While readers who are admirers of Douglas Macarthur or are historians would greatly enjoy this book, it is also well suited to people who are trying to find out the kind of person Macarthur really was and the reasoning he used while making some very important decisions during the course of his career as a general. Herman wrote it in a large part to clear up misconceptions and debunk …show more content…
Most of the book was written with Douglas’ point of view, depicting Douglas’ reasons for acting certain ways and what fueled the crucial calls that he made. The pro-Macarthur bias was shown by displaying his leadership in a very positive light. It also occurred towards the end of the book, when Macarthur is removed from his job by President Truman. Herman brings up what Truman had done to degrade Macarthur's figure. Truman had brought up Macarthur's past and did his best to make connections that make Macarthur look corrupt. He claimed that a check found in Macarthur’s desk was evidence of bribery. He was also blackmailed for having sex with an underage person in the Philippines. Truman also attempted to make other connections between Macarthur's high-ranking friends and the promotions that he received. Truman implied that the promotions Macarthur had received were only due to his old boy network connections rather than his actual battlefield skills or valor. Still, Herman did his best to downplay Macarthur to prevent people from viewing him as a saint.
Herman used photos and maps well. The maps and photos were specific to the event that was being discussed at each point and were used only to help drive his point home. Each image also had a caption below it to help thoroughly explain the