> Skip to content
  • Published: 1 February 2016
  • ISBN: 9780143127390
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 144
  • RRP: $38.00

Eisenhower

A Life



In the rousing style he's famous for, Paul Johnson offers a fascinating biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower, with particular focus on his years as a five-star general and his two terms as president of the United States. Johnson chronicles Ike's modest childhood in Kansas, his West Point education, and his swift rise through the military ranks, culminating in his appointment as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces during World War II. Johnson then paints a rich portrait of Eisenhower's presidency, many elements of which speak to American politics today: his ability to balance the budget, his mastery in managing an oppositional Congress, and his prescient warnings about the military-industrial complex. This brief yet satisfying portrait will appeal to biography lovers as well as enthusiasts of presidential and military history alike.

Acclaimed historian Paul Johnson’s lively, succinct profile of Dwight D. Eisenhower explores his life and enduring legacy

In the rousing style he’s famous for, Paul Johnson offers a fascinating biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower, with particular focus on his years as a five-star general and his two terms as president of the United States. Johnson chronicles Ike’s modest childhood in Kansas, his West Point education, and his swift rise through the military ranks, culminating in his appointment as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces during World War II. Johnson then paints a rich portrait of Eisenhower’s presidency, many elements of which speak to American politics today: his ability to balance the budget, his mastery in managing an oppositional Congress, and his prescient warnings about the military-industrial complex. This brief yet satisfying portrait will appeal to biography lovers as well as enthusiasts of presidential and military history alike.

  • Published: 1 February 2016
  • ISBN: 9780143127390
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 144
  • RRP: $38.00

About the author

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is a journalist, historian, speechwriter and author. He came to prominence in the 50s writing for the New Statesman, where he was editor from 1965 - 1970. He then worked as a speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher (with whom he was at Oxford) and wrote a weekly column for the Spectator. He is married with two children and lives in London's Notting Hill Gate. He has written many books, including A HISTORY OF THE MODERN WORLD,1983, A HISTORY OF THE JEWS, 1987, and HEROES, 2007.

Also by Paul Johnson

See all

Praise for Eisenhower

"A concise biography of the five-star general and two-term president." -- USA Today, a "New and Noteworthy" pick
"Johnson deftly sketches Eisenhower's political profile . . . Inviting." -- The Boston Globe
"[E]ssential rather than exhaustive. Johnson gives the basic facts, but always with the aim of illustrating a salient point about Ike's character. . . . [Eisenhower] looks better than ever." -- The Denver Post