History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Douglas MacArthur for Children

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Tracey Norman

Length: 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for ages 7-10.

"There is no substitute for victory." (Douglas MacArthur)

In Charles River Editors’ History for Kids series, your children can learn about history’s most important people and events in an easy, entertaining, and educational way. This concise but comprehensive audiobook will keep your kid’s attention all the way to the end.

Of all the military men America produced during the 19th and 20th centuries, it’s hard to find one as important, successful, and controversial as General Douglas MacArthur. The son of a Civil War veteran, MacArthur rose to become the most instrumental commander in the Pacific Theater during World War II. His legendary return to the Philippines in 1944 made good on one of the war’s most famous vows, and it was MacArthur who fittingly who oversaw the occupation and reconstruction of Japan following the war.

Given his long and celebrated career, MacArthur was the obvious choice to lead the newly created United Nations’ troops during the Korean War, but his arguments over war strategy and policy eventually led to his controversial firing by President Harry Truman in 1951. After that, in his own words, he "faded away", living out his remaining days on the top floor of the Waldorf Hotel until his death in 1964. For many with a conservative disposition, he remains a hero who, had he been listened to, would have prevented the current impasse with the rogue state that is modern North Korea. For some liberal thinkers, he was dangerously obsessive while wholly ignorant of geopolitics, and he has been branded as a general who would have used atomic weapons and potentially triggered the third world war.

The truth is far more difficult to discern and much more subtle. Douglas MacArthur was one of the most intelligent soldiers America has produced, and he was also one of the most prominent statesmen of the 20th century. He made his mark from flamboyant staff officer in the Vera Cruz expedition of 1914 to United Nations Commander in the Korean War. Along the way, he found fame in World War I, participated in the controversial Bonus Army incident, lost and won campaigns in World War II, and served as Army Chief of Staff, Superintendent at West Point, and as effective ruler of Japan. Rarely out of the limelight, MacArthur was as much an administrator as he was a soldier and a combat commander, and in all of his endeavors, he found success and controversy.

History for Kids: An Illustrated Biography of Douglas MacArthur for Children profiles the amazing life and career of the American war hero while also examining his personality and analyzing his lasting legacy.

©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2018 Charles River Editors