Page 8 - Gears and Ears August 2014

Book Review

The Other Eisenhower by Campana and Di Tillo

The Other Eisenhower by Augustine Campana and Marco Di Tillo, a gripping historical novel
about the days just prior to D-Day, has been garnering postive very reviews from casual readers,
historians, and a professional reviewer.

After Operation Overlord is briefed on 15 May 1944 to King George VI, Churchill, and all the
military top brass, the story zeroes in on a true incident that occurred on a warm day later that
month. Twelve copies of highly classified Overlord plans and codes blew out an open War
Office window and onto Whitehall, sending staff members scampering into the street to collect
them. They retrieved all but one copy which was missing for over an hour. It was finally turned
in at a guard post, and in this fictional account, the person who did so is a simple London
postman named Paul who happens to have the surname Eisenhower. The powers on both
sides of the war learn of the incident and correctly assume that he has read the papers. Thus,
this other Eisenhower becomes a target for the Allies, who want to keep him quiet, and the
Germans, who are, as you pointed out, desperate to learn the locations of the invasion landings.

There is a chase across half of Europe culminating just prior to the invasion with the sailing of the Allied armada across the English
Channel. Amid all this intrigue, the reader looks in on the workings of SHAEF and feels the immense pressure on General
Eisenhower as he deals with the awesome responsibility of his role as Supreme Commander. We also learn of Hitler’s scheming
and how he uses one of his most sinister generals to find out what the postman knows.

Sample Reviews

“This book is absolutely captivating and keeps the reader in suspense from the first to the last page like a movie. The action is
full of life and detailed enough to make you enter into the story and live this adventurous trip through the occupied countries
during the days which determined the end of WWII. You will not feel like “reading a book” but like being into the story.”
Bernard Croza, President of the Franco-American Association of Aisne, France

Over the last couple of years I have read a lot of historical fiction novels that have involved World War II and the events of 1939
– 1945. Despite having different characters and different plots they have all been relatively formula and always focused on the
Nazi regime. This is the first book I’ve read that has broken formula and really been able to stand alone as a unique story involving
one of the most tumultuous times in world history.
The story kept moving…there isn’t a boring moment in the book! There isn’t time to be boring. The fate of the world is at stake
and Eisenhower is very important man! Paul Eisenhower that is.
The Other Eisenhower is political, historical and thrilling all in one. I was apprehensive at first because when I checked the book
out on Amazon it had all 5-star ratings. I was almost certain it was over-hyped and going to be a disappointment. I feel guilty for
thinking that now that I have read it because The Other Eisenhower really is THAT good! It’s a book I would recommend over
and over to anyone looking for a fun historical book. Pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.

Ashley LaMar, Closed the Cover book review and book sharing web site (closedthecover.com)

Click here to visit the Campana-Di Tillo site and learn more.