Jacob L. Devers: A General's Life successfully combines the story of Devers's private life with that of his military life and career to provide a first-rate profile of both the man and the general. The scholarship is impeccable. Wheeler's discussion of the Devers-Eisenhower controversy is the best and most thorough account I have read.
~Carlo D'Este, author of Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life
This book will become the standard work on Devers. Although offering a sympathetic portrayal of Devers, Wheeler does not sacrifice his basic objectivity. There is also a spark of controversy because the book calls into question the traditional view of Eisenhower's management of his American subordinates.
~Stephen R. Taaffe, author of Marshall and His Generals: U.S. Army Commanders in World War II
Jacob L. Devers: A General's Life is a major contribution to revising the traditional account of World War II in Europe. Wheeler gives us a very different view of Eisenhower in particular and the senior command relationships in general during 1944–1945.
~Jonathan M. House, author of A Military History of the Cold War, 1944–1962
James Scott Wheeler has given us something more than a simple comprehensive account of one general's life. By resurrecting a notably underappreciated World War II four-star, he provides readers with an insightful appraisal of American military leadership in wartime.... In this engaging biography, [Devers] receives the recognition that has long been his due.
~American Conservative
Retired Col. James Scott Wheeler has closed a serious gap in the historiography of the U.S. Army during World War II [...] and has redressed an imbalance in historical assessment of Devers' career and leadership in combat. It is decidedly a work of professional scholarship weaving the Army story throughout.
~AUSA
James Scott Wheeler has crafted a biography which exposes the career of Jacob Devers to an audience largely unaware of the incredible service he provided to his country. This [is an] extremely valuable contribution and an important asset in our understanding of World War II.
~On Point
Wheeler has crafted an excellent biography of a general whose accomplishments were pivotal in defeating the Wehrmacht. After years of relative obscurity in the historiography of World War II, Devers's time has arrived.
~H-Net Reviews
Wheeler's book is highly recommended for all history audiences – an extraordinary story about an extraordinary man who simply did not see himself that way.
~Military Review
A thorough, readable, solid analysis that does credit to its subject.
~Journal of Military History
Wheeler has produced an excellent biography of a significant senior leader, but also a group biography of American high command in World War II.
~US Military History Review
Wheeler has done an admirable job with (presenting) a rich account worthy of being read by anyone interested in World War II. Devers might not have gotten much attention in his day, but he deserves it now.
~Parameters
In this definitive biography, Wheeler delivers a groundbreaking reassessment of the American commander whose contributions to victory in Europe are topped only by General Dwight D. Eisenhower's. An essential contribution to twentieth-century history, Jacob L. Devers provides a fresh and nuanced interpretation of the senior command during World War II and offers a new perspective on a highly accomplished solider.
~McCormick (SC) Messenger
Wheeler's well-researched and detailed account of Devers's life is a welcome addition to the biographical canon of World War II's oft-forgotten leading personalities.
~MHQ
