O'brien phillips author (11 Ergebnisse)

Paperback. Zustand: Brand New. 544 pages. 5.08x1.38x7.80 inches. In Stock.

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Zustand: New.

Hardcover. Zustand: Very good. Zustand des Schutzumschlags: Good. First Printing [Stated]. viii, [2], 531, [3] pages. Footnotes. Illustrations. Appendices Select bibliography. Notes. Index. Phillips Payson O'Brien (born 1963) is a historian and professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He was formerly at the University of Glasgow where he ran the Scottish Centre for War Studies. His books include the revisionist history How the War Was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II (2015) which concluded that superiority in the air and on the sea on an "Air-Sea Super Battlefield" of thousands of miles, rather than battles on land, determined the outcome of the war. He is also the author of The Second Most Powerful Man in the World: The Life of Admiral William D. Leahy, Roosevelt's Chief of Staff which re-evaluated the life of Leahy and argued that he was far more influential than had previously been recognized. William Daniel Leahy (6 May 1875 20 July 1959) was an American naval officer and was the most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II; he held several titles and exercised considerable influence over foreign and military policy. As a fleet admiral, he was the first flag officer ever to hold a five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. An 1897 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Leahy saw active service in the SpanishAmerican War, the PhilippineAmerican War, the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Banana Wars in Central America, and World War I. He was the first member of his cadet class to reach flag rank. In his most controversial role, he served as the Ambassador to France from 1940 to 1942. The life of Franklin Roosevelt's most trusted and powerful advisor, Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief. Aside from FDR, no American did more to shape World War II than Admiral William D. Leahy--not Douglas MacArthur, not Dwight Eisenhower, and not even the legendary George Marshall. No man, including Harry Hopkins, was closer to Roosevelt, nor had earned his blind faith, like Leahy. Through the course of the war, constantly at the president's side and advising him on daily decisions, Leahy became the second most powerful man in the world. In a time of titanic personalities, Leahy regularly downplayed his influence, preferring the substance of power to the style. A stern-faced, salty sailor, his U.S. Navy career had begun as a cadet aboard a sailing ship. Four decades later, Admiral Leahy was a trusted friend and advisor to the president and his ambassador to Vichy France until the attack on Pearl Harbor. Needing one person who could help him grapple with the enormous strategic consequences of the war both at home and abroad, Roosevelt made Leahy the first presidential chief of staff--though Leahy's role embodied far more power than the position of today. Leahy's profound power was recognized by figures like Stalin and Churchill, yet historians have largely overlooked his role. In this important biography, historian Phillips Payson O'Brien illuminates the admiral's influence on the most crucial and transformative decisions of WWII and the early Cold War. From the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and France, to the allocation of resources to fight Japan, O'Brien contends that America's war largely unfolded according to Leahy's vision. Among the author's surprising revelations is that while FDR's health failed, Leahy became almost a de facto president, making decisions while FDR was too ill to work, and that much of his influence carried over to Truman's White House. Derived from a Kirkus review: A welcome biography of Franklin Roosevelt's closest adviser. William D. Leahy (1875-1959) lacked charisma and his importance has been surprisingly muted over the decades. This excellent life appraisal should help restore it. Graduating from the Naval Academy in 1897, Leahy rose steadily, always impressing superiors, according to O'Brien. "It was striking," he writes, "how often a senior commander, once he had Leahy serve beneath him for the first time, tried to co-opt the younger officer in the future." He hit the jackpot in 1913, when Roosevelt, then the assistant secretary of the Navy, took a liking to him, and they became friends. Leahy reached the Navy's highest office, Chief of Naval Operations, in 1937. After his retirement in 1939, Roosevelt sent him on diplomatic missions but made him chief of staff after the U.S. entered World War II. FDR could relax with Leahy and call him "Bill." Roosevelt vastly preferred Leahy's company and advice, and when Marshall disagreed with Leahy, Marshall lost. The author produces a table that juxtaposes their opposing strategic views. They differed on invading North Africa in 1942, invading France in 1943, and whether to give defeating Germany priority over Japan. With these and all others, Leahy prevailed. Upon assuming office in 1945, Truman kept Leahy, who retired in 1949. A lucid life of a man who exerted far greater influence than historians give him credit for. John Hendry (Author photograph) (illustrator).…

Paperback. Zustand: Brand New. reissue edition. 289 pages. 9.25x6.50x0.75 inches. In Stock.

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