Louis Johnson and the Arming of America: The Roosevelt and Truman Years
Keith D. McFarland, David L. Roll, . . Indiana Univ., $35 (452pp) ISBN 978-0-253-34626-1
This scholarly biography of Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson (1891–1966) will be an important resource for the study of American defense policy. After serving in WWI, Johnson was active in veterans' affairs until he was appointed assistant secretary of war in 1937. Under FDR, he did valuable work in preparing for wartime procurement and mobilization; later, in 1948, his work as a Democratic fund-raiser brought him to the Pentagon as secretary of defense. Talented as he was, however, Johnson was a difficult personality who did not get along well with Secretary of War Harry Woodring or the navy. His budget cutting was extreme and involved canceling the supercarrier
Reviewed on: 08/22/2005
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 465 pages - 978-0-253-11164-7