In this persuasive biography, Jim Lacey sheds light on General Pershing's legacy as the nation's first modern combat commander, setting the standard for today's four-star officers. When the U.S. entered into WWI in 1917, they did so with inadequate forces. In just over a year, Pershing built and hurled a one-million-man army against forty battle-hardened German divisions, defending the hellish Meuse-Argonne and turning the tide of the war. With focus and clarity, Lacey traces the development of Pershing from Indian fighter, to guerrilla warrior against the Philippines insurgency to victorious commander in WWI.
"Well researched, well presented, and well reasoned, this slim volume makes a convincing case for Pershing as the key figure in the AEF's contribution to Allied victory in the Great War. Pershing's government gave him two million men in uniform. His tireless work, detailed preparation, and situational awareness molded them into a war-winning army. He might not have been a great captain-but John J
Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century
"Jim Lacey has provided a wonderful study of Pershing and his generalship that is well researched, but even more important brings a real understanding of the art of leadership to the subject."
