Merchandise, and not particularly distinguished merchandise, this has a ""quickie"" appeal for the eye-minded public. The text by Gardner Soule is informative but somewhat flippant and negligible except as newspaper captions. From thousands of photographs some 250 have been chosen to give a comprehensive portrait of the man, his family, his background, his interests. Almost nothing of his achievements is indicated, except, perhaps, by association. Possibly that is unnecessary in a book of this kind, designed to inform visually those who would know more of Elsenhower, the man.