Matthew Royal’s Reviews > American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964 > Status Update

Interesting account of MacArthur "winning" the medal of honor, by having foreign associates petition the president for it, saying that non-combatant Charles Lindbergh had been awarded it. MacArthur had a big ego that needed constant care and feeding, and my previous opinion of a fawning biographer is slowly shifting.

I grew up learning that MacArthur was a great leader, so I'm looking forward to when the book covers the Korean War.

The parallels between MacArthur and Donald Trump are striking: tastes for the Finer Things, like gilded French mirrors and status objects; outsized personalities; commanding (and demanding) the loyalty of colleagues and friends; and a reputation that is constructed to be larger than the man himself.

I grew up learning that MacArthur was a great leader, so I'm looking forward to when the book covers the Korean War.

The parallels between MacArthur and Donald Trump are striking: tastes for the Finer Things, like gilded French mirrors and status objects; outsized personalities; commanding (and demanding) the loyalty of colleagues and friends; and a reputation that is constructed to be larger than the man himself.

This book reads like a self-conscious hero back story that rationalizes the ugly parts. I say self-conscious thinking that the other shoe will eventually drop, and Manchester will voice real criticism of MacArthur.

MacArthur ran into Taft in the Philippines. Like T. Roosevelt, he didn't like him, because --again-- Taft wasn't swept up by his charisma. And he was fat. I want to read a Taft biography...