Always colorful, always controversial, Douglas MacArthur is one of the dominant characters in American military history. To his admirers, he was the greatest American soldier; to his critics, he was a five-star fake. With unprecedented access to official military records, reports, correspondence and diaries, Geoffrey Perret’s groundbreaking biography reveals for the first time a complete and accurate account of MacArthur’s tumultuous career, including:

- The Pershing-MacArthur feud that cost MacArthur the Medal of Honor in World War I
- President Truman’s secret plan to fire MacArthur two years before the Korean War
- MacArthur’s failed presidential ambitions.

Unmatched in its candor, authority and insight, this landmark biography charts the brilliant, if flawed, career of a unique American character.