General Ike

Robert O'Keefe offers a fine reading of this memoir about Dwight Eisenhower, written by Eisenhower's son, John. O'Keefe's voice is mature and serious while at the same time personal. His voice is appropriate to the text, and his pace is excellent. The work is not a biography and is not told chronologically. Instead it considers Ike and his relationships with significant military and political figures. In this respect, the book is about many people, including Americans John J. Pershing, Fox Conner, and George Patton and foreign leaders Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Charles de Gaulle, and Winston Churchill. As Ike's son, the author is able to provide personal reflections on Ike's relationships, which other authors could not make. M.L.C. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

I would happily listen to Edward Herrmann read a telephone directory--that's how much I enjoy his work in audiobooks. When the book has the substance of General Ike, the experience is all the more edifying. The general's son, John S.D. Eisenhower, reflects on the military Ike. Each chapter explores Ike's relationship with various military figures, including Patton, Churchill, and de Gaulle. Herrmann doesn't try to do vocal characterizations, yet it's always clear who is speaking during conversations. His delivery is smooth and clear. If this were a classroom lecture, taking notes would be easy and enjoyable. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine