"Taaffe writes with smoothness, clarity, and verve. . . Personal profiles extend beyond background and training to personality traits and idiosyncrasies, including thoughtful and balanced assessments of individual strengths and weaknesses."—H-Net Reviews
"Taaffe has done a service for students of the Korean War of of US Army Institutional history. His generally direct, clearly written evaluations of the performance of men like MacArthur, Ridgway, and the troublesome X Corps commander Ned Almond are judicious and carefully reasoned."—Michigan War Studies Review
"Those interested in the Korean War are sure to want MacArthur’s Korean War Generals on their bookshelf. Taaffe’s insights will cause readers to reevaluate their understanding of the war as well as their assessment of the army’s senior leadership at the time."—Military Review
"An outstanding study, adding considerably to one’s understanding of Korean War military leadership and operations."—Korean Journal of Military History
"Offers important insights into and background on the army generals who led U.S. forces during the first thirteen months of the Korean War."—Journal of Military History
"Anybody who wants to understand how the US Army fought in the Korean War needs to read this book. Taaffe is especially interesting on the personal relationships between senior officers."—Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco and The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today
"Taaffe is a master storyteller, analyst, and researcher who provides commendable balance to a subject that has often produced polemics. His extensive use of oral history and background on World War II military leadership enable him to provide insights that will inform specialists, buffs, and general readers alike."—William Stueck, author of Rethinking the Korean War: A New Diplomatic and Strategic History
“A terrific study of America’s military leadership during the Korean War. Taaffe is remarkably even-handed, providing praise where it is appropriate and criticism where it is deserved. The book offers insights into topics ranging from the critical tactical and strategic decisions of the war to the impact of more petty politics and personal relationships. Beautifully-written and thoroughly-researched, MacArthur’s Korean War Generals offers lessons that still resonate today for the Korean Peninsula and beyond.”—Mitchell Lerner, Director of Korean Studies, The Ohio State University
One of the best US Army history studies on the Korean War. Taaffe successfully explains that, although the US Eighth Army was unprepared for the war, its field commanders made the difference in the success of the UNF operations because of their leadership style, combat experience, and command skills. There were divergent views on how to fight the war at MacArthur’s HQs. Taaffe assesses the dissimilar war-fighting strategies through the lens of the differing military careers and political considerations of the generals, who had abled to make good use of their experiences from WWII that made the Eighth Army a competent fighting force in Korea. They consolidated the UNF defense line, pushed for offensive campaigns into North Korea, built the confidence in fighting back the Communist invasions, and transformed the US Army from a WWII “liberation force” to a Cold War “containment force”. A milestone in US military leadership research of the Korean War. It is highly recommended. —Xiaobing Li, co-editor and translator of Mao’s Generals Remember Korea