Eisenhower's Armies: The American-British Alliance during World War II

by Niall Barr

Overview

An authoritative and dramatic behind-the-scenes history of 'the Atlantic Alliance' during World War II.
The Anglo-American relationship from 1941-1945 proved to be the most effective military alliance in history. Yet there were also constant tensions and disagreements that threatened to pull the alliance apart. This book highlights why the unprecedented level of cooperation between the very different American and British forces eventually led to victory but also emphasizes the tensions and controversies which inevitably arose. Based on considerable archival research on both sides of the Atlantic, this work considers the breadth and depth of the relationship from high-level strategic decisions, the rivalries and personalities of the commanders to the ordinary British and American soldiers who fought alongside one another. The book also looks back and demonstrates how the legacy of previous experience shaped the decisions of the war.
Eisenhower's Armies is the story of two very different armies learning to live, work, and fight together even in the face of serious strategic disagreements. The book is also a very human story about the efforts of many individuals—famous or otherwise—who worked and argued together to defeat Hitler’s Germany. In highlighting the cooperation, tensions, and disagreements inherent in this military alliance, this work shows that Allied victory was far from pre-ordained and proves that the business of making this alliance work was vital for eventual success. Thus this dynamic new history provides a fresh perspective on many of the controversies and critical strategic decisions of World War II. As such, this book provides expert analysis of the Anglo-American military alliance as well as new insights into the ‘special relationship’ of the mid-twentieth century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681773551
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Niall Barr is a Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies at the Defence Studies Department, King's College, London. He has previously taught at St Andrews and the Royal Military Academy. His main research focus concerns twentieth century military history. He has published numerous military histories including Amiens to the Armistice; Flodden 1513; Pendulum of War: The Three Battles of El Alamein; and The Lion and the Poppy. He lives in Oxfordshire with his family.

Table of Contents

Maps vii

Introduction 1

1 Family Legacy 7

2 The Great War 42

3 Tanks in Washington 77

4 Special Observers 114

5 Combining the Chiefs 155

6 Cats and Bulldogs 183

7 Growing Pains 215

8 Sicilian Feud 244

9 Stomach Ache 267

10 Hauling on the Rope 290

11 Over There, Over Here 327

12 The Great Crusade 364

13 SHAEF at War 396

14 Supreme Commander 424

15 Born on the Battlefield 457

Notes 471

Bibliography 508

Acknowledgements 521

Image Credits 524

Index 527

Editorial Reviews

In a splendid new book, Niall Barr provides us with an engrossing account.

BBC History Magazine

Barr becomes the current standard for a comprehensive history of the campaign.

Booklist (starred review)

Excellent and engaging. This is a fascinating and dramatic tale and Barr tells it very well. Recommended.

The Journal of Military History

A very considerable achievement by one of the best of the younger generation of British military historians.

Gary Sheffield - Military Illustrated

Barr makes his specific focus the army: as a military historian, he is strong on strategy, tactics, consequences, and the manifold frustrations and disasters that could be caused by simple accidents of weather or geography. Barr is keen to demonstrate that the troops on the ground usually — after initial wariness ­— found a great deal of mutual admiration. The shared respect between these servicemen from different nations who fought for a free world is an inspirational story.

The Telegraph (London)

In Eisenhower’s Armies, British military historian Niall Barr shows how two very different military structures were welded into a single military force. His long view, along with his ability to appreciate the perspectives of both bulldog and tomcat, is instructive to readers interested in the military side of the Anglo-American alliance. An admirable study of the bayonet’s edge of the ‘Special Relationship.’”

Wall Street Journal

An authoritative and highly readable account.

The Economist

An astute and engrossing history of how two separate nations deployed two immense armies in a war of freedom.

Bookreporter

Offers an in-depth and engrossing study of the relationship between Britain and the U.S. from 1941 to 1945. Where many other studies adopt a singular approach in the process, this wider-reaching examination delves into the relationship between British and American armies themselves throughout the conflict. The result is a powerful survey that succeeds where others fail: in pinpointing the underlying influences, controversies, and struggles made on both sides during World War II. No military history collection should be without this.

