Thunderbolt General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Times [Paperback]

General Creighton Abrams has been called the greatest American general since Ulysses S. Grant, yet at the time this book was first published in 1992, he was little known by most Americans. For more than four decades, in three wars and in challenging peacetime assignments, Abrams demonstrated the skill, courage, integrity, and compassion that made him a legend in his profession. Thunderbolt is the definitive biography of the man who commanded U.S. forces in Vietnam during the withdrawal stage and for whom the army's main battle tank is named. With a new introduction by the author, this edition places the complex and sophisticated Abrams and his many achievements in the context of the army he served and ultimately led, and of the national and international events in which he played a vital role. Thunderbolt is a stirring portrait of the quintessential soldier and of the transformation of the U.S. Army from the horse brigades of the 1930s to the high-tech military force of today.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. To Be a Soldier
2. Preparing for War
3. Entering Battle
4. Relief of Bastogne
5. Finishing it off
6. Doctrine and Tactics
7. Occupied Germany
8. In Korea
9. Fort Knox and the Pentagon
10. Germany and Division Command
11. Civil Rights Crises
12. Corps Command
13. Vietnam Buildup
14. Deputy Commander in Vietnam
15. Tet 1968
16. The 206,000 Troop Request
17. Taking Command
18. A Very Human Touch
19. Vietnamization and Pacification
20. Murder and the Green Berets
21. Cambodian Incursion
22. In the Midst of Battles
23. Invasion of Laos
24. Easter Offensive
25. Setting the Course
26. Rebuilding an Army
27. Final Days
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Other Sources
Index