Military Review English Edition May-June 2016 | Page 148

Russia declaring war on Japan three months after the
formal surrender of Germany.
Allison attempts to tell two corresponding stories and, for a large part, he succeeds in his endeavor.
However, his discussions of the “big picture” themes,
such as the area bombardment by the U.S. Army Air
Force in the final year of the war and the forced repatriation of prisoners, are a little bit distracting from
the true story. Maps illustrating the route of the Black
March would have been informative and helpful.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the closing of the air war in Europe and
first-person perspectives on the treatment of prisoners during the Black March. This book is well researched and written.

Lt. Col. David Campbell Jr., U.S. Army,
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

WASHINGTON’S CIRCLE: The
Creation of the President

David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, Random
House, New York, 2015, 560 pages

I

n the superbly written book Washington’s Circle:
The Creation of the President, David and Jeanne
Heidler place the reader squarely inside George
Washington’s inner circle of confidants to witness
the stormy, confrontational, and emotionally draining creation of national policy and executive precedent during the formative years of the American republic. This is not another book about Washington;
rather, it is the story of those indispensable people—the family, friends, and advisers—who helped
sustain the president, shape his presidency, and
define America.
Punctuated by bits of wit, Washington’s Circle is
a compelling leadership drama. It allows the reader
to experience the array of human emotions exuding
from the intense debate over national issues, while
simultaneously relaxing in the confidence, experience,
and trust of Washington as he thoughtfully influences the creation of the federal government. From
those who continuously sustained and reinvigorated
Washington, to the brilliant men comprising the first
cabinet who tested his patience, each person played
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an essential role in assisting Washington in his “final,
most demanding job.”
The Heidlers, incorporating acclaimed research of
the early American republic, scrutinize Washington’s
vast network of friends and family, business and political associates, and wartime lieutenants developed
over years of public service to determine the eligibility criteria for Washington’s Circle. The authors reveal a
network of “those people who had close involvement
in the country’s major events and who were intimately involved with Washington as a private and public
figure during the opening years of the constitutional republic.” These include the heads of executive
departments, cabinet secretaries, personal advisers,
close family members, and personal staff. Each contributed to the unifying character that helped shape a
strong constitutional government.
The Heidlers introduce the reader to the United
States in spring 1789—a country emerging from
a raging storm of revolution—and several years
of inept governance under the Articles of the
Confederation. After the contentious debate and ratification of the Constitution, the United States was a
vast country, richly complex in nature and regional
cultures and potentially rich in resources, yet it faced
the daunting challenge of de