At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends
by Dwight D. Eisenhower
American Anthropological Association (1 June 1981)
What’s it about?: Dwight Eisenhower‘s first-hand account of his life, from growing up in Kansas, his time at West Point, to his years in the military during times of war and peace. He discusses the people he met over the course of his career in the military and later up until his run for President of the United States. The book was published in 1967, two years before his death.
My opinion: A nice little piece of history, with lessons on life for men of all ages. A lot of the text has to do with Eisenhower’s time in the military, most of that time before World War II. Although he never quite moved on from training and administrative duties, the times he misbehaved and got some demerit points was amusing. It’s cool to see someone follow a path conventional in most respects, but marked with little bouts of rebellion. And, he met some characters. Douglas MacArthur, John “Black Jack” Pershing, George Marshall, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley get a mention, among others. It’s interesting to read about what these men were like when they were young, before they became famous. Even when he is being critical, Eisenhower is always respectful in his accounts of these people. This will satisfy those interested in military history, but what stood out to me was the reality of being separated from your family and friends for such extended periods. I don’t know how he and Mamie did it, but they managed.
After the War ended, Eisenhower continued in the military for a while, serving as Army Chief of Staff in the Pentagon. And as for his political ambitions, well, “ambition” might not be the best choice to describe it. Eisenhower seemed to never want to be president, and only decided to run later on after some encouragement from his closest friends and family. What’s really interesting about this is that, from the 1940s, people from both major parties were trying to convince him to run, as some were with MacArthur. At Ease ends with Eisenhower considering going Republican, and does not go into this stage of his life any further.
At Ease might not be for everyone, given how much of the text is spent on military life, but I found it to be both entertaining and informative. Worth a try, and a great starting point for anyone wanting to know more about American military and (to a lesser extent) political history.
Lawrence Deveney 