Ike's Bluff

President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World

By: Evan Thomas

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

A startling account of how the underrated Dwight Eisenhower saved the world from nuclear holocaust, by the bestselling author of The War Lovers.

Upon assuming the presidency in 1953, Dwight Eisenhower set about to make good on his campaign promise to end the Korean War. Yet while Eisenhower was quickly viewed by many as a doddering lightweight, behind the bland smile and simple speech was a master tactician. To end the hostilities, Eisenhower would take a colossal risk by bluffing that he might use nuclear weapons against the Communist Chinese, while at the same time restraining his generals and advisors who favored the strikes. Ike's gamble was of such magnitude that there could be but two outcomes: thousands of lives saved, or millions of lives lost.

A tense, vivid and revisionist account of a president who was then, and still is today, underestimated, Ike's Bluff is history at its most provocative and thrilling.

Critic reviews

Terrific Praise for The War Lovers:

No biographer at work today has a surer feel for the human dimension of history than Evan Thomas...The War Lovers is as good as popular history gets."—Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

"In his absorbing narrative of men who found duty or fulfillment or personal meaning in a war for empire-and of other men, like William James, who feared that such a quest would rot the nation's soul-Thomas has illuminated, in a compulsively readable style, a critical moment in American history. This is a book that, with its style and panache, is hard to forget and hard to put down."—Ronald Steel, New York Times Book Review

"Thomas has delivered an innovative, frequently entertaining and valuable retelling of an episode that set the pattern for more than a century of foreign military adventurism. This timely book is a cautionary tale about how the psyche of powerful and ambitious leaders may matter more than fact-or even truth-when the question of war arises."—James McGrath Morris, The Washington Post

"Thomas takes some risks in his biography of Theodore Roosevelt and his cohorts, trying to get not just inside their actions, but inside their heads. The result is an intriguing examination of the pull that war has on men."—Steve Weinberg, Minneapolis Star Tribune

A view of Ike after WW II

The book is well written by Evan Thomas. Brian Troxell is an excellent narrator. This book was a good review of President Eisenhower apart from General Eisenhower. Ike was a very good tactician and carried that into the White House. Ike's greatest threat came from the Soviet Union. Ike dealt with Nikita Khrushchev as the SovietLeader the biggest issue was nuclear weapons. Ike bluffed that he would use nukes if needed. There were many issues including interstate highways. Ike is the reason we have them. He was dismayed to discover the interstates went through major cities. He thought it defeated the purpose of having them as a means of transportation quickly and that proved to be prophetic. All in all, this is a very good book. Pick it up and learn more about Ike the President.

Great Biography, Great historical perspective

Would you listen to Ike's Bluff again? Why?

As we finally are moving beyond the world that Ike built, it's fascinating to read about this pivitol character in it's creation. Excellent narrative, important behind the scenes information exposed, told well.

This was...exceptional!

Much has been said about Ike as a "do nothing" president, but he did so much more than he is given credit for because the work he did was not glamorous. Evan Thomas dis a fantastic job of showing just how much Eisenhower's foriegn policy really made the difference in a way that only Eisenhower could deliver it. I recommend this book for a look at Ike's foreign policy and "A Matter of Justice" for his civil rights policies in action. These books were written by different authors that noted the same depth of character that Ike drew from to get things done. It proved to be an interesting correlation. Get this book!

Steadfast Leadership

I loved this book. I was a young girl when Eisenhower was President with my only memories of him being boring and old. This book was a revelation of continuous threats to our democracy, his firm grasp on the horrors of war and determination to protect the country he loved. I loved every minute as I literally painted my house with Ike. Loved it!!

Absolutely loved it

Very well done, informational, and completely worth the time listening to. I highly recommend it