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The Most Dangerous Man in America

The Making of Douglas MacArthur

Contributors

By Mark Perry

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$17.99

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$22.50 CAD

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  1. Trade Paperback $17.99 $22.50 CAD
  2. ebook $11.99 $15.99 CAD
  3. Hardcover $29.99 $34.50 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around April 28, 2015. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

At times, even his admirers seemed unsure of what to do with General Douglas MacArthur. Imperious, headstrong, and vain, MacArthur matched an undeniable military genius with a massive ego and a rebellious streak that often seemed to destine him for the dustbin of history. Yet despite his flaws, MacArthur is remembered as a brilliant commander whose combined-arms operation in the Pacific — the first in the history of warfare — secured America’s triumph in World War II and changed the course of history.

In The Most Dangerous Man in America, celebrated historian Mark Perry examines how this paradox of a man overcame personal and professional challenges to lead his countrymen in their darkest hour. As Perry shows, Franklin Roosevelt and a handful of MacArthur’s subordinates made this feat possible, taming MacArthur, making him useful, and finally making him victorious. A gripping, authoritative biography of the Pacific Theater’s most celebrated and misunderstood commander, The Most Dangerous Man in America reveals the secrets of Douglas MacArthur’s success — and the incredible efforts of the men who made it possible.

  • An engrossing book on the great, though greatly flawed, general.... Fans of military history and general readers will have much to enjoy and to ponder."
    Washington Post
  • "A well-written, insightful portrait of a commander whose occasional military genius vied with an overweening ego that alienated his superiors in Washington and led to his eventual downfall."
    New York Times Book Review
  • "Mark Perry's enjoyable The Most Dangerous Man in America amply captures the general's 'proud and egotistical' streak."
    Wall Street Journal
  • "A deft portrayal centered mainly on MacArthur's World War II years."
    Boston Globe
  • "Without ever denying MacArthur's flaws and mistakes, Perry revives the general's reputation by carefully and positively appraising his role in some of the war's key moments."
    David Crist, Senior Historian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Foreign Affairs
  • "A perceptive, authoritative biography of the legendary general."
    Christian Science Monitor
  • "The book is extremely well-written and the story simply enthralling. it pulls you in from the first page.... If there is one biography to read about Douglas MacArthur, this is it."
    David Crist, Senior Historian, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • "Mark Perry's well-balanced book stands far above the crowded collection of official military histories, biographies, hagiographies and analyses of General Douglas MacArthur and should be mandatory reading for those that aspire to command--that most humbling of military experiences--at any level."
    Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs

On Sale
Apr 28, 2015
Page Count
416 pages
Publisher
Basic Books
ISBN-13
9780465051687

Mark Perry

About the Author

Mark Perry is a military and foreign affairs analyst whose articles have appeared in the Nation, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, and Politico. Perry lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Learn more about this author