George C. Marshall by Mark Stoler - Book Report/Review Example

Book review on George C Marshall by Mark Stoler Insert Insert Insert Insert Book and introduction This book is a compact biography of American soldier George C. Marshall. Stoler is a professor of history and is known for his great works on military history. In this book, Stoler covers the long and distinguished career of George Marshall in detail. The author develops the book through thorough research, sound judgment and clear writing. In the book, Marshall emerges as a man with flaws but his gifts such as great leadership and ability to understand power outweigh these flaws Book Content and analysis In this book Stoler presents a great historical work on George Marshall.

Stoler was very thorough in writing the biography of Marshal although he was not the official biographer. Early chapters of the book made several references to other biographers such Dr. Forrest C. Pogue, who was Marshall’s official biographer. Stoler develops Marshall’s biography by starting on his earlier memories as a child plus early school experiences. The author organizes most part of the biography in chronological order along Marshall’s life starting from birth to death. The book provides clear information on Marshall’s life by providing information on how he rose through ranks in the army, his personal relationships with his wife and other leaders.

Throughout the book readers can understand the integrity and character of Marshall. Despite the good side of Marshall, Stoler also reveals the man’s flaws. The author documents that Marshall was a poor performer in school (Stoler 6). The author also shows Marshall’s temper when he grabbed the shoulder of one of his generals and exploded (Stoler 36). Stoler reveals Marshall as a good and role model soldier. Despite the fact that the Author is successful in exploring Marshall’s life he fails to comprehensively capture his life before entering the army.

Only six pages document Marshall’s life before he was a soldier (Stoler 7). Though there are many books on the life of Marshall, Stoler focuses on his understanding of the use and misuse of power. This biography reveals a brilliant and complicated man Recommendations and conclusion This book is one of the great biographies of George Marshall since it focuses on his successes in the military. It provides relevant knowledge and a great contribution to military history. Although the book records the life of such a great man it could be more crucial for readers to more into Marshall’s life by fitting it into the current century.

Such integration could only be possible from the views of other contemporaries. Work Cited Stoler, Mark. George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century. Twayne Publishers, 1989.