Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott »

The hero of the War of 1812, the conqueror of Mexico City in the Mexican-American War, and Abraham Lincoln's top soldier during the first six months of the Civil War, General Winfield Scott was a seminal force in the early expansion and consolidation of the American republic. John S. D. Eisenhower explores how Scott, who served under fourteen presidents, played a leading role in the development of the United States Army from a tiny, loosely organized, politics-dominated establishment to a disciplined professional force capable of effective and sustained campaigning. The hero of two major wars and a diplomat who prevented at least three others, Scott was also troubled by political failure, three court-martials, and bitter disputes with fellow officers.

Booknews

A reprint of a work originally published in 1997 by The Free Press. Eisenhower, a retired Brigadier General and former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, explores the military, diplomatic, and political life of the hero of the War of 1812, the conqueror of Mexico in the Mexican- American War, and Lincoln's top soldier during the first six months of the Civil War. He details Scott's role in shaping the U.S. army into a disciplined force, as well as his political failure, court-martials, and disputes with fellow officers. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.