Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > Ambrose, Stephen - John Keegan (review date 22 October 1984)

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page

John Keegan (review date 22 October 1984)

SOURCE: “The Good General,” in New Republic, October 22, 1984, pp. 43-6.

[In the following review, Keegan offers positive evaluation of Ambrose's two-volume biography of Eisenhower.]

“Eisenhower,” this magnificent biography begins [Eisenhower: Soldier, General of the Army, President-Elect, 1890-1952], “was a great and good man,” and with that no one of generous spirit would disagree. He was also, for more than half of his life, a poor man—in childhood dirt poor. It is from that fact in his background that a European reader would begin to assess his character. For the officer class in Europe, though often strapped for cash, has never been poor in the American sense. European officers are younger sons, clergymen's sons, sons of officers who have themselves had to scrimp and save. But the scrimping has always had to do with the keeping up of appearances which the haves and...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. John Keegan (review date 22 October 1984)
   2. Herbert S. Parmet (review date 29 October 1984)
   3. Spencer Warren (review date April 1985)
   4. Richard Harwood (review date 3 May 1987)
   5. Herbert Parmet (review date 4-18 May 1987)
   6. Joan Hoff-Wilson (review date 21 June 1987)
   7. John Charmley (review date 4 July 1987)
   8. Sidney Blumenthal (review date 6 July 1987)
   9. Alan Brinkley (review date 16 July 1987)
   10. Richard John Neuhaus (review date August 1987)
   11. Robert A. Strong (review date Summer 1988)
   12. Robert Dallek (review date 15 October 1989)
   13. John Edward Wilz (review date Summer 1990)
   14. Kevin P. Phillips (review date 24 November 1991)
   15. William L. O'Neill (review date 30 December 1991)
   16. Anthony Howard (review date 1 February 1992)
   17. Esmond Wright (review date July 1992)
   18. James N. Giglio (review date Winter 1993)
   19. John Kentleton (review date February 1994)
   20. Earl F. Ziemke (review date March 1994)
   21. Scott Jaschik (essay date 18 May 1994)
   22. William L. O'Neill (review date 6-20 June 1994)
   23. Carlo d'Este (review date 30 December 1994)
   24. Alan F. Wilt (review date June 1995)
   25. Blaine Harden (review date 11 February 1996)
   26. Alexander Theroux (review date 3 March 1996)
   27. Gordon S. Wood (review date 4 April 1996)
   28. Patricia Nelson Limerick (review date 7 April 1996)
   29. Peter G. Boyle (review date June 1996)
   30. Albert Furtwangler (review date December 1996)
   31. Lisa E. Emmerich (review date Fall 1997)
   32. Howard Lamar (review date October 1997)
   33. Josiah Bunting III (review date 21 December 1998)
   34. Eric T. Dean Jr. (review date June 1999)
   35. Steve Weinberg (review date 3 September 2000)
   36. Patricia Nelson Limerick (review date 18 September 2000)
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright