Herman’s Reviews > Eisenhower: At War 1943-1945 > Status Update

I'm done!

I'm at the last chapter. The end is in sight. VE day is approaching. And the Cold War has officially started. As the Soviets want to keep Poland and other eastern European nations under their control. Ike's star continues to rise. Monty finally is able to progress and is racing toward the area between Berlin and Denmark. Funny how the Germans want to surrender to the Allies, not the Russians.

The Allies are in full march in Germany. Berlin is no longer a strategic prime target by now. Ike is now calling the shots pretty well by now. They are running into concentration camps...grisly business. Interestingly, not much was said about FDR's death. Ike and Bradley did not have a high opinion about Truman, for now anyway.

By now, Ike has grown into his role as supreme commander, in spite of all the bumps and bruises that he has endured. Bradley, Patton, and the rest of the generals are doing well. Some have crossed the Rhine and threaten Berlin. Yet, Berlin is not Ike's main objective. He has decided to let the Soviets get to Berlin first. Monty seems to still struggle to advance. Ike even took a couple of days off at Cannes. Nice.

Now Ike and the Allies have beaten back the Nazis in the Ardennes (aka The Battle of the Bulge). Still, all is not well in paradise. The British were considering removing command from Ike. Incredible as it seems. For a country whose fat was removed from the fire, they sure are an arrogant lot. This was a growing opportunity for Ike. He grew confident in himself after this episode.

What I find most interesting is the part of history that one doesn't learn in history class. The Allies won WWII, this is true. But it was no cake walk. They were in a constant state of tension from before OVERLORD. Ike was the right guy for this job. Soothing egos, being pragmatic, using all his resources to get the job done, not being confrontational. He had to, in order to make things happen. what a PITA!

Finally, the breakout from Normandy happens. Bradley, Patton, Dempsey are on the move. Meanwhile whiny-ass Montgomery, decides to try and dictate other war plans to Ike. What a pain-in-the-ass.
This book does not paint a flattering picture of the British side. Including Churchill. They were so desperate to maintain their pre-war interests, after the war. I'm surprised Ike did not start drinking....more.

It is now late July/early August. The Allies have managed to break out of their stalemate after the initial landings in Normandy. Blame it on the weather, too many cooks in the kitchen, lack of coherent communication, or even lack of will of Montgomery....Ike sure had to put up with a lot of BS in order to get all these cats herded. This phase of the invasion is something one will never learn in history class.

So many players, so many factors, to consider when you are about to invade a continent. I must admit, at times I get so overwhelmed with all the names of the major players in this book. Add to that, the code names of all the military operations. There is a lot to absorb here. Still, this narrative is insightful of what was going on with Ike as he led the preparations of OVERLORD.