Beetle: The Life of General Walter Bedell Smith (American Warrior Series)

The first full biography of Smith, a fascinating American soldier and diplomat who began his career in 1911 as a private in the Indiana National Guard, and retired as a four-star general.;Epilogue as prologue : soldier, diplomat, spymaster. Soldier turned diplomat ; Expecting the worse ; Dulles's number two ; The Geneva Conference ; "Ike's prat boy" -- Officership in the army of the "long generation," 1917-1939. Born to be a soldier ; The summons to war ; "They don't make 'em any better than Smith" ; "Expunge the bunk, complications, and ponderosities" ; The other class stars fell on ; "No one ever graduates" -- The towering figure : George C. Marshall. The chief's apprentice ; Forging the mold ; "Exceptionally qualified for service as Chief of Staff" -- The Mediterranean campaign. "Smith will save Ike" ; "We are on the threshold of a magnificent success" ; "Thank God you are in London" ; "We shall continue to flounder" ; "Allies are very difficult people to fight with" ; The many travails of an Allied Chief of Staff ; The road to Messina ; The Italian job ; "A feeling of restrained optimism" ; "We conduct our wars in a most curious way" -- France 1944. The Supreme Command ; "Enough to drive you mad" ; "It's go" ; Normandy deadlock ; What has the Supreme Command amounted to? ; End the War in '44 ; "The logistical bottleneck now dictates strategy" ; Après le déluge -- The victory campaign. One desperate blow ; Déjà vu all over again ; The German is a whipped enemy ; Mission fulfilled -- Appendixes. Marshall's reorganized War Department General Staff ; AFHQ command and staff structure ; SHAEF command and staff structure. The First Full Biography Of Smith, A Fascinating American Soldier And Diplomat Who Began His Career In 1911 As A Private In The Indiana National Guard, And Retired As A Four-star General. Epilogue As Prologue : Soldier, Diplomat, Spymaster. Soldier Turned Diplomat ; Expecting The Worse ; Dulles's Number Two ; The Geneva Conference ; Ike's Prat Boy -- Officership In The Army Of The Long Generation, 1917-1939. Born To Be A Soldier ; The Summons To War ; They Don't Make 'em Any Better Than Smith ; Expunge The Bunk, Complications, And Ponderosities ; The Other Class Stars Fell On ; No One Ever Graduates -- The Towering Figure : George C. Marshall. The Chief's Apprentice ; Forging The Mold ; Exceptionally Qualified For Service As Chief Of Staff -- The Mediterranean Campaign. Smith Will Save Ike ; We Are On The Threshold Of A Magnificent Success ; Thank God You Are In London ; We Shall Continue To Flounder ; Allies Are Very Difficult People To Fight With ; The Many Travails Of An Allied Chief Of Staff ; The Road To Messina ; The Italian Job ; A Feeling Of Restrained Optimism ; We Conduct Our Wars In A Most Curious Way -- France 1944. The Supreme Command ; Enough To Drive You Mad ; It's Go ; Normandy Deadlock ; What Has The Supreme Command Amounted To? ; End The War In '44 ; The Logistical Bottleneck Now Dictates Strategy ; Apres Le Deluge -- The Victory Campaign. One Desperate Blow ; Dejà Vu All Over Again ; The German Is A Whipped Enemy ; Mission Fulfilled -- Appendixes. Marshall's Reorganized War Department General Staff ; Afhq Command And Staff Structure ; Shaef Command And Staff Structure. D.k.r. Crosswell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 1045-1052) And Index.

A valued adviser and trusted insider in the highest echelon of U.S. military and political leaders, General Walter Bedell Smith began his public service career of more than forty years at age sixteen, when he joined the Indiana National Guard. His bulldog tenacity earned him an opportunity to work with General George C. Marshall in 1941, playing an essential role in forming the offices of the Combined and Joint Chiefs of Staff; and after his appointment as chief of staff to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942, Smith took a central part in planning and orchestrating the major Allied operations of World War II in Europe. Among his many duties, Smith negotiated and signed the surrenders of the Italian and German armed forces on May 7, 1945.

Smith's postwar career included service as the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and undersecretary of state. Despite his contributions to twentieth-century American military and diplomatic history, the life and work of Smith have largely gone unappreciated. In Beetle: The Life of General Walter Bedell Smith, D. K. R. Crosswell offers the first full-length biography of the general, including insights into his close relationships with Marshall and Eisenhower.

Meticulously researched and long overdue, Beetle sheds new light on Eisenhower as supreme commander and the campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and Europe. Beetle is the fascinating history of a soldier, diplomat, and intelligence chief who played a central role in many decisions that altered mid-twentieth-century American history.

A valued adviser and trusted insider in the highest echelon of U.S. military and political leaders, General Walter Bedell Smith began his public service career of more than forty years at age sixteen, when he joined the Indiana National Guard. His bulldog tenacity earned him an opportunity to work with General George C. Marshall in 1941, playing an essential role in forming the offices of the Combined and Joint Chiefs of Staff; and after his appointment as chief of staff to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942, Smith took a central part in planning and orchestrating the major Allied operations of World War II in Europe. Among his many duties, Smith negotiated and signed the surrenders of the Italian and German armed forces on May 7, 1945. Smith's postwar career included service as the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and undersecretary of state. Despite his contributions to twentieth-century American military and diplomatic history, the life and work of Smith have largely gone unappreciated. In Beetle: The Life of General Walter Bedell Smith, D. K. R. Crosswell offers the first full-length biography of the general, including insights into his close relationships with Marshall and Eisenhower. Meticulously researched and long overdue, Beetle sheds new light on Eisenhower as supreme commander and the campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and Europe. Beetle is the fascinating history of a soldier, diplomat, and intelligence chief who played a central role in many decisions that altered mid-twentieth-century American history. This biography recounts one of the most significant yet unsung military careers of the twentieth century: “a major contribution to the history of World War II” ( Foreign Affairs). General Walter Bedell Smith began his public service career of more than forty years at age sixteen, when he joined the Indiana National Guard. His bulldog tenacity earned him an opportunity to work with General George C. Marshall in 1941, playing an essential role in formation of the Combined and Joint Chiefs of Staff. After his appointment as chief of staff to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942, Smith took a central part in planning the major Allied operations of World War II in Europe. Among his many duties, Smith negotiated the surrenders of the Italian and German armed forces in 1945. Smith’s postwar career included service as the US ambassador to the Soviet Union, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and undersecretary of state. In Beetle, D. K. R. Crosswell offers the first full-length biography of the general, including insights into his close relationships with Marshall and Eisenhower. Meticulously researched and long overdue, Beetle sheds new light on Eisenhower as supreme commander, as well as the WWII campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and Europe . Pt. 1. Epilogue as prologue : soldier, diplomat, spymaster -- pt. 2. Officership in the army of the "long generation," 1917-1939 -- pt. 3. The towering figure : George C. Marshall -- pt. 4. The Mediterranean campaign -- pt. 5. France 1944 -- pt. 6. The victory campaign