Book Description

“This sturdy volume does not present a series of reflections after the event. It is assembled from notes made at the time... If any author ever left the seal of his own personality on his written words, Admiral Leahy has done so in I Was There. These pages are as salty as the sea, as direct as a gun barrel, terse with the economy of orders given or opinions uttered... The views expressed one often uncompromising, sometimes mistaken, as the author freely admits, and, one is sure, always honest... It is fascinating to read Admiral Leahy’s assessments of the men of Vichy with whom he had to deal as the American Ambassador... [The book’s] great merit lies in the clear, intermittent light it flashes on the men and things the Admiral knew firsthand. And it is a beautiful self-portrait. This good and faithful public servant shows himself without and above affectation or self-interest. He served his country and his Commander-in-Chief day and night, irrespective of fatigue, illness, or private, grief.” — The Atlantic “[T]his volume... throws valuable new light on American military planning, organization of the armed forces, and relations with the Soviet Union. His comments on Vichy and De Gaulle are perhaps most useful for their clear expression of the Admiral’s own attitude.” — Foreign Affairs “In the abundance of war records, this has its own place in its comprehensive view of a large panorama.” — Kirkus “Leahy kept a meticulous diary and also wrote an invaluable memoir.” — The Christian Science Monitor “I Was There adds useful detail to our picture of the military planning of the war. It also throws important light on the development of our relations with the Soviet Union... it is a valuable addition to the mosaic of reminiscence out of which future historians will construct a picture of Franklin D. Roosevelt and of the Second World War.” — Saturday Review “I Was There must be accorded a place among the records of major significance for World War II.” — Political Science Quarterly