Jonathan Horn

Reviews and Praise

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"Recounting battle scenes with riveting prose ...“The Fate of the Generals” lifts Jonathan Wainwright out of the shadow of Douglas MacArthur and “back into the light.”

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—The Wall Street Journal

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"Exceptional . . . engaging. [Horn] has crafted a very personal account of two of America’s most celebrated heroes, one (MacArthur) who remains in the public imagination and another (Wainwright) who has been largely lost to time. This is a highly recommended account of their service to the nation, one that can be enjoyed by historians and lay readers alike." 

 

—The Washington Free Beacon

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"Horn has examined much of Wainwright’s previously ignored diaries and personal correspondence which for the first time provide a vivid picture of the conditions he endured and his own confusion about his relationship with MacArthur.... Horn is too good a historian, however, to obsess over MacArthur’s bothersome character flaws, vanities, and egotism. And so, he leaves us with a paradox of human nature: that the supremely talented but flawed human being whom we may not admire, we may well need—and treat better than we do his moral superior." 

 

—Victor Davis Hanson in Claremont Review of Books

 

"Horn delivers a gripping if painful account of Wainwright’s short command and long, miserable imprisonment. . . . Admirabl[y] bring[s] Wainwright out of MacArthur’s shadow.”

 

—Kirkus Reviews

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“[An] incisive chronicle ... The result is a perceptive take on the psychology of military leadership.”

 

—Publishers Weekly

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"History at its best. Jonathan Horn has used a treasure trove of new information to shine a powerful spotlight on the sublime heroism of a hitherto under-appreciated and almost forgotten figure, Jonathan Wainwright, while simultaneously investigating the self-centred wiliness but undoubted charisma of Douglas MacArthur."

 

—Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

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"One of the very best World War II books in many years! In The Fate of the Generals, Jonathan Horn weaves together brilliantly the story of two senior generals faced with excruciatingly difficult decisions that no American commander should ever have to make. Distinguished by spellbinding prose and exceptional research, The Fate of the Generals restores Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright to his proper place in history beside Douglas MacArthur. A great read!"

 

—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan; former Director of the CIA; co-author of the bestselling book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza

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“Unearthing new records and documents, Jonathan Horn recasts the battle for the Philippines in startling light, unsealing the story of General Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright, who is the real hero of this book, while, out of habit and perception, MacArthur has remained a war hero. Horn adds, corrects, sharpens this portrait of these two generals in perfect prose, built on the footings of massive research. In Horn’s hands, the psychological portraits of these two are simply fascinating. Fans of Unbroken will love this book; fans of all that we are capable of in our finest, our darkest, and most desperate and necessary hours will love this book."

 

—Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Horse Soldiers 

 

"In any discussion of World War II in the Philippines, the names Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright come up faster than most any others. Jonathan Horn deftly explores the men’s relationship in all its facets. He also illuminates the war’s personal impact on both men, which is much deeper than often appreciated. This is an outstanding tribute to, and portrayal of, two important leaders of World War II in the Pacific."

 

—Christopher L. Kolakowski, author of Last Stand on Bataan and former director of the MacArthur Memorial