Excellent book, flawed production as an audiobook

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nothing about the book itself (two thumbs up). See below about the performance (thumbs down). I read this book, and loved it. Because it would bear re-reading, I got the Audible edition for my second run-through. Unfortunate choice, as it turns out.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ike. He was maddening, driven, brilliant, hot-tempered but quick to apologize, a stickler for military protocol but warm-hearted with midwestern American egalitarian instincts. He was a middle-aged Army officer handed an unimaginable job (Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force) and brilliant enough to perform it. But I think he muddled his handling of his relationship with Kay Summersby, and the very muddling convinces me he was deeply in love with her. In the later months of the war, he even risked his career as he tried to find a way to go forward with her after the war was over. There's enough historical smoke to support this fictional treatment of the possible fire that was behind it.

How could the performance have been better?

This is no criticism of the narrator. She did a great job.But I found this audiobook so irritating that I couldn't finish it. The problem is that someone in charge of producing the audiobook was lazy. They must have skimmed the text, seen references to Kay Summersby as Irish, and decided she spoke in a pronounced Irish brogue. The problem is, Kay Summersby was a real person, Anglo-Irish, daughter of a British Army Officer, who passed up being a debutante in London in favor of traveling through Europe. She lived in London from her teenaged years on, was definitely upper-class, and would never have spoken with that Irish accent. Kay was interviewed later in life on video, and there are clips of her speaking on two episodes of the seminal TV series The World at War (from the 1970's). By then her speech was somewhat Americanized, but it's still an English accent, not that Irish brogue. In this audiobook Kay sounds like a naive Irish schoolgirl. She was nothing of the sort. When she met Ike, she was 33 years old, a former House of Worth model, an outgoing, very social upper-class Brit. She'd been married briefly and was in the process of a divorce. She was beautiful, gracious, and discreet. Honestly, I gritted my teeth at the umpteenth iteration in this performance of "Yes, sir!" in that ridiculous breathless Irish brogue.

Did The General’s Women inspire you to do anything?

To learn more about both Kay and Ike - as the new stack of books on my table attests.

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9 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Near history

One of the great mysteries of the Eisenhower myth was the true extent of his relationship with Kay Summersby. Ms. Albert does a wonderful job of mixing history and fiction-From what I have read about Summersby and Eisenhower her story really hits the mark. While we will know whether Ike and Kay were lovers, the story and the appended biography all but makes the affair certain. For me Kay was an incredibly sympathetic figure that unfortunately did not know or believe that Eisenhower after the world belonged to the country and not to her. I enjoyed reading this book alongside my reading of Ike by Michael Korda.

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5 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Definitely engages the reader!

Beautifully depicts the human struggle of maintaining one's integrity while still reaching for the desires of the heart.

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4 persone l'hanno trovata utile

This is believable

The author did a great job telling this story. I really like the fact that she tells what parts are true. and where she took liberties. I do not like stories of infidelity, but I am a sucker for True Love. War is difficult enough and I believe Ike and Kate had true love for a while plus a friendship that could never be broken. The narrator also did a fantastic job. Definitely a good read.

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2 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Great listen

I really liked the book. It was a bit slow but picked up quick. I wish that the term “GD” was not used so frequently.

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1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Wonderful story

I loved this war time story. The narration was great. I was looking forward to the next opportunity I had to continue listening. I highly recommend it.

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Great story

I never knew about the affair. Great story and details. I knew some parts had to be fiction, however, it really made the book more interesting.

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1 persona l'ha trovata utile

a way story for women: a romantic war story

narrator was perfect. story was enthralling. author's notes at the end were helpful and appreciated.

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1 persona l'ha trovata utile

TheGenerals Women

I enjoyed this book and recommend it! Learned about WW2 and some of the rules for operating !

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1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Fascinating historical romance between Dwight Eisenhauer and an Irish volunteer

Set in WWIi, this fascinating story of an American president and commander of the European Allied forces is based on historical sources. You’ll love the very human responses to circumstances. Great work in telling the story of a fascinating woman whose story was silenced in order to protect Ike and his family’s reputation.

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