the servants and secretary's who worked for him. Despite these faults, however, the Churchill of this book comes across as a man touched with greatness and who is well aware of it. But this book is not merely the story of Churchill but the story of the small shabby men whose policy of appeasement in the face of absolute evil laid England low. Most of the government during the thirties fits this bill but in particular Manchester singles out the three prime ministers, Ramsey McDonald, Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain and Chamberlain's foreign minister Lord Halifax.. The author's contempt for these "Men of Munich" drips on virtually every page. He contrasts their fecklessness with Churchill's steadiness. Certainly Churchill recognized from day one that Germany had been overtaken by a deranged criminal regime and that such a regime would necessarily threaten the peace of the world. The Men of Munich just could not see it. Churchill believed, without once wavering, that a foreign policy built on strength and deterrence could prevent war but that a policy of appeasement could only guarantee it. The Men of Munich believed quite the opposite. Manchester shows the motivation of the appeasers to be more complex than commonly understood. Nevertheless, since, to their mind, no rational human being could want war, any dispute with Germany could be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation. It never occurred to the Churchill's foes that Hitler was no rational human being but rather quite mad or that they were not "negotiating" with him so much as giving in and retreating.

A review of the events of the thirties shows a steady British retreat beginning with the failure to stop the re-occupation of the Rhineland then the failure to halt the annexation of Austria, the infamous betrayal of Czechoslovakia at Munich and finally the failure to prevent the final conquest of Czechoslovakia. Indeed, even after the invasion of Poland and declaration of War, Britain and France held back from aiding the Poles for fear Hitler would "turn west". Not until Churchill returned to power, nearly a year after the start of the war and days before the capitulation of France did the policy of appeasement truly end.

Even without the benefit of hindsight, the policy of the British government during this period defies belief. Churchill stands as starkly in contrast to these appeasers as he does to the criminal Hitler. Churchill's wilderness years contain important lessons for today's policy-makers. Appeasement of evil is not only wrong but foolish. It never preserves peace but only guarantee's war. Manchester is a great writer. His prose is lively and his storytelling ability is excellent. All lovers of history will adore this book. I highly recommend it. What a pity that there will never be a third volume chronicling the war and post war years of Churchill's 90 year life.

As one reads William Manchester's second volume on Churchill, one is struck by Churchill's uncanny grasp of the threat of Nazi Germany, and his many attempts to warn Britain of its peril. Like Cassandra in Greek mythology, though, Churchill's predictions are not believed, and he is only included in the War Cabinet when war was inevitable. William Manchester's book is thoroughly researched, and is at least as good as that of Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, with one important difference: Manchester's book is written on a far larger canvas, and the level of detail he is able to devote to Churchill is far greater -- and the subject is more than worthy of it. Mandatory reading for anyone studying Churchill, a good prelude to read before reading Churchill's own five volume history of World War II in that it gives insight into Churchill's mind. On a personal level, I know that Mr. Manchester is advanced in years, and I cannot help thinking, in my selfishness as a historian, that I hope he completes volume III soon. It would be a tragedy if the task of completing this wonderful history proves to be too much for him.

This is an excellent book about a family struggle. It looks lengthy however; I am waiting for a sequel. One of the things I like to do is to read books that become movies and movies that are novelized. You are right this would have to be a mini-series. Ha, I will bet you did not notice that in the book William Manchester mentions that the movie "Major Barbara"; the only play actually written by George Bernard Shaw was modeled on the Krupp family.

How DARE they let this book go out of print! This is one of the most brilliant histories of recent years, a classic to go along with Bill Shirer's "Rise and fall of the Third Reich" and Barbara Tuchman's "August 1914"/"The guns of August", to which it is an excellent companion. It captures both eras and characters wonderfully well. ABove all, Manchester is a passionate historian. No academic distance for hîm. The words burn with anger at the treatment of the slave workers of the Third Reich - and their murdered offspring, to whom the book is dedicated. Long it may be but it bears rereading, because nobody ought to forget this stuff.

Now in the twilight of his years Manchester has revealed he lacks the mental focus necessary to complete his trilogy on the life of Winston Churchill (while heroically fending off his publisher's suggestion that he graft on a co-author to complete it). In its zeal to conjure some way to make more money off the Manchester name, is it perhaps time for this publisher to ponder why one of the greatest biographers and historians in memory can only be read by combing the bins of used bookstalls or grasping the dog-eared library tome?

The Arms of Krupp (out of print), and many others of the canon are seminal works with a devoted readership. Perhaps the right marketing opportunity simply has yet to strike. Making a movie (and a bad one at that) about Pearl Harbor popped even the questionable Gordon Prange back into prominence. Clearly, in these days when book publishers are conveniently tied into the entertainment world as a matter of corporate domain, the lonely vigil of the Manchester devotee must await the serendipity of Hollywood. Until then, Mr. Manchester I laud you with the words of one still in print:

"To me fair friend you can never be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still."

