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American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964 Audiobook
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(4.00) - 3,003 listener ratings
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"[Douglas MacArthur] was a great thundering paradox of a man, noble and ignoble, inspiring and outrageous, arrogant and shy, the best of men and the worst of men, the most protean, most ridiculous, and most sublime. No more baffling, exasperating soldier ever wore a uniform. Flamboyant, imperious, and apocalyptic, he carried the plumage of a flamingo, could not acknowledge errors, and tried to cover up his mistakes with sly, childish tricks. Yet he was also endowed with great personal charm, a will of iron, and a soaring intellect. Unquestionably he was the most gifted man-at-arms this nation has produced."—William Manchester
Virtually all Americans above a certain age hold strong opinions about Douglas MacArthur. They either worship him or despise him. And they are all wrong, because their premises are rooted in apocrypha. Now, one of our most outstanding writers, after a meticulous three-year examination of the record, presents his startling conclusions in this superb book. The narrative is gripping because the General's life was fascinating. It is moving because he was a man of vision. It finally ends in tragedy because his character, though majestic, was tragically flawed.
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"Excellent biography. Douglas MacArthur was a privileged man who got away with a whole lot of insubordination until he pushed Truman too far. Good for Truman that he canned him. This book was very well researched, very well written and kept my interest always. The ony negative that I might mention is that Manchester uses a whole lot of "SAT" vocabulary words and foreign phrases when plain English will do. I am pretty well read and have a good vocabulary, but his constant and gratuitous use of words that I had to look up put me off."
— Wanda (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Gracefully written, impeccably researched and scrupulus in every way—a thrilling and profoundly ponderable piece of work.”
— Newsweek -
“[Douglas MacArthur] was a great thundering paradox of a man, noble and ignoble, inspiring and outrageous, arrogant and shy,t he best of men and the worst of men, the most poretean, most ridiculous, and most sublime.”
— William Manchester -
“A blockbuster of a book…It reads like a novel, but all of it is based firmly on the complex but fascinating record.”
— New York Magazine -
“A through and spellbinding book...a dramatic chronicle of one of America’s last epic heroes.”
— Saturday Review -
“Listening to [Gardner], one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. The ‘you-are-there’ quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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ANew York Times bestseller in Nonfiction in 1978
American Caesar Listener Reviews
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" Good, to be sure. MacArthur's autobiography, "Reminiscences," a worthy companion. "
— Guy, 2/9/2014 -
" A very well-written biography that makes Douglas MacArthur come to life. "
— George, 2/8/2014 -
" Harry Picket gave me this book to read. He was on MacArthurs staff in WW11. He was the owner of a printing shop in DC when i worked there. very good book if you liked AacArthur. "
— John, 1/24/2014 -
" Perhaps the most brilliant piece of biography I have read. A book as spectacular as the enigma it describes. "
— Grahambo, 1/18/2014 -
" I thought this book was a very fair portrayal of Douglas MacArthur. The author did not try to hide his faults, but did point out a lot of the good things that he was able to accomplish. He played a big role in shaping America. "
— Wachlin007, 1/17/2014 -
" Manchester is a great biographer & he picks extraordinary subject matter. Neither MacArthur nor Churchill's lives would be believable if they were not real. I docked this one a star because i felt like some critical subject matter was glossed over. His career defining drive from Australia to Tokyo in WWII was not covered in the depth of detail that would convey why it was so dazzling. "
— Shelby, 1/13/2014 -
" A very interesting character, strong, brilliant and complex. He was born at the 'right' time. William Manchester did a superb job. "
— Peggy, 1/13/2014 -
" Superbly written, informative, and entertaining. "
— John, 12/16/2013 -
" I can't possibly add to any of the previous reviews on this thread......suffice it to say, this may be one of the best biographies I have ever read (and I've read a lot). MacArthur was a complex man and Manchester captures his personality and career masterfully. This is a must read!!! "
— Jill, 11/29/2013 -
" Where are the MacArthurs of our generation? What a man "
— Attilio, 11/17/2013 -
" Probably post a full review tonight. "
— David, 8/21/2012 -
" THIS BOOK WAS REAL GOOD AND I GOT LIKE TEN BONERS. "
— Danny, 8/13/2012 -
" Fascinating read. A slow read, but excellent. "
— Samanta, 11/29/2011 -
" A great biography of one of the most polarized figures in American history. What a larger-than-life figure! If you ever read one biography, this is the gold-standard. "
— Bill, 4/27/2011 -
" Another great bio of an American legend. "
— Greg, 2/5/2011 -
" Excellent reading, of a colorful, and, at the same time, complex, and very controversial man. "
— carl, 1/16/2011 -
" An excellent, serious work. "
— John, 1/15/2011 -
" Manchester's strength is detail and portrayal, you feel you can vividly experience the subject and key players in the story. His weakness is that his reverence for his subjects practically oozes off every page. "
— Kevin, 1/3/2011 -
" This was a dificult read, but it did a great job of explaining how General Douglas MacArthur became a great, but egotistical leader. It was interesting that he did not believe in war, but felt that if you were involved in one, you should have only one goal. Win it! "
— Suzanne, 12/15/2010 -
" Perhaps the most brilliant piece of biography I have read. A book as spectacular as the enigma it describes. "
— Grahambo, 11/6/2010 -
" I can't possibly add to any of the previous reviews on this thread......suffice it to say, this may be one of the best biographies I have ever read (and I've read a lot). MacArthur was a complex man and Manchester captures his personality and career masterfully. This is a must read!!! "
— Jill, 10/5/2010 -
" A challenge to read. One of the most absorbing books I've ever read; broad and insightful in scope; highly recommended. "
— Rick, 8/27/2010
About William Manchester
William Manchester (1922–2004) was an award-winning American author, biographer, historian, and a professor emeritus of history at Wesleyan University. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal and the Abraham Lincoln Literary Award. Among his many New York Times bestselling books are two which made the #1 spot on the list: The Death of a President and The Last Lion: Alone.
About Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.