Literary Loss

National Guard, Jul 2004 by Prawdzik, Christopher

THE BOOKSHELF

William Manchester (1922-2004)

Military history buffs lost a friend june 1 when author William Manchester passed away. he was 82.

Manchester wasn't the typical military historian, à la Stephen Ambrose (who died last year) or John Keegan, who continues to churn out exceptional work. He also wasn't particularly focused on the National Guard. But the subjects of several of his works made decisions that at least indirectly impacted and shaped the future of the Guard.

He probably was best known for his 1962 work Portrait of a President: John F. Kennedy in Profile, and then added to the story with his account of Kennedy's death in 1967's The Death of a President: November 20-November 25.

His meticulous research and clear prose made American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur: 1880-1964 arguably the best biography about the general released in 1978.

In the mid-1980s, he tackled the life of one of the great figures of 20th century history with The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory 1874-1932 and the second volume, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940. Again his research and writing ability came together to present the best description of the former prime minister's life to date.

A lesser-known but most remarkable work came in 1979 with Goodbye Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War in which he chronicles his own World War Il experience.

Manchester could force vivid pictures with simple strokes on a keyboard. In Goodbye Darkness he allowed readers deep into his mind in his most terrifying hours.

"It wasn't worse that war of movement, but it was different. Under such circumstances the instinct of self-preservation turns the skilled infantryman into a mole, a ferret or a cheetah, depending on the clear and present danger of the moment."

In recent years, poor health limited Manchester's inkling to produce another masterpiece.

But a solid Manchester library still exists, and for a glimpse into the events and people that shaped 20th-century history as well as the direction of the country, his timeless works are required reading.