Eisenhower Becoming the Leader of the Free World by Louis Galambos

Eisenhower Becoming the Leader of the Free World by Louis Galambos is a complete biography of this President published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Galambos is the editor of the Eisenhower Papers and substantially he knows this President better than anyone else.

I am particularly affectionate at this President; my first "encounter" with this eminent man's ideas, let me be more precise, with an association he created when he was in office as President, was when I sent a letter many years ago, in 1993 at the PTPI, People to People International for requesting some American pen-pals.
This pen-pal association, and much more, was created by President Eisenhower on September 11 1956. On one of the pages of my PTPI 2003 calendar: "A cultural and educational exchange association dedicate to advancing international understanding and friendship through the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among peoples of different countries and cultures." Or, as the President said: "Peace through Understanding."
Other great supporters of PTPI, businessmen, celebrities like Bob Hope and  Walt Disney.
I found wagons of pen-pals thank to PTPI. Carolyn, a member from Italian origin (still a real pen-pal correspondent; we use pen and paper), Maria from Seattle, Loida from New York City; beautiful connections still alive. I also had the honor of receiving the People to People International European coordinator, at that time, Lars Poignant in the area.
These correspondents let me understood the complexities of the USA; I didn't lose my english and it meant the world to me, a girl grown up in a rural countryside in the center of Italy with few possibilities for bettering myself.

Eisenhower was a general and saw two world wars, precisely, lived as protagonists two world wars including a world war with the use of atomic bomb; he saw death and terror; a world divided in two separated blocks; problems that needed to be fixed? A lot.

Ike Eisenhower understood that the complexities of the world were a lot and that it was necessary for the creation of a world of peace, more understanding, more communication between nations, people, youngsters of other cultures.

Born in a normal family in Abilene, Kansas, his father David was an ambitious middle-class man who, unfortunately couldn't never become the man he would have wanted to become. He did a modest job; Ike Eisenhower was the latest son of the couple; second sibling of the family, he felt a lot of competition with the other men of the family, Ed, his oldest brother, without forgetting his dad David. Not only: for supporting his oldest brother Ed at the university, he did a lot of personal sacrifices.
His work the same one of his dad; he understood that there were potentialities but they could remain unexpressed if he would have stayed always in that little town of Kansas without a proper higher education and so with a friend he decided to enter in the Army for...studying as well.
Eisenhower was accepted at West Point where he discovered a new way of life. You mustn't imagine that this young and beautiful boy hasn't been messy, because sometimes, it's human, he was, but, thanks to his character and a lucky encounter with  Brigadier General Fox Conner his life changed for better. Fox Conner has been to him a real good mentor and later, Ike Eisenhower became a wonderful brigadier general in grade to make the difference during the D-Day.

A hero of the last Second World War Conflict, Eisenhower entered in policy and won the Presidential elections in 1952; he stayed in office for two terms.

Ike Eisenhower didn't mind if richest people paid more money in terms of taxes (meeting the disapproval of his brother Ed); he understood the problematic of less lucky people of his country; crucial to keep inflation  under control, he did all his best for developing good relationship with Europe; he was scared of communism and tried all his best for keeping that ideology away; at that time problems with the two Koreas were persistent; not just a problem of our days.
He developed policies in grade to bring in a few years the advent of the internet, changing policy of oil as well, in USA and Europe, but what Ike Eisenhower wanted the most was prosperity and development for his country and Europe and he reached that goal as well

This one is a biography that you must read!

I love this sunny cover.

Highly recommended.

I thank Johns Hopkins University Press for the physical copy of this book.


Anna Maria Polidori

PS: Pictures from my 2003 PTPI calendar, and one of them taken from the site of PTPI.