Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith, Random House '12, $40, 950 pages, ASIN #140006693X. Index, bibliography, notes, b&w images sprinkled through text.
Not long after his presidency, Ike took on the rubric of the "do-nothing president," a label that biographer Jean Edward Smith would argue was highly undeserved. His latest biography isn't exactly an adoring narrative although it certainly treats its subject positively.
Speaking of Eisenhower's achievements, Smith writes that after securing peace in Korea soon after his inauguration, not one American died in combat for the next eight years. The former Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II made no secret of the fact that he detested war and would go to great lengths to avoid armed conflict.
Contradicting his "do nothing" reputation in domestic affairs, President Eisenhower led Congress (even the Democratic majority) in proposing to build (some would say overbuild) the Interstate Defense Highway System, built the St. Lawrence Seaway and added millions of self-employed Americans to the Social Security system. While he never imagined that California Gov. Earl Warren would become the foremost liberal Supreme Court Chief Justice in court history, that appointment ushered in an era of progressive advances in such fields as civil rights.
Much has been written about Ike's rocky relationship with his vice president, Richard Nixon. Smith supports the theory that Ike left "Tricky Dick" hanging in the wind after the "Checkers Speech" in 1952 until he found Nixon had wide public support. However, the author makes clear that after he left office, Eisenhower supported Nixon in his 1962 campaign for California governor and especially in his 1968 presidential campaign.
Historians argue that several decades have to pass following a presidency before it's possible to create a balanced assessment of his service. If so, then the passage of a half-century is a good marker to use in evaluating Dwight David Eisenhower. And biographer Smith proves a fitting writer to do it.
Jean Edward Smith has written biographies of FDR, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, and Gen. Lucius D. Clay. He is a senior scholar in the history department of Columbia University.
--Steve Goddard
Historical Atlas of Oklahoma by Charles Robert Goins and Danney Goble, Cartography by Charles Robert Goins and James H. Anderson, Introduction by David L. Boren. Oklahoma UPress '06 paperback, Printed in oversized format on glossy stock. Index, bibliography, contributors, scores of b&w and color photos.
This lush, comprehensive volume, published in February, is the 4th Edition of the original 2006 printing. It would grace the bookshelf of any current resident of Oklahoma, but it occurs to us that someone who grew up in the Sooner State but moved away years ago might be particularly moved by it. The editors have grouped 119 guest essays into six thematic sections: Native Oklahoma, Humans on the Landscape, Oklahoma as Native America, Where the Frontier Ends, Brand New State -- Gonna Treat You Great, and You're Doing Fine, Oklahoma. Among subjects covered are oil and gas production, Spanish and French explorers, the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, Railroads, Livestock Production, Civilian Conservation Corps Camps, and Women as Partners on the Land.
Charles Robert Goins is Professor Emeritus of Regional and City Planning and Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. Danney Goble was Professor of Letters at the University of Oklahoma. James H. Manager is Manager of Cartography at the Oklahoma Geological Survey. David L. Boren is a former Oklahoma Governor, U.S. Senator, and President of the state university.
