Hunter Liggett: A Soldier's General(C. a. Brannen Series)

Lt. Gen. Hunter Liggett's forty-year career spanned the period from the Indian Wars in the territories of Montana and Dakota to the trenches of World War I. For someone who experienced many individual triumphs and battlefield victories—including the final push of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive—he often is overshadowed by figures such as John J. Pershing or George C. Marshall. His quiet demeanor sometimes did not serve him well, but it also masked steely determination. Liggett's tenacity won Pershing's attention and admiration, and he went on to direct and win what was at the time the largest single battle in American history. In Hunter Liggett, author Michael E. Shay shows that while Pershing may have assembled the pieces of the American Expeditionary Forces, it was Liggett who made it work.

This first biography of Liggett follows the full life of a doggedly hard-working soldier whose leadership style contrasted and sometimes conflicted with the military culture of his time. Where Pershing employed a ""fear and censure"" approach to command, Liggett allowed his subordinates to grow into their jobs, all the while coaching them on the best course of action. Where Pershing was feared, Liggett enjoyed the respect—if not affection—of his men. Liggett was a modest man and a devoted student of military history at a time when many officers of his generation relied upon a combination of connections, political influence, and seniority to advance their careers.

Hunter Liggett not only offers readers a much-needed biography of an almost forgotten general but also adds a new and nuanced perspective on the importance of military leadership in the era of the First World War.

About the Author :
Michael E. Shay is the author or editor of six books, including The Yankee Division in the First World War: In the Highest Tradition and Henry Ware Lawton: Union Infantryman, Frontier Soldier, Charismatic Warrior. He served as a superior court judge in the state of Connecticut and is now a judge trial referee. He resides in Wilton, Connecticut.

Review :
"No senior American officer in the Great War . . . has been more overdue a biography. . . . Michael Shay has done readers and scholars a great service by taking on the challenge of writing the first-ever full biography of Liggett."--Mark Grotelueschen, Lt. Col. USAF (ret) and author of The AEF Way of War: The American Army and Combat in World War I--Mark Grotelueschen ". . . has done readers and scholars a great service by taking on the challenge of writing this first-ever full biography of Liggett"--The Journal of Character & Leadership Development "... the author persevered and was able to craft a well-researched look at the general's impressive military career. Those who are interested in World War I will definitely want to read this book."--The Journal of America's Military Past-- "The Journal of America's Military Past" "Shay's work is a fine addition to the ever-growing list of military biographies. Hunter Liggett: A Soldier's General is an enjoyable read that will appeal both to those interested in Hunter Liggett, and to students of the turn-of-the-twentieth-century U.S. Army."--Military History-- "Military History" "Michael Shay previously taught us much about the 26th Division during the Great War. Now with Hunter Liggett: A Soldier's General, he has rescued an important general from obscurity with a compelling, well-researched and written biography. Highly recommended."--Mitchell Yockelson, author, Forty-Seven Days: How Pershing's Warriors Came of Age to Defeat the German Army In World War I
--Mitchell Yockelson