Pershing: A Biography - (Great Generals) by Jim Lacey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The riveting story of General "Black Jack" Pershing, the first great modern commander to lead a major campaign in Europe.

This persuasive biography sheds light on the nation's first modern combat commander who set the standard for today's four-star officers. Though the U.S. entered WWI with inadequate forces, in just over a year Pershing had built and hurled a one million man army against forty battle-hardened German divisions, defending the hellish Meuse-Argonne and turning the tide of the war. With focus and clarity, Lacey traces the development of Pershing from Indian fighter, to warrior against the Philippines insurgency, to victorious commander in WWI.

Review Quotes

"Lacey's contribution to the Great Generals series substantially redresses the balance in Pershing's favor by focusing on his acheivements." --Booklist

"Jim Lacey's very readable biography of General Pershing is an excellent reminder of his role in swiftly transforming the United States Army into a major fighting force in 1917 - 1918, and also of his great importance in selecting the men who would command American forces in World War Two. It is a first-rate life of a great American General who is all too often overlooked or underestimated today." --Michael Korda, author of Ulysses S. Grant and Ike

"Well researched, well presented, and well reasoned, this slim volume makes a convincing case for Pershing as the key figure in the AEF's contribution to Allied victory in the Great War. Pershing's government gave him two million men in uniform. His tireless work, detailed preparation, and situational awareness molded them into a war-winning army. He might not have been a great captain-but John J Pershing was a first-class general." --Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century

"Jim Lacey has provided a wonderful study of Pershing and his generalship that is well researched, but even more important brings a real understanding of the art of leadership to the subject." --Williamson Murray, author of A War To be Won

About the Author

Jim Lacey is an analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses and a professor of conflict and global issues at Johns Hopkins University. Lacey was an embedded journalist with Time magazine during the invasion of Iraq, where he traveled with the 101st Airborne Division. His opinion columns have been published in The Weekly Standard, The National Review, and The New York Post. Lacey is the author of Takedown, Fresh from the Fight, and Occupation of Iraq. General Wesley K. Clark served in the United States Army for thirty-four years and rose to the rank of four-star general as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. He is author of A Time to Lead, as well as the best selling books Waging Modern War and Winning Modern Wars.