If you understand the life of General John Shalikashvili, you will better appreciate what is great about America. By holding up an insightful mirror to this former World War II refugee's little-known but captivating immigrant success story, biographer Andrew Marble has allowed the bright side of our country to now shine even more widely.
~Lee H. Hamilton, former member of the US House of Representatives
This is an astonishingly readable biography of one of the most remarkable leaders in American military history. If you don't know of John Shalikashvili's story, Andrew Marble's saga of an immigrant boy who, in the 1990s became the highest ranking leader at the Pentagon, will amaze and inspire.
~Claudia Dreifus, Columbia University
General John Shalikashvili was the American dream in living form. In telling his story for the first time, Andrew Marble masterfully weaves together how a man whose family fled war-torn Europe helped shape American foreign policy for decades and lived out the values of conscience and country. This isn't just a must-read for military buffs—it's a source of inspiration for every American and anyone who aspires to be one.
~John Kerry, former US Secretary of State
It was so wonderful to see the General Shali I worked for come alive in these pages! What a great American he was, and this book is a fine telling of his American story. Read it for inspiration, and remember that when we talk about immigrants, we are talking about the John Shalikashvili's of this world.
~Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Using evocative storytelling, Boy on the Bridge offers us a long-overdue look at an inspirational American soldier-statesman whose dramatic Old World roots helped him forge a post-Cold War environment in which European and Central Asian regions, long embroiled in conflict, achieved stability and eventual peace. He was a master in determining what needs to be done and what is doable.
~Nicholas Krawciw, Major General, US Army, Ret.
Andrew Marble's historical tour de force of a penniless European refugee who became the highest-ranking general officer in the US military is far more than a biography of one man. Rather, it's the story of a family of strong-willed people steeped in aristocratic traditions working to survive, as a unit, during one of the most turbulent times in world history. Boy on the Bridge is a story of good fortune, of misfortune, of human flaws, of opportunities taken as well as missed, and how all those factors combined to influence the development of one little boy and the extraordinary man he would become.
~Colonel Jon C. Schreyach, DivArty Operations Officer and Commander 6th Bn/14th FA, 1st Armored Division, USA (Ret.)
Boy on the Bridge is a biography of a military man, but it is not a military biography. Andrew Marble has created an engaging story of a remarkable man whose life story would be fascinating even without regard to his military career.
~Foot Notes Blog
