Works Authored by GCM

·      George C. Marshall:  Interviews and Reminiscences, By Forrest Pogue.  This book is the transcripts of the interviews that Pogue conducted with General Marshall, and are invaluable.  They are difficult to read because they are not organized in the chronology of his life, but instead by interview.  They contain many of the questions that Pogue put to General Marshall, and his answers.  They provide invaluable insights, but it is best treated, in my opinion, as a reference to be dipped into where needed than as a book to read from cover-to-cover. 

·      The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, edited by Larry Bland.  This indispensable seven-volume set is the authoritative source of General Marshall’s letters, speeches and papers.  It is rewarding and worth the time to dip into it from time to time and read a little bit in order to get to know the man and to understand the almost incredible amount of work he was faced with each day.  Not the sort of work one can sit down and read from cover to cover, but time spent in these works is well worth the effort.  In my opinion, the best way to understand a man is to read what he himself wrote, rather than rely on a biographer as the sole interpreter.  Reading these papers and the interviews above give you a real flavor of the man. 

·      General Marshall’s Victory Report on the Winning of World War II in Europe and the Pacific, by General Marshall.  This short pamphlet, less than 200 pages, is the most succinct and focused description of the war effort by America that I have ever seen.  I highly recommend docents read this in order to see how General Marshall wrote, and how he was able to convey so much information is so few words.  It covers all aspects of the war, including manpower, strategy, commanders, industrial efforts, shipping, and everything in between.  This gives a good appreciation of the variety of problems that GCM dealt with. 

·      Memoirs of My Services in the World War 1917-1918, by George C. Marshall.  This book was authored by General Marshall immediately after World War I, then put away without being published.  The manuscript was recovered by Molly Winn and was subsequently published after General Marshall’s death.  This book is also invaluable, because it gives great insight into his thought processes, his ability to think and speak clearly, and his role in the Great War. 

·      Infantry in Battle, by The Infantry Journal.  This book was prepared by several authors at the Infantry School under General Marshall’s tutelage, and he wrote the Introduction.  For those who want to know what, exactly, he did while he was at the Infantry School, this book will go a long way towards explaining the changes in tactics and doctrine that he was pursuing. 

Notable Personages of the Times

·      Commander in Chief, by Eric Larrabee.  Good single source that covers Roosevelt, Marshall, King, Hap Arnold, Vandegrift, MacArthur, Nimitz, Eisenhower, Stilwell and LeMay.

·      Partners in Command, by Mark Perry.  Covers Marshall and Eisenhower and their relationship through World War II. 

·      Marshall and His Generals: US Army Commanders in World War II, by Stephen R. Taaffe.  This book is organized by periods of the war, and touches on many of the subordinate generals in the US Army in that conflict, in both theaters.

·      Generals in the Making:  How Marshall, Eisenhower, Patton and Their Peers Became the Commanders Who Won WWII, by Benjamin Runkle.  Clearly written for an American audience, it does not discuss any of our Allies in the war.  Interestingly enough, it discusses MacArthur at some length but did not see fit to include him in the title.

·      Beetle:  The Life of General Walter Bedell Smith, by D.K.R. Crosswell.  A huge volume, but it covers in great detail the contributions of Beetle Smith, who had a very large role on Ike’s staff but, like Sir John Dill, was largely unsung.  He also headed up the CIA after the war.  Over 1,000 pages, though, so bring a lunch.

·      Truman, by David McCullough.  A classic by a first-rate historian.  Everything you wanted to know about Truman and why he did the things he did.  Excellent sections on his relationship with General Marshall, and in particular on the MacArthur relief from command. 

·      American Caesar:  Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964, by William Manchester.  Another classic book, if you only read one book about MacArthur, this is the one.  Extremely well written and researched, it describes the man without making him into a cartoon or caricature. 

World War I

·      Military History of the World War, by Girard Lindsley McEntee.  This is probably out of print, but you might be able to find one on eBay or in an antique store.  Written in 1943, it is exhaustive in its description of every major military campaign, military or naval.  A useful reference.

·      My Experiences in the World War, by General John J. Pershing (in two volumes).  This is definitive, and highly recommended.

