I began work on Eisenhower in 1964. In the ensuing two decades, I have piled up debts of such size that I despair of ever discharging them. Still, the attempt must be made.
The list begins with those who made the record, and first of all with General Andrew Goodpaster. A majority of the citations in this volume are to his memoranda. There is a military precision, thoroughness, and accuracy to his reports that make them the single most reliable source for what happened in the Eisenhower Presidency. He was unflagging; he never editorialized; he was always objective. The fruits of his labor are the sine qua non of this book. Next comes Ann Whitman, whose devotion to Eisenhower was matched only by her devotion to compiling an accurate record. As a bonus, there is a warmth and humanness to her diary that gives invaluable insights into Eisenhower the man. That Eisenhower could not have gotten through his task without her goes without saying; for my part, I do need to say that neither could I.
Others close to Eisenhower kept diaries that I relied upon heavily. Ellis Slater was not only one of Eisenhower’s best friends, but a man who found the time and energy to write full accounts of his intimate gatherings with Eisenhower at Augusta, in the White House, at Gettysburg, and at Palm Desert. In the early years of the Administration, Jim Hagerty kept a copious diary (he gave it up because of lack of time after 1955, a great loss to the historian) that contained much revealing information. In the last years of the Administration, John Eisenhower often took the notes of meetings in the Oval Office, and he got to be almost as good at it as Goodpaster.
Dr. L. Arthur Minnich, a trained historian (he received his Ph.D. from Cornell in 1948), served Eisenhower from January 21, 1953, to August 6, 1960, as an Assistant Staff Secretary and unofficial historian. He attended the Cabinet and legislative leaders’ meetings. He had a keen ear for the good quote and a sophisticated understanding of what was important and what was froth. I read his handwritten notes with excitement and profit, and have quoted from him extensively.
I could not possibly find the words to adequately express my thanks to the individuals listed above. There are dozens of others, members of Eisenhower’s staff or his friends, who have placed their diaries and papers in the Eisenhower Library, and on whose labors this book is based. My sincere thanks to all of them.
Those who made the record made my research possible; those who keep the record made my research far more profitable—and fun to do—than it otherwise would have been. Dr. John Wickman and his staff at the Eisenhower Library have created and maintain a world-class archival facility. They are professionals of the highest qualities. I am especially indebted to Mack Teasley, Rod Soubers, Jim Leyerzapf, David Haight, and Hazel Stroda. It is not simply that they provide an attractive, comfortable place to study the documents, or that they cheerfully bring out from the stacks cart after cart filled with box after box of documents, or that they create such a pleasant sense of camaraderie between themselves and the researchers who come to Abilene. In addition, they know the collection better than anyone else, and are eager to pass on what they know. Their finding aids are superb; their verbal advice to look at this or that file about this or that event saves countless hours of time. Best of all, they love Ike as I do, and love to talk about him, so that at coffee breaks and lunch conversations, they provide insights into his personality and policies.
My research at the library was facilitated by the help of Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, a former associate editor on the Eisenhower Project at Johns Hopkins and one of my dearest friends. She worked with me, and independently, at Abilene for many months during 1982 and 1983. She has a keen eye for the good document; without her, I would still be sitting in the research room, going through the boxes. In addition, she was my typist (this is the fifth book she has typed for me) and did her usual excellent job.
This book was written on a solid foundation, and I know, because I helped build it. Most of the writing was done in my office in New Orleans, which I had built in the back of my house for the specific purpose of writing this book. The contractors, Robert Stalder and Chris Clark, designed the office especially for writing, and did a super job. I helped pour the foundation, a tricky business when you are sitting four feet below sea level. The name I gave the office, Eisenhowerplatz, is a bit corny, but I like it.
Dr. Joseph Logsdon, my department chairman at the University of New Orleans, and one of my closest friends for more years than either of us likes to count, read the first draft of each chapter. He has a critical eye that, in my experience, is unmatched. He has an equally unmatched ability to put friendship aside and say what he thinks, no matter how critical. I cannot recall a suggestion that he made that I did not incorporate, much to the advantage of the book.
John Ware, my agent, was a constant source of encouragement. My editor, Alice Mayhew, was a constant source of strength. The copy editor, Patricia Miller, did a superb job.
It is customary for an author at this point to state that all the errors are his own, and I hereby do so. But in so doing, I do not wish to imply that whatever is good about the book is my own doing; rather, I am compelled to say that whatever might be good about it is due in greatest part to the people listed above.
I come to the point of thanking my wife, Moira, for her part in the creation of the manuscript, and I cannot hold back the tears. For hundreds of hours, she sat at my side in Abilene, helping me go through the documents. She was willing to talk to me for seemingly endless periods about Eisenhower, giving me the benefit of her point of view on the man and his policies. She helped me to see things I otherwise never would have noticed. She listened as I read each day’s outpouring aloud to her. Every author needs encouragement at the end of the day, and she always told me how wonderful the writing was (before then pointing out gently where this or that change would have to be made). For the past year, I have spent ten hours a day, six days a week, at the typewriter. To say that this created certain difficulties for Moira in arranging our home and social life is to state the obvious. I can’t say that she never complained, but I can say that she always made me feel that the effort was worthwhile. Without her help and support, there would be no book.
STEPHEN E. AMBROSE
Sunflower Hotel, Abilene, Kansas
Eisenhowerplatz, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Cabin, Dunbar, Wisconsin
June 1982–August 1983