Review of Dwight D. Eisenhower's "At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends"

Date Published: November 24, 2025

“At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends” was the final of four books that Dwight D. Eisenhower published: (1) “Crusade in Europe,” (2) “The White House Years: Mandate for Change,” (3) “The White House Years: Waging Peace,” and (4) “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends.”

In “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends,” Dwight D. Eisenhower for the first time in this series writes about his youth, his parents, his experiences at West Point, his selection and service as President of Columbia University, and interactions with some other great individuals of history such as Colonel/General Marshall and Colonel/General Patton. “At Ease” was released in the United States in 1967.

Links to the reviews of his other three books can be found on the Eisenhower home page on this website [here].

Peter E. Greulich, November 24, 2025

A Review of “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends” by Dwight D. Eisenhower

• Reviews of the Day: 1967
• Selected Insights from “At Ease” by Eisenhower
  
• This Author’s Thoughts on “At Ease” by Eisenhower 

Reviews of the Day: 1967

• Eisenhower’s “At Ease” Is A Decent Book by a Decent Man

On June 17, 1967, The Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada published a review of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s book: “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends.” In the review entitled “No Ghosts Walk With a Serene Ike,” Hugh Laming wrote—in part, the following:

“General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s autobiography of his army years was penned ‘at ease’ and should be read that way. No one clatters over embattled ridges at the head of charging cavalry; no one storms a fortress or makes a memorable address to troops with their back to the wall.

“In fact, no one does anything very much—except win a bloody war and become President of the United States.

“Eisenhower paints his home town of Abilene, Kansas, indelibly, warts and all. … The postwar chapters of the book—president of Columbia University, Supreme Commander of NATO, and the events leading up to the presidency—seem uninspired. … In general, a decent book by a decent man who achieved power through less modest men and is the first to admit it.”

A high-quality, color image of the front dust cover of "At Ease.”​

“No Ghosts Walk With a Serene Ike,” Hugh Laming
The Toronto Globe and Mail, 1967

• Eisenhower’s “At Ease” Is A Book That Goes With the Eisenhower Grin

A high-quality, black-and-white picture of a grinning General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the back seat of a car.​

On June 17, 1967, The Tucson Daily Citizen published a review of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s book: “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends.” In the article entitled “A Book To Go With The Grin,” John Barkham wrote—in part,  the following:

“Two years ago I was one of a small group of journalists who spent the better part of a day with General Eisenhower in Gettysburg [Eisenhower’s home].

“I discovered for myself what I had often heard from others: Ike was immensely more appealing when yarning among friends than when stumbling through set speeches and public addresses. There is an ease and friendliness about him in private conversation which seems to evaporate in front of a camera or microphone. …
​
“The man who emerges [in this book] is the true Dwight D. Eisenhower, human, warm-hearted, the professional soldier rather than the public personality. There’s humor here, sentiment on occasion, and a delectable candor. This is the book that goes with the [Eisenhower] grin.

“A Book To Go With The Grin,” John Barkham
The Tucson Daily Citizen, 1967

• Eisenhower’s “At Ease” Reflects Eisenhower’s Warmth and Personality

On June 18, 1967, The St. Louis Post Dispatch reviewed Dwight D. Eisenhower’s book: “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends.” In this review entitled “Relaxed and Sentimental, Eisenhower Shows the Warmth of His Personality,” Tom Yarbrough summarized his perspective of the book—in part, with the following:

“This is a welcome addition to the Eisenhower story—one that serves to bridge the gap between different concepts of the man.
​
“He is seen by most as a soldier-statesman in the heroic mold, one who can do no wrong, and by others (perhaps politically motivated) as a politician lacking in real leadership.
​
“In these reflections and stories, his humanity comes through.”

“Eisenhower Shows the Warmth of His Personality,” Tom Yarbrough
The St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1967

• Eisenhower’s “At Ease” Is a Relaxed, Congenial, and Plainly Folksy Work

On June 25, 1967, The Jackson Sun, published a review of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s book: “At Ease: Stories I Tell To Friends.” Miles A. Smith provided the following information—in part, in his review entitled “Relaxed General and President Writes Informal Autobiography:”

“In military lingo, to be ‘at ease’ is to be more relaxed than in the rigid posture of attention. And so it is that in this volume Eisenhower is more personal, colloquial and anecdotal than in ‘Crusade in Europe’ or ‘The White House Years.’
​
“This is a relaxed, congenial, plainly folksy talk about how things were for an obscure American boy who rose to eminence.”

