The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s is a 2018 book written by William I. Hitchcock and published by Simon & Schutser. In the book, Hitchcock covers the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. Upon its release, the book received generally positive reviews.
 First edition | |
| Author | William Hitchcock |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Genre | History |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 2018 |
| Media type | Book |
| Pages | 672 |
| ISBN | 978-1439175668 |
The Age of Eisenhower covers the Eisenhower presidency, including domestic affairs, which Hitchcock labelled as "a middle way", McCarthyism, and civil rights but focuses mainly on foreign affairs and the president's handling of the Cold War. [1] [2] The book contends that Eisenhower's presidency is notable due to "the absence of large-scale conflict" and stability, and described him as a "hardworking, skillful president". [3] [4] However, Hitchcock criticised elements of the administration's foreign affairs policies, handling of McCarthyism, and a mixed record of civil rights. [4] [5] [6] Hitchcock spent eight years in writing the book. [4]
The Age of Eisenhower received generally positive reviews upon its release. [7] A Kirkus review praised the book as a "measured, mostly admiring" biography with a "lengthy, well-documented argument" but criticised it as inferior compared to Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith. [8] This sentiment was shared by a review from The Economist , which also complimented the book's overall verdict. [5] Likewise, Steven Casey, reviewing in Cold War History , lauded the book as timely, and "cogently argued". Casey additionally praised the book's writing as elegant. [9] Publishers Weekly described the book as a revisionist biography, praising its comprehensiveness, persuasion, and usage of documents. The review concluded that the author "succeeds in positioning Ike as a world-historical figure". [3] Similarly, Bryce Christensen from Booklist called the book "complete and persuasive". [10] Reviewing from The Wall Street Journal , Richard Rhodes generally praised the book as a "rich narrative". [1] Alvin S. Felzenberg from The Claremont Review of Books described the book as masterly, and concluded that the book "should provide a decent burial to one of the worst predictions in U.S. history". [11] David Stebenne from The American Historical Review commented that the book included "new and intriguing arguments" despite the familiarity of its subject matter. The reviewer additionally complimented Hitchcock's coverage of civil rights as "sensible and fair", but criticised the author's omission on why Eisenhower neglected this issue. [12]
The book's coverage of foreign affairs has also been commented upon by reviewers, which Rhodes described as the book's primary focus. [1] [13] Casey commented that the coverage of foreign affairs is the centrepiece of Hitchcock's book. [9] Felzenberg also lauded the book's coverage of CIA coups. [11] In contrast, David Watry, reviewing from Journal of Cold War Studies , criticised some of the descriptions of Eisenhower's foreign policy as misleading, commenting negatively towards Hitchcock's recount on the Korean Armistice Agreement. The review also reprobated the book's omissions regarding details of the 1956 Suez Crisis and the administration's handling of Vietnam in 1954, despite complimenting Hitchcock's coverage of the administration's domestic affairs. The review overall concluded that the author "makes a good case for Eisenhower as a “consequential” president", while criticising several of Hitchcock's judgements. [13] Stebenne also expressed that Hitchcock's coverage of foreign affairs had some contradictions despite the evidence being impressive. Still, the reviewer concluded that the book is overall impressive, with "a clear, coherent narrative", and also praised the prose and succinctness. [12]
Dwight David Eisenhower, nicknamed Ike, was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and achieved the five-star rank as General of the Army. Eisenhower planned and supervised two of the most consequential military campaigns of World War II: Operation Torch in the North Africa campaign in 1942–1943 and the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower's tenure as the 34th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1953, and ended on January 20, 1961. Eisenhower, a Republican from Kansas, took office following a landslide victory over Democrat Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election. John F. Kennedy succeeded him after winning the 1960 presidential election.
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