|
|
Sold Out
Book Categories |
An Unplanned Life is the scintillating memoir of George Elsey, a small-town kid from western Pennsylvania who, at age twenty-four, was assigned to Franklin Roosevelt's top-secret intelligence and communications center in the White House. As an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Elsey helped brief the president and his senior associates on war events. He and his map room colleagues acted as the secretariat for Roosevelt's cabled exchanges with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek; filed records of "summit conferences"; and stored in safes plans for future operations. He also traveled with the president in order to code and decode the classified messages that flowed between the presidential train or ship and the White House.
Elsey's duties continued with Harry Truman's succession to the presidency. He decoded the famous message from Secretary of War Henry Stimson reporting the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and carried it to President Truman. In 1947, he shed his Naval Reserve uniform and joined the White House's civilian staff as assistant to the special counsel to the president. In 1949, he became administrative assistant to the president, and, in 1952, he became a member of the Mutual Security Agency staff. During those years, he grew very close to Harry Truman, and thus, a major portion of An Unplanned Life relates to his experiences then.
In the first postwar winter, Elsey was frequently the only staff member who accompanied President Truman on the USS Williamsburg. In September 1946, Elsey submitted a report to Truman on U.S.-Soviet relations, which came to be well known as the "Clifford-Elsey Report." Providing Truman with notes for some two hundred of his "back-of-the-train" informal talks, Elsey played a part in the best remembered feature of the "Whistle-Stop Campaign" that resulted in "the political upset of the century." In addition to his years at the White House, Elsey also touches on his post–White House years—his time in private industry, his months with Clark Clifford when Clifford was trying unsuccessfully to extricate America from Vietnam, and his long association with the American Red Cross.
An Unplanned Life is a fascinating look at the life of an extraordinary individual who played an important and unprecedented part in two different presidents' decisions and affected the course of our nation. Anyone with an interest in history will find this memoir fascinating and invaluable.
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
Justin Lamb
reviewed Unplanned Life: A Memoir on April 24, 2019
Unplanned Life: A Memoir
An Unplanned Life is by George McKee Elsey. If you've never heard of him ' I hadn't, either. But throughout the memoir, I kept thinking of Forest Gump. You know how Forest just kept turning up in all these pivotal historical moments? That's what happened to Elsey ' but his story, unlike Forest's, is true.
Elsey was born in 1918 and while doing college research, joined the Navy Reserves in hopes of avoiding the draft. He ended up being assigned to duty in the White House Map Room (that's him in uniform on the book's cover photo). So while still in his 20s, Elsey recounts coming face-to-face with Winston Churchill as he emerges from his White House bedroom wearing a silk robe and holding a cigar. He spends much time with President FDR, and observes the fawning all around him. "A mild witticism, if uttered by a big shot, is thought to be very funny. From someone else, it might bring a wan smile," Elsey notes.
Elsey held a ringside seat as FDR and Churchill discussed Hitler and signed the autograph book of Queen Victoria's granddaughter. He was at Normandy during the invasion as a naval historian. He visits Hyde Park with FDR and watches the President smoke his "ever-present cigarette" while Presidential dog Fala entertains them with tricks. He sees Stalin at Potsdam, and made his way through Berlin wreckage "to Hitler's suite of offices, where I stood on the ruins of his marble-topped desk." He picked up some of der Fuhrer's stationery and bookplates to take along as souvenirs. It really is amazing to read all the historical events Elsey was witness to.
"There is no one with the president at these council meetings to check or control him. He might promise the moon, and the ambassadors all take him seriously. He tells them what we are planning to do. That's a great danger. There's no telling whom they pass these secrets on to." Okay ' who do you think this is written about? It sounds to me like something you'd see deriding President Trump. But no, this was an admiral describing FDR during WWII. It's interesting to see how many things in history seem to come back around again ' events as well as attitudes.
Elsey worked with Truman on the 1948 election campaign. He explained how the famous "whistle stops" originated. Ohio Senator Robert Taft derided Truman for stopping "at every whistle station" to see supporters and make remarks. Truman responded, "I'm going to make it a rip-snorting, back-platform campaign to what Taft calls all the whistle stops, but I call them the heart of America. When they count the whistle stops' votes, Taft may be in for a big surprise. I think the whistle stops will make the difference between victory and defeat." Hmmmm. This reminded me a lot of the whole "deplorables" issue in the 2016 campaign. Another example of history repeating itself.
Elsey worked as Truman's Administrative Assistant, writing, "Truman hunkered down and worked harder than ever at his desk. The public saw little evidence of his leadership. Trips were rare. Speeches were few. Korean War news and problems in the economy took the headlines. The contrast with how the president is perceived today is remarkable. The current president, as I write this a half century after the Korean conflict ended, is 'big news' every day." I couldn't disagree with his assessment: "We lived in a simpler ' and happier time, for which I am grateful."
It was refreshing to read Elsey's recollections, which were written in a very matter-of-fact (as opposed to gossipy) way: "(Truman) loved to relive the machinations that had led to his nomination as vice president in 1944 and the wholly unexpected move to the White House. As for the White House: 'I hate the G*^-d*$@ place. It's terrible. I want to be back in the Senate.' This was a sentiment I heard often, spiced with stories of why the Senate had been a happier experience than he was now having."
When Elsey married in 1951, he was shocked to see President Truman attending. The President had told him earlier he couldn't make it.
Elsey died at 97 in 2015. Here's a brief radio interview with him:
This book is a fascinating read for anyone who enjoys history.
Login|Complaints|Blog|Games|Digital Media|Souls|Obituary|Contact Us|FAQ
CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? CLICK HERE!!! X
You must be logged in to add to WishlistX
This item is in your Wish List
X
This item is in your Collection
Unplanned Life: A Memoir
X
This Item is in Your Inventory
Unplanned Life: A Memoir
X
You must be logged in to review the productsX
X
X
Add Unplanned Life: A Memoir, An Unplanned Life is the scintillating memoir of George Elsey, a small-town kid from western Pennsylvania who, at age twenty-four, was assigned to Franklin Roosevelt's top-secret intelligence and communications center in the White House. As an, Unplanned Life: A Memoir to the inventory that you are selling on WonderClubX
X
Add Unplanned Life: A Memoir, An Unplanned Life is the scintillating memoir of George Elsey, a small-town kid from western Pennsylvania who, at age twenty-four, was assigned to Franklin Roosevelt's top-secret intelligence and communications center in the White House. As an, Unplanned Life: A Memoir to your collection on WonderClub |