Eisenhower's Armies

October 5, 2015
In this detailed yet accessible military history, Barr (Pendulum of War), senior lecturer in defense studies at King’s College, London, provides a comprehensive account of the legendary WWII Anglo-American alliance, which witnessed as much tension and conflict as it did cooperation. During Britain’s dire situation in the early stages of the European war, the U.S. stepped in to lend weaponry and help ensure Britain’s survival, which was far from assured. After extensive and strained debate over military strategy, and tense technological competition (yet eventual collaboration) over suitable tank designs, the two armies coordinated effectively to form a united force to expel Axis forces from North Africa. This represented “a great experiment in Allied cooperation,” though further tension and strategic disagreement among high-level commanders ensued as the Allies crossed the Rhine and advanced into Germany. Cultural differences, differing military structures and procedures, and mutual suspicion caused animosity throughout the military campaign, though Barr identifies Eisenhower as a force for unity who overcame this “considerable clash of military cultures.” Relying on sound scholarship—including key planning documents and meeting notes—and writing for a general audience, Barr guides readers through the numerous ups and downs of the fraught relationship and highlights dramatic moments of both crisis and success.

Starred review from September 15, 2015
Anglo-American cooperation during World War II worked, more or less. Barr (Defence Studies/King's Coll., London; Pendulum of War: Three Battles at El Alamein, 2005, etc.) quotes but does not entirely agree with United States Army Chief of Staff George Marshall that it was "the most complete unification of military effort ever achieved by two Allied nations." After reviewing the many painful lessons of the war, the author delivers an astute, always engrossing account of how civilian leaders (Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt) and their army chiefs (Marshall, Alan Brooke) recruited, trained, and deployed two immense armies. This process, as the author notes, "developed over time from rather inauspicious beginnings." After Pearl Harbor, a Washington-based Combined Chiefs of Staff-Marshall, Adm. Ernest King, and Britain's virtually unknown but crucial Field Marshal Sir John Dill-hashed out strategy, and supreme commander Dwight Eisenhower worked to keep his generals' attention on the enemy when they often preferred to fight each other. Many conflicts had less to do with nationality than personality; Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery was probably more unpopular with British than American colleagues. Barr does well on the big picture. The majority proposed a Germany-first strategy, but neither the British king nor the American public went along, so the U.S. gave equal attention to Japan. British leaders disliked America's intention to attack Germany directly and successfully argued for campaigns in North Africa and Italy, which, in retrospect, put only modest pressure on Hitler. Barr does even better when he narrows his focus. Anecdotes, journals, and letters make it clear that prejudices are stubborn and problems remained (Americans hated the British rationing system), but most officers and men worked harder than their superiors to get the job done. A detailed, entertaining history of a successful, if bumpy, military alliance.

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November 1, 2015

Barr (defense studies, King's Coll. London; Pendulum of War) offers a riveting, knowledgeable account of the Anglo-American relationship between 1941 and 1945. According to Barr, this was the most effective military alliances in world history; to the author's credit, he doesn't try to cover comprehensively every aspect of this relationship. Rather, he focuses clearly and convincingly on the two different armies at the center of this successful partnership. Barr not only examines the roles of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery, George Marshall, and George S. Patton but also stresses the all-important impact of "lower level" aides, strategists, and commanders who led these two armies to an eventual and decisive victory over the Axis powers, and thereby altered the course of history. Barr provides a fresh perspective into this "special relationship" between Britain and the United States at a pivotal point in time. VERDICT This dramatic work isn't just for military historians or World War II scholars. It is also highly recommended for students of World War II and of the Atlantic Alliance of the mid-20th century and is a great read for anyone interested in leadership, decision making, international relations and diplomacy, and 20th-century history.--Stephen Kent Shaw, Northwest Nazarene Coll., Nampa, ID

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