THE BOY FROM ABILENE: The Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower

The boy from Abilene does grow up and grow old, distinguishing this from the Hatch biography (which virtually ends on graduation day) and the Beckhard (which bows out on election night), but it is similarly if more appositely anecdotal, similarly a story rather than a study. Although the outlines of Eisenhower's career are clear, there is no conflict (neither clashes with MacArthur in the Philippines nor competition with Taft for the nomination), and the Presidency is disposed of in less than six pages of trivia and justification (ignoring the real change in his exercise of leadership). And it is odd, considering the personalization, to find no mention of the heart attacks. But if you are still interested in fictionalized biography of political figures, this is fuller and less fulsome than the other releases.