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William MacArthur. An American Caesar (1880-1964), Paris, Robert Laffont, 1981, 618 p.

strange character that General MacArthur, a man steeped in paradox: reading the Bible every day, but never went to the office, for example . He helped greatly in the reconstruction of Japan on a democratic basis and social after the capitulation of 1945, and yet the United States, it was the standard bearer of the most reactionary right. The army was his life and although the casualty rate of soldiers under his command was very low, this did not prevent them from continually mock him. His hatred of Europe comes a counterpoint from being admired by the great leaders of this continent during the Second World War (De Gaulle, Churchill). No other American general was not so controversial: witness the number of rumors that circulated about him among the troops. In fact, for the author, MacArthur was simply a man of the nineteenth century, Lost amid a Victorian alterations made by the two world wars. That explains why he was popular among his men 14-18 and much less with GI 's 1941-1945. That's what pushes William Manchester to compare Julius Caesar to MacArthur. The pride of General eventually lose its relations after the Second World War with the U.S. administration. In light of its experience in Korea, however, advised against it to President Johnson, on his deathbed, to engage in Vietnam. Military legend, the night of his life, Marcarthur had finally caught up with the times.

The book follows a chronological and describes step by step the thread of life overall. Dense enough, it does provide a fairly balanced picture of MacArthur: He falls in praise nor bombastic, nor the harsh criticism unfounded. It is unfortunate that the biography does not include a short conclusion that responds to the picture drawn in the introduction. The French translation has unfortunately not prepared maps of operations in the middle of the book, following the text, but was postponed to the end of the book. We find instead attached a chronology of the life of General. In the center there is also a pretty picture booklet provided. Finally, a good summary, which reads in the length, density did not detract from the pleasure we take in this intriguing character discover what was MacArthur.