Book Review Essay Sample: The Biography of George C. Marshall

Book Author and Introduction

This a bibliography on one of the most iconic figures of the American society. The book talks about George C Marshall whose carrier growth in the military was parallel to that of America's growth as a global superpower. George C Marshall career in the military spans decades. His career began from his early days in the Philippines, through the world wars to the cold wars into the Korean wars. George C Marshall has been an important military figure in implementing America's foreign policies and its military strategies.

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The author of the book, Mark A Stoler, is a History Professor at the University of Vermont. He has specialized in U.S military history and their foreign policy. He has also been a lecturer at the Military Academy and the Naval War College. As a professor of History, Stoler chose George C. Marshall because he is an inspirational figure to many young servicemen and women. Events such as the first and the second World Wars saw George C Marshall represent the US President at various outposts across Asia. Mark sought to inspire and create true statesmanship within the younger generation by giving them another figure to emulate. He uses George C Marshall biography as a weapon to spread patriotism.

Book Content and Analysis

Reading the biography by Stoler an individual gets an idea of the person they are reading about earlier on in the book. Stoler depicts George as a true American patriot who was not afraid to lay down his life for the country. His earlier exploits as a soldier in the Philippines sees him adopt an almost leader like approach to every challenge he encounters. For any soldier, this is the most important stage because it will dictate the path and role they will take about serving their country.

However, while reading the book; the reader almost gets the sense that Marshall's early career in the military is not what the author wants them to focus on. The author instead wants the reader to keep a keen eye in the period between the start of the Second World War and the Korean Wars in 1951(Stoler, 1989). During this period, the author shows the metamorphosis of George C Marshall from being just one of the army chiefs to being the most reliable army general that the leadership of the country always counts on.

The book, however, does come short in its portrayal of George C Marshall. There is no doubt that Marshall was a true American hero. His dedication to serving his country is not questionable. However if the author seeks to inspire other young people to emulate George C Marshall, he needs to turn him into a human figure they can relate to (LEaL, 2009). Going through Marshall's biography in the book the reader sees an almost flawless soldier whose achievement can be difficult to match.

Conclusion

To inspire more American figures to be like George C Marshall, the author needs to embrace his shortcomings and bring Marshall down to the level of the normal American population. So that he can become a figure, that one can relate to. I believe that Marshall's childhood did play a big role in shaping him into the person he became. However, the author has placed very little effort in this part of his life story. Marshall's upbringing has remained a mystery that the reader would have preferred to know.

References

Stoler, M. A. (1989). George C. Marshall: Soldier-statesman of the American century. New York.

LEaL, D. (2009). Writing a Biography. Teaching New Literacies in Grades 4-6: Resources for 21st-Century Classrooms, 297.