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Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: The sweeping love story at the heart of the Second World War, vividly reimagining General Eisenhower and Kate Summersby's infamous, star-crossed affair In his latest historical novel Ike and Kay, acclaimed author James MacManus brings to life an unbelievably true and controversial romance and the poignant characters and personalities that shaped the course of world history. In 1942, Kay Summersby's life is changed forever when she is conscripted to drive General Eisenhower on his fact-finding visit to wartime London. Despite Eisenhower's marriage to Mamie, the pair takes an immediate liking to each other and he buys Kay a rare wartime luxury: a box of chocolates. So begins a tumultuous relationship that, against all military regulation, sees Kay traveling with Eisenhower on missions to far-flung places before the final assault on Nazi Germany. The general does dangerously little to conceal his affair with the woman widely known as "Ike's shadow," and in letters Mamie bemoans his new obsession with "Ireland." That does not stop him from using his influence to grant Kay citizenship and rank in the US army, drawing her closer still when he returns to America. When officials discover Eisenhower's plans to divorce from his wife they threaten the fragile but passionate affair, and Kay is forced to take desperate measures to hold onto the man she loves ... Based on the scandalous true story of General Eisenhower's secret World War II love affair, Ike and Kay is a compelling story of love, duty, sacrifice, and heartbreak, set against the backdrop of the most tumultuous period of the twentieth century..… (more)
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In 1942, Eisenhower, lands in London to decide how to best end the Nazi hold on Europe. All visiting generals needed a driver because all of the street signs had been taken down in London. Kay Summersby, a member of the Motor Transport Corp becomes General Eisenhower's driver and eventually ends up becoming his chief aide, in charge of his calendar and taking notes at meetings. The gossip begins in the US and Europe over what kind of relationship they really had even as they continue to spend more time together. The press begins to refer to Kay as "Ike's shadow". She sees a future for them when its time for him to return to the US after the Allied victory but he has to make big decisions about his future on whether she will be part of it.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I had read articles about Ike and Kay in the past, this book really humanizes them and you can understand why some of the decisions that were made happen. high praise to the author for his extensive research on this subject. If you enjoy WWII historical fiction, this is a book that you don't want to miss.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I have to say that Ike came off like a real jerk in this book. Kay, of course, was hardly blameless. She knew he was a married man, and a powerful one as well. If she thought she could win this man she was deluding only herself. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how the relationship unfolded and to get a glimpse of what they may have meant to one another, especially during the stress of wartime.
I also appreciated the details of other wartime relationships between generals and heads of state. President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchhill and many others make appearances in this novel. One glaring error very nearly spoiled it for me (and totally turned my husband off). MacManus goes on about Patton serving in the Pacific and how he abandoned the Philippines for the relative safety of Australia. The general who did that was MacArthur, not Patton. Wonder what else he got wrong?
Oh well, it’s historical FICTION, and it certainly held my attention.
This book