This book, a comprehensive biography of to a little recognized and long forgotten Airmen, Lt General Frank Andrews, is long overdue. The author introduces readers to the man who, very likely, would have been the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, if he had not been killed in a plane crash the late Spring of 1943. Andrews is generally remembered as an airman who Commanded the GHQ Air Force and an advocate for the B-17 during the late 1930s. What has been overlooked, one suspects due to his untimely death, is the totality of his personal and professional life. Starting with ties to his wife's "Old Army" family, West Point classmates, eleven years in the Cavalry before transferring to the Air Service and particularly his relationship with General George Marshall, Andrews was destined to greatness. When Marshall was the Vice Chief of Staff, Andrews and Marshall had formed a professional bond based on time Andrews spent giving Marshall a tour of Air Corps bases and educating him on the potential of airpower in the coming war. When Marshall became the Chief of Staff of the Army, he selected Andrews to serve as the G-3 of the General Staff, an airman, in charge of operations and training for the entire Army in 1939 and 1940 as the Army began to expand in the face of the realization that the United States was going to be engaged in a war in Europe. In November 1940, Andrews left the G-3 position and began to rise through important command positions requiring diplomatic skills, inter-service cooperation as well as strategic thinking and relationships with Allied leaders. The first was Command of the Caribbean Command, a joint command with the responsibility for protecting the Panama Canal. Following that assignment, in 1942, he was given command of all US troops in the Middle East, before being assigned in February 1943 as the Commander of all US Forces in Europe. By the spring of 1943, Andrews had more joint and unified command time than any other general or admiral in the United States military with the possible exception of MacArthur. The author explores the possibility that Andrews was on his way to Washington and a meeting with Marshall to discuss his next assignment when he was killed. In his eulogy of Andrews, General Marshall referred to him as one of the rare "Great Captains" to serve in the United States Military. The full breadth of Andrew's accomplishments and potential has here to fore been overlooked by military historians. This book corrects that oversighta must read for anyone who wants to understand the role played by a "Great Captain".who happened to be an airman.
~Ron Fogleman, General, USAF (Ret), 15th Chief of Staff, USAF
Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews was a man destined for greatness, until his untimely death cut his ascension short. In another reality, he might have been in Eisenhower's seat, as commander in Europe. Kathy Wilson has provided us with a long-needed biography of Andrews, demonstrating how accomplished he was, how experienced he was, and how good he could have been. This is an important story, told extremely well.
~Richard Wolf, editor, Air & Space Power History
Kathy Wilson has produced a ground-breaking piece of historical writing about one of America's great leaders of World War II. While many are familiar with General of the Army George C. Marshall, not so many are familiar with his own declared, "Great Captain" of airpower, Lt Gen Frank M. Andrews. Andrews made several unique contributions to the Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, the Air Force, and the greater Army as the U.S. prepared for, entered, and fought World War II. Wilson does a masterful job in explaining them all in this "must read" for those interested in U.S. military history.
~Dave Deptula, Lt Gen USAF (Ret.) and dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