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to 1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression, and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his decription of these forty years, before and after World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world, yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the author is able to make many of the characters and emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and engaging style. However, I personally believe that the author treats some of major figures of the time too harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to life through effective use of quotes and actions, which describe the feelings and concerns those people had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown in this observation from the Governor's mansion in Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by the American army with his hands, as though in shame for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American people felt shame and sadness, there was also a growing sense of resolve that something should be done to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people." A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate his character and the general feeling of the time come from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches, instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait of America at that period. Its lively details and examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering through the Great Depression, prospering through the New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation of leaders I believe benefited America, even though they made some very grave mistakes. His views on President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his support, America would be a very different repressive place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You can understand and enjoy this book without being a scholar or a historian. It also covers an important period of history which is still relevant to our political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore in reading this book you widen your understanding of current events.

As a history teacher and historian who has read and previewed hundreds of history titles, I can say without resevation that "The Glory and the Dream" ranks up among the top 5 history books I have ever read. Covering a span of time when America went through so much upheavel and doubt, patriotism and arrogance, Manchester weaves a tale of American life that leaves nothing out. Focusing on the four themes of history (social, political, domestic, foreign) he manages to bring together all of the personalities, events, disasters, fears, and triumphs that have made America what she is today. At over 1300 pages, it is a massive volume but one that grabs the reader from the very start with its chapters on the Great Depression and the rise of FDR. From there Manchester takes the reader on a wonderful trip through time as he covers World War II, The Cold War, Truman, Ike, the 50's, 60's, sex, music, Vietnam, art, entertainment, and everything else that went on during the 50 year time span the book covers. I was sad that the book had to end, but found myself reading it again in less than four months, reliving the journey again and finding out new things that I had missed before. If you love American history then this book is an absolute must for your library. For those who lived through the history of which Manchester writes, it will stir memories. For those too young to remember that far back, it will give you a wonderfully frank account of your nation and its 20th century heritage. Read this book, you will not be disappointed.

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints
a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to
1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression,
and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to
America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of
the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and
early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of
the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his
decription of these forty years, before and after
World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled
in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world,
yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The
Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the
author is able to make many of the characters and
emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and
engaging style. However, I personally believe that the
author treats some of major figures of the time too
harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to
life through effective use of quotes and actions,
which describe the feelings and concerns those people
had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great
Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy
Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown
in this observation from the Governor's mansion in
Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still
governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a
house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where
his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As
Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered
photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by
the American army with his hands, as though in shame
for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American
people felt shame and sadness, there was also a
growing sense of resolve that something should be done
to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were
facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and
determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to
the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts
the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I
pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people."
A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate
his character and the general feeling of the time come
from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is
nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said
angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why
didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches,
instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur
loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's
spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss
of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait
of America at that period. Its lively details and
examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and
adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering
through the Great Depression, prospering through the
New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving
the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could
intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into
decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such
a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation
of leaders I believe benefited America, even though
they made some very grave mistakes. His views on
President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate
the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of
the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon
Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support
of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion
his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his
support, America would be a very different repressive
place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history
at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You
can understand and enjoy this book without being a
scholar or a historian. It also covers an important
period of history which is still relevant to our
political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore
in reading this book you widen your understanding of
current events.

anyone who's parent was a pacific war vet should read this book. Manchester tells how it was, how it worked and how he delt with it in his life. He fills in some of the history, laid out as he revisits some of the islands taken by the marines, fleshes that out with good and bad memories of his experiences in marine life and combat on Guadalcanal and okinawa. it is a very personal story, much like any vets story who survived that theater of operation, more upbeat than say Robert Graves Goodby to all that, and not so combat specific as Wheelers book about 3 days on Iwo Jima. If you like personal stories, this is for you.

My uncle is a retired US Marine who was in the Pacific Campaign. I am retired Navy (VietNam era) and we compared notes on this book. We shared stories of "Blood That Never Dries" I would recommend this book to anyone who served in the military.

This book lets you know what you were fotunate to have not had to go through.I can see why William Manchester had to write this, I would not have slept either.He puts you in the jungles,and in the holes.Once you pick up this book, you will finish it before you put it back down.

Like all Manchester books, he brings to life a time that was filled with far more intrigue than whether or not Oswald was the lone gunman. On that, he convincingly explains that he was, and rivets the reader with surprisingly interesting minutae on who rode in the motorcade with whom, along with the historical debate of when LBJ became President and whether he should have taken the President's plane back to Washington.

What strikes me as irresponsible is/was Manchester's characterization of Dallas, and seemingly blaming it for the President's assasination. Throughout we have to read of how "radical" right Dallas was, how it was chock full of "John Birchers", and that the city itself was hospitable to right wing murderers. This strikes the reader as a foolish waste when you consider that the killer was the exact opposite, such a communist sympathizer that he lived in the Soviet Union, and tried to seek asylum in Cuba.

For that, the book pales in comparison to other Manchester works in that it's harder to take his historical views seriously given his self-interested, and seemingly paranoid, efforts to discredit the big bad right wing.