“President Writes Informal Autobiography,” Miles A. Smith
The Jackson Sun, 1967

Front cover of Eisenhower's “At Ease."

Selected Insights from “At Ease” by Eisenhower

• Eisenhower Writes On Character Development in Rural vs. Urban Environments

“One circumstance that helped our character development as youths: we were needed.
​
“I often think today of what an impact could be made if children believed they were contributing to a family’s essential survival and happiness. In the transformation from a rural to an urban society, children are—though they might not agree—robbed of the opportunity to do genuinely responsible work.”

“At Ease,” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1967

• Eisenhower Writes About Controlling His Temper … and His Writing About Others 

”As a youth, I lost my temper. … I was completely beside myself. … My father sent me off to bed.

“Mother sat in the rocking chair by the bed and said nothing for a long time. Then she began to talk about temper and controlling it. Eventually, as she often did, she drew on the Bible, paraphrasing it, I suppose. She said: “He that conquers his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city. …

“Eventually, out of my mother’s talk, grew my habit of not mentioning in public anybody’s name with whose actions or words I took violent exception. …

“In private, of course, I have not always exercised tight control on temper or tongue—my staff, at least, has always held up under these bursts with an attitude of cheerful resignation. A quick explosion, as quickly forgotten, can sometimes be a necessary safety valve.
​
“I think my mother might have agreed.”

“At Ease,” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1967

• Eisenhower Writes About One Special Project at Columbia: The American Assembly

“We brought in businessmen, encouraging an atmosphere of the free exchange of ideas. …

“Working toward this idea became an absorbing pursuit for me through most of 1949. I talked about it, wrote about it, thought about it almost incessantly. Till late in the year, I got no farther than a name—the American Assembly. Then Averell Harriman became interested. … He offered the family home, Arden House as a site for the Assembly.
​
“Now known as the Harriman campus of Columbia University, the old mansion has witnessed scores of meetings concerned with almost every aspect of human society. Throughout the years, its influence, although difficult to measure, has been far reaching—beyond my dreams of almost two decades ago. Much of the time I think its beginnings were my principal success as University President.”

“At Ease,” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1967

[ Thomas J. Watson Sr. was on the board of the American Assembly and in attendance at several of its early meetings. This author has documented his membership and attendance at various American Assembly meetings from the first meeting in 1951 through 1954. On May 21, 1951, the first meeting, attended by Tom Watson Sr., took place at the Arden House, Harriman, N.Y. The first topic discussed was “Defense of Europe – Defense of Asia – and What the United States Stand Should Be.” General Eisenhower wanted the Assembly of approximately eighty individuals to “give the American people a clear insight into the baffling problems confronting” the nation. ]

• Eisenhower Writes About America’s Handling of the Philippines

”In all history, the American decision was at that time unique.

“So far as I can recall, never before had a great power, a war victor, deliberately proposed independence at a certain and fixed date for an occupied country except under the pressure of armed revolt. …

“In the case of the Philippines, there was a reasonable understanding of these responsibilities [to provide self-rule] and the need for careful planning. The United States constantly expressed its intention to free the nation and also to support an effort to develop among the Filipinos the talents and skills necessary for self-rule.
​
“At times the pace may have been slow because the target date for independence was undecided and the preparatory period’s length was anyone’s guess. But the law of 1935 set up a fixed date and thereafter the race was on within the Philippine government to prepare for nationhood.”

“At Ease,” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1967

​This Author’s Thoughts on “At Ease” by Eisenhower 

This is the fourth (and final) book by our former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th President of the United States. I have now read them all. His first three publications, Campaign in Europe, The White House Years: Mandate for Change, and The White House Years: Waging Peace are reviewed on this website at the following link:  [Links to all reviews are here.]

This fourth work, “At Ease,” as often stated in the reviews above, was unique from his previous three works in that the book will put a grin on the reader similar to the famous Eisenhower grin he was known for delivering to his friends, family and citizens. [See the picture shown here as he puts on a tie at Columbia while Thomas J. Watson Sr., IBM Chief Executive Officer, watches and applauds.

My recommendation would be to start reading this book with the last few chapters: “New Student at an Old University,” “Professor Ike,” and “The Shape of Things to Come.” I also found the chapters on “Colonel George Patton” and “The Generals: Pershing and MacArthur” enjoyable. Throughout the entire book wonderful insights are also provided into Colonel/General George C. Marshall.

This was an enjoyable fourth read of our former President’s works.

Cheers,
​
- Peter E.

A high-quality, black-and-white portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Thomas J. Watson Sr. being “at ease” at Columbia University.

Return to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Bibliography Home Page