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General Walter Krueger: Unsung Hero of the Pacific War. By Kevin C. Holzimmer. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007. ISBN 978-07006-1500-1. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. 344. $39.95.
General Walter Krueger was lauded by Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur as one of the best commanders of World War II. As the Commander of 6th Army he was the senior ground commander in the Southwest Pacific Theater (SWPA). After the liberation of the Philippines, he was tagged with commanding the invasion of the Japanese home islands. Had the invasion occurred, Krueger would have commanded the largest amphibious invasion force in history. Despite these accomplishments, Krueger is a virtual unknown today. He was, under MacArthur's shadow, once dubbed "The Mystery Man of the Pacific." Kevin Holzimmer's biography pulls back the curtain and gives Krueger his full due.
Holzimmer explores Krueger's personal life, his ideas on the proper execution of command in wartime, and his role in the development of the American operational level of war. The greatest focus of the book is a reexamination of the campaigns in SWPA that show Krueger to not...