At ease: Stories I tell to friends

"At Ease" is a great complement to Ike's "Crusade in Europe." Eisenhower had a gift for storytelling and he puts that gift to good use here. You discover when reading his books that they have a very comfortable feel to them. No dry read here. Eisenhower had a real talent for writing (He didn't use a ghost writer but wrote his books completely on his own) and you come away with a better appreciation of the man's intelligence and strong wit.In "At Ease", Ike describes his pre-WW2 years in the Army adding many colorful stories. My favorite stories were of the years George Patton and Ike spent in the 1920's researching the tank's future in war. Eisenhower had an interesting career as a mid-level officer including many assignments to football teams as a coach. Most interesting are his tales of his assignment in Panama, which was to have a significant affect on his career. Ike leaves most of his WW2 stories to be told in "Crusade in Europe." In "At Ease" he covers in depth his career after WW2 and the plans Mamie and Ike had for life after the Army. This work goes right up until the key role Ike played in the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense force. Although Ike doesn't say much about the Presidency, he describes many of the reasons why he would end up later accepting the nomination in 1952. "At Ease" is a very enjoyable collection of stories for anyone wishing to know more about the famous 5-star General and President, as well as his contemporaries.