In a career that paralleled the emergence of the United States as an international power, Marshall was a participant in every significant event contributing to the nation's status as a superpower. From his first combat duty in the Philippines at the turn of the century, through both World Wars, into the cold war and the Korea conflict, Marshall was a key figure in devising and implementing U.S. military strategies and foreign policies. Stoler emphasizes the years 1939-1951, while Marshall served as World War II army chief of staff, special presidential representative to China, secretary of state at the beginning of the cold war, and Korean War secretary of defense.
Mark Stoler's book is unique in its merging of military and diplomatic history with biography. A valuable contribution to the emerging field of national security policy history,
George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century
is the first single-volume scholarly biography of this important figure. A chronology and bibliographic essay are included.