William Manchester provides a fascinating account "from the eye of the storm." For the younger generation, for whom Kennedy's assassination is an historic fact rather than a horrible memory, "The Death of a President" invokes the feelings of the time--the promise of the Kennedy presidency, the unthinkability of his untimely death, and the chaos that ensued before order was restored.

Manchester begins by describing the political in-fighting within the Texas Democratic party that prompted the Kennedy-Johnson trip in the first place. Some of the funniest moments in the book (yes, despite the subject, it does evoke a smile now and then) are the efforts that Kennedy aides made to get a reluctant Senator Yarborough to ride with LBJ in the motorcades. The many seemingly inconsequential decisions that ultimately led to the slow-moving motorcade through Dealey Plaza make the reader want to cry out, "No! Put the bubble top! Speak at a different site!" As the book nears the fateful hour, the reader is left with a sense that there's still a chance to avoid this tragedy.

The hours and days immediately after the assassination are equally fascinating. Jackie's wait at Parkland Hospital and her trip home on Air Force One are told with heart-breaking detail. (Lest this aspect seem overly invasive, the reader should note that the book was written with her blessing and cooperation.) The story of how the memorable funeral and Arlington burial came about are fascinating. The tensions between the Kennedy and Johnson aides provide a good lesson in how NOT to act after a tragedy.

If you're only interested in the conspiracy theories, however, this is not the book for you. Manchester wholeheartedly backs the lone gunman hypothesis, and his descriptions of Oswald's movements at this time are hard to swallow in light of the details that have emerged in the decades since the assassination. Since most of the book focuses on the Kennedy family, the Kennedy and Johnson aides, and other political figures, however, this one drawback does not significantly detract from the book.

A wonderful and well-deserved tribute to those who gave the last full measure during the Pacific War. Certainly does not sugar-coat the realities and horrors of combat. Reads well--incredible imagery as only Manchester could write it. However, Manchester the biographer and Manchester the autobiographer are two different authors, meaning that this book is not nearly as objective as his other works. He spends no small amount of time pontificating about the moral and social decay of America's younger generation, as he basically "vents" thirty years' worth of frustration and emotion. Provides an outstanding broad overview of the entire Pacific War, not just Okinawa. Once again, he uses incredible imagery to paint vibrant word pictures of all the places he visits or re-visits, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, New Guinea, Leyte, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, etc. He also introduces the reader to the local inhabitants of some of these places. You read this book in full color.

William Manchester is a great historian and an excellent writer. His history is well written and very fair. He goes to great efforts to keep his writing balanced, and he does so successfully. Just read his biography of MacArthur. So, I was quite surprized to read Goodbye Darkness and see and read Manchesters personal reaction to combat in the Pacific. This is some read. Graphic, disturbing, and yet giving you a great appreciation for what our WWII veterans accomplished in the Pacific. This book should be mandatory reading on WWII. The war in the Pacific was a horrible but neccessary war. Manchesters journal of this combat is unforgettable reading. A must read.

Not only is William Manchester a first rate writer, but he was there. The title of this book depicts his nightmares as a repository left over from his experiences in the infantry in the South Pacific in WWII. His attempts to dispel them are worked out through visiting each island the marines fought on in the pacific theatre.

His marine outfit was made up of Ivy leaguers like himself and the book is a distillation of his exploits. He takes the reader through the island fighting on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, New Guinea, the Philipines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The scenes in which he describes the fighting are absolutely gripping, This is easily as good as any war novel I've ever read if only for the descriptions of the combat. His description of the apparition in the foxhole with him in the Philipines is some of the best writing I've ever read. True, I'm not a literature buff, but this man can really write. It's too bad that more people aren't aware of it today.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who admire's the genius of H.L. Mencken. Manchester has created an in-depth account of the "Lion of the Twenties," from his early childhood in Baltimore as the son of a German-American cigar company owner, to his acendence to the pinnacle of the American intellectual renaissance of the 1920's. Manchester sculpts a palpable and staunch profile of the self-described "conservative anarchist," who made his mark as the editor of the influencial American Mercury magazine, writer/editor for the Baltimore Sun, and author of The American Language, the penultimate chronicle of American English. Mencken was a prolific pundit, scholar, social critic, reader and writer, blessed with a caustic wit, a hair-trigger mind, and an impossibly contrarian nature. His voracity for reading was so deep that he was known to read a motor repair manual "just because it was another human being trying to communicate." No one escaped his crticism with socialists, Christian Fundamentalists, and politicians particularly targeted. Manchester's writing, as in all his excellent works (I also highly recommend "Goodbye Darkness," Manchester's memoir of his combat service in the South Pacific as a U.S. Marine in WWII, five stars)is wonderfully rich. Manchester's style also has a lot of Mencken in it, which is another reason I liked the book. I don't know if he was consciously attempting to pay homage through stylistic similarities, but the cadence, language and were reminiscent of Mencken's works, and gave me the feeling it was really Mencken telling his life story through the hand of Manchester. Not a bad guy to emulate, even when you're as good as Manchester.