Eisenhower Twilight Years Of America Summary

Thomas closes his account of Eisenhower’s tenure as president by describing failing health and suspect mental capacities. Due to severe pain and discomfort, Ike begins to rely on pain medication, sleeping pills and alcohol to function. He appears somewhat weak and frail during last six months of his presidency. He is also dogged by his seeming failure to keep the CIA in check. The CIA’s chief special projects officer, Richard Bissell, is responsible for the U-2 incident and two failed head of state assignations in Cuba and Congo. These events lead people to believe that Eisenhower has lost control of the CIA (p. 386). Thomas suggests that Ike’s memory and judgement may have been impaired due to alcohol and barbiturates based on his personal physician, Dr. Snyder’s diary (p. 354).
The author ends his book describing Eisenhower’s twilight years before his death. He notes that Ike is called upon by serving presidents for advice. In addition to the aforementioned Kennedy advise on U.S. involvement on Laos, Kennedy asks Eisenhower for advice after the Bay of Pigs incident (p. 406). President Lyndon B. Johnson sought Ike’s counsel on Vietnam, Ike tells him all or …show more content…
Few had his leadership experience on the world stage. Ike had commanded armies alongside world leaders on the grand theater of the WWII European battlefields. He was accustomed to grim decisions and working with allies, both senior military and heads of state. Ike says, “My first day at the president’s desk. Plenty of worries and difficult problems. But such has been my portion for a long time…the result is that this just seems (today) like a continuation of all I’ve been doing since July 1941…even before that.” (p. 24). His leadership experience at the service and national level make him more qualified to serve as commander and chief than any of his contemporary presidential

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