Crusade in Europe

Dwight David Eisenhower

JHU Press, Jul 2, 1997 - Biography & Autobiography - 559 pages

Five-star General Dwight D. Eisenhower was arguably the single most important military figure of World War II. For many historians, his memoirs of this eventful period of U.S. history have become the single most important record of the war. Crusade in Europe tells the complete story of the war as Eisenhower planned and lived it. Through his eyes, the enormous scope and drama of the war—strategy, battles, moments of fateful decision—become fully illuminated in all their fateful glory.

Yet this is also a warm and richly human account. Ike recalls the long months of waiting, planning, and working toward victory in Europe. His personal record of the tense first hours after he had issued the order to attack—and there was no turning back—leaves no doubt of Eisenhower's travail and reveals this great man in ways that no biographer has ever surpassed.

Contents

• PRELUDE TO WAR: 1
• GLOBAL WAR: 16
• LIFE LINE TO AUSTRALIA: 20
• COMMAND POST FOR MARSHALL: 31
• TRANSATLANTIC SHIPPING ROUTES: 44
• PLATFORM FOR INVASION: 49
• BOMBERS OVER AXIS INDUSTRY: 64
• PLANNING TORCH: 74
• INVASION OF AFRICA: 94
• LANDINGS IN NORTH AFRICA: 102
• WINTER IN ALGIERS: 115
• NOVEMBER RACE FOR TUNIS: 117
• TUNISIAN CAMPAIGN: 135
• THE KASSERINE COUNTERATTACK: 144
• SPRING OFFENSIVE IN TUNISIA: 153
• HUSKY: 159
• SICILY AND SALERNO: 173
• THE INVASION OF SICILY: 175
• THE INVASION OF ITALY: 185
• CAIRO CONFERENCE: 193
• ITALY: 201
• ITALIAN CAMPAIGN: 205
• PLANNING OVERLORD: 220
• GENERAL STRATEGY OF OVERLORD: 227
• DDAY AND LODGMENT: 253
• DDAY ASSAULT: 255
• BREAKOUT: 266
• THE BREAKOUT AND EXPLOITATION: 273
• PURSUIT AND THE BATTLE OF SUPPLY: 288
• ANVILDRAGOON: 295
• PLAN AND PERFORMANCE: 309
• AUTUMN FIGHTING ON GERMANYS FRONTIER: 321
• THE SCHELDT ESTUARY: 326
• THE ARDENNES RISK: 339
• HITLERS LAST BID: 342
• THE ARDENNESMAXIMUM GERMAN PENETRATION: 354
• CROSSING THE RHINE: 366
• TO DESTROY THE GERMANS WEST OF THE RHINE: 373
• ASSAULT AND ENCIRCLEMENT: 387
• THE RHINE BARRIER BREACHED: 393
• OVERRUNNING GERMANY: 404
• MILITARY SITUATION AT GERMAN SURRENDER: 419
• VICTORYS AFTERMATH: 427
• OPERATION STUDY: 448
• RUSSIA: 457
• A Allied Order of Battle for Final Offensive: 510
• The German Ground Forces: 516

About the author

Born in 1890 in Denison, Texas, Dwight D. Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, Kansas. He served as Supreme Commander of Allied forces during World War II and, from 1953 to 1961, as 34th president of the United States. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1969.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Crusade in Europe; Great commanders
• Author: Dwight David Eisenhower
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: JHU Press, 1997
• ISBN: 080185668X, 9780801856686
• Length: 559 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Presidents & Heads of State; History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies); History / United States / General; History / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / European Theater; History / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General