Well-written, engrossing read. Added a great deal to my knowledge of WWII in the southwestern pacific. I knew very little about Douglas MacArthur before reading this book, least of all what a petty, vindictive, and not altogether competent commander he was. Was shocked to learn in what low esteem he was held by peers outside his own orbit. ( )

This book aptly demonstrates that warts rather than freckles should be used to characterize MacArthur during WW 2. He started badly; by creating a poorly trained and led Philippine Army and by neglecting to plan and stock for a siege at Corregidor and Bataan. Then, compounded these serious strategic errors by allowing virtually his entire air force to be destroyed on the ground in the days following Pearl Harbor. Giving him the Medal of Honor was a travesty made as a political decision to create a hero for the country to look up to.

His public pronouncements and private letters to public figures bemoaned his lack of resources from day 1 until the Japanese surrender. His military accomplishments were often competent and often well- executed but he could never get enough praise. He and his staff extolled his low casualty rate which frequently exceeded all other theaters of war. After his well-publicized wade ashore in the Philippines, he became addicted to same and repeated it frequently. Never available to meet with Marshall or Nimitz because of the press of his command presence; he managed to be on the scene of landings for these additional photo opportunities. Even more flagrantly, he caused many casualties by insisting that many Island sites, be invaded rather than bypassed.

Brazenly brave, intelligent, capable but deeply flawed was this "Macarthur at War" ( )