Midwest Book Review

Niall Barr's prose is lean and his narrative moves quickly. He has produced a masterful, impressively researched history detailing the machinery of wartime decision-making, as well as the military alliance, led by Eisenhower, that defeated Hitler's Germany.

The Weekly Standard

10/05/2015
In this detailed yet accessible military history, Barr (Pendulum of War), senior lecturer in defense studies at King’s College, London, provides a comprehensive account of the legendary WWII Anglo-American alliance, which witnessed as much tension and conflict as it did cooperation. During Britain’s dire situation in the early stages of the European war, the U.S. stepped in to lend weaponry and help ensure Britain’s survival, which was far from assured. After extensive and strained debate over military strategy, and tense technological competition (yet eventual collaboration) over suitable tank designs, the two armies coordinated effectively to form a united force to expel Axis forces from North Africa. This represented “a great experiment in Allied cooperation,” though further tension and strategic disagreement among high-level commanders ensued as the Allies crossed the Rhine and advanced into Germany. Cultural differences, differing military structures and procedures, and mutual suspicion caused animosity throughout the military campaign, though Barr identifies Eisenhower as a force for unity who overcame this “considerable clash of military cultures.” Relying on sound scholarship—including key planning documents and meeting notes—and writing for a general audience, Barr guides readers through the numerous ups and downs of the fraught relationship and highlights dramatic moments of both crisis and success. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

There is no doubting the author's immense scholarship. He has a first-class understanding of strategy and tactics.

The Literary Review

11/01/2015
Barr (defense studies, King's Coll. London; Pendulum of War) offers a riveting, knowledgeable account of the Anglo-American relationship between 1941 and 1945. According to Barr, this was the most effective military alliances in world history; to the author's credit, he doesn't try to cover comprehensively every aspect of this relationship. Rather, he focuses clearly and convincingly on the two different armies at the center of this successful partnership. Barr not only examines the roles of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery, George Marshall, and George S. Patton but also stresses the all-important impact of "lower level" aides, strategists, and commanders who led these two armies to an eventual and decisive victory over the Axis powers, and thereby altered the course of history. Barr provides a fresh perspective into this "special relationship" between Britain and the United States at a pivotal point in time. VERDICT This dramatic work isn't just for military historians or World War II scholars. It is also highly recommended for students of World War II and of the Atlantic Alliance of the mid-20th century and is a great read for anyone interested in leadership, decision making, international relations and diplomacy, and 20th-century history.—Stephen Kent Shaw, Northwest Nazarene Coll., Nampa, ID

Library Journal

★ 2015-09-03
Anglo-American cooperation during World War II worked, more or less. Barr (Defence Studies/King's Coll., London; Pendulum of War: Three Battles at El Alamein, 2005, etc.) quotes but does not entirely agree with United States Army Chief of Staff George Marshall that it was "the most complete unification of military effort ever achieved by two Allied nations." After reviewing the many painful lessons of the war, the author delivers an astute, always engrossing account of how civilian leaders (Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt) and their army chiefs (Marshall, Alan Brooke) recruited, trained, and deployed two immense armies. This process, as the author notes, "developed over time from rather inauspicious beginnings." After Pearl Harbor, a Washington-based Combined Chiefs of Staff—Marshall, Adm. Ernest King, and Britain's virtually unknown but crucial Field Marshal Sir John Dill—hashed out strategy, and supreme commander Dwight Eisenhower worked to keep his generals' attention on the enemy when they often preferred to fight each other. Many conflicts had less to do with nationality than personality; Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery was probably more unpopular with British than American colleagues. Barr does well on the big picture. The majority proposed a Germany-first strategy, but neither the British king nor the American public went along, so the U.S. gave equal attention to Japan. British leaders disliked America's intention to attack Germany directly and successfully argued for campaigns in North Africa and Italy, which, in retrospect, put only modest pressure on Hitler. Barr does even better when he narrows his focus. Anecdotes, journals, and letters make it clear that prejudices are stubborn and problems remained (Americans hated the British rationing system), but most officers and men worked harder than their superiors to get the job done. A detailed, entertaining history of a successful, if bumpy, military alliance.

Kirkus Reviews