·      The First World War, by John Keegan.  A good overall single volume summary of the war by the noted British military historian.

·      Soissons 1918, by Douglas Johnson and Rolfe Hillman.  A good description of a pivotal battle involving the first big use of American soldiers in the war.  Hillman was a combat infantryman himself, and after he passed away, his co-author, a staff member at the Army War College, concluded the book.  Excellent examination into how warfare actually worked in World War I. 

·      The World Crisis 1911-1918, by Winston Churchill.  First rate summation of the entire war by Churchill, who was, successively, the First Lord of the Admiralty, an infantry battalion commander on the Western Front, the Minister of Munitions, and finally the Secretary of State for War during the campaigns.  Clearly a man with a front row seat, and a spectacular author to boot. 

World War II

·      The Second World War, by Winston Churchill.  This is published in six volumes, and is perhaps the best history of the war.  Churchill’s method throughout this work is to quote extensively from original papers letters and speeches to make the history as authentic as possible.  The six volumes are entitled:  The Gathering Storm, Their Finest Hour, The Grand Alliance, The Hinge of Fate, Closing the Ring, and Triumph and Tragedy.  Churchill’s writing is wonderful to read, clear and concise but descriptive at the same time.  The theme of the second volume is my favorite of all time:  “How the British people held the fort alone, until those who had hitherto been half-blind were half-ready”. 

·      The Liberation Trilogy, by Rick Atkinson.  Another superb three volume set of the American involvement in World War II.  The three volumes are entitled: An Army At Dawn:  The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, The Day of Battle:  The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944, and The Guns at Last Light:  The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945. 

·      The West Point Atlas of American Wars, Volume II 1900-1953.  This is an immensly valuable collection of maps and short text to describe each of the campaigns and has special attention to the American contributions.  Excellent reference work to keep next to your reading chair so you can track progress as you read another book. 

·      Crusade in Europe, by Dwight Eisenhower.  A good solid book covering the campaigns in North Africa and Europe under Ike’s command.  A classic. 

·      Eisenhower’s Lieutenants:  The Campaign of France and Germany 1944-1945, by Russell F. Weigley.  Modeled after the famous Lee’s Lieutenants, by Douglas Southall Freeman (which is in Marshall’s library), this volume discuss the campaigns and the personalities of the American generals from D-Day forward to Germany’s capitulation.  Well-researched and interesting. 

The China Mission

·      The China Mission:  George Marshall’s Unfinished War, 1945-1947, by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan.  A good description of the mission and the personalities involved in Marshall’s failed attempt at negotiating a settlement between the Chinese Communists and the Chinese Nationalists.

·      Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-1945, by Barbara Tuchman.  A classic, and while it does not cover the China mission, it is essential to understanding how China got to be the way it was when Marshall went over there in 1945. 

Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense

·      George C. Marshall and the Early Cold War:  Policy, Politics and Society, edited by William A. Taylor.  Silas wrote a review of this book a few months ago.  A collection of works, not a single volume. 

·      The Marshall Plan:  Dawn of the Cold War, by Benn Steil.  A superb book, everything you ever wanted to know about the Marshall Plan, but somewhat dry reading in spots.  Authoritative, in my mind. 

·      Present at the Creation: My Years at the State Department, by Dean Acheson.  Another classic book, this is well written and enlightening about Marshall’s time at State.  Acheson is a gifted writer among his other attributes. 

·      The Trials of Harry S. Truman:  The Extraordinary Presidency of an Ordinary Man, 1945-1953, by Jeffrey Frank.  A good book which is a nice augmentation to McCullough’s book about Truman. 

·      The General vs. The President:  MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War, by H.W.Brands.  Despite the inflammatory title, a decent book about MacArthur’s relief and the Truman/Marshall relationship.  I am not very sure we were at the brink of nuclear war, but I guess it sells books. 

The American Red Cross

·      A tonic to my spirit:  George Catlett Marshall and the American Red Cross, by Thomas Bowers.  A pamphlet prepared by one of our most senior docents, this is unique in that is the only book I have found that covers General Marshall’s time as the head of the Red Cross.  This was a period of his history that is not well recorded, and so Tom sought to fill that gap.