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Articles by Carlo D'Este

Posted on Feb 26, 2015 in Carlo D'Este

Jim Gavin’s War – Part 1

Jim Gavin’s War – Part 1

Author and historian Carlo D’Este looks back on the importance of the role Jim Gavin and his paratroopers of the 505th PIR played in securing Sicily during the early days of Operation Husky.

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Posted on Jan 6, 2015 in Carlo D'Este

Some Reflections

Some Reflections

As he looks back on another year gone by, author and historian Carlo D’Este reflects on his personal experiences with some of World War II’s key players.

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Posted on Aug 28, 2014 in Carlo D'Este

The Bonfire of War

The Bonfire of War

Author and historian Carlo D’Este reflects on the impact the “Great War” had on the world during the 100th Anniversary of the beginning of World War I.

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Posted on May 23, 2014 in Carlo D'Este

Memorial Day, 2014

Memorial Day, 2014

Once again we reach that moment each year when we stop, however briefly, to honor the men and women who have given their lives in the service of this nation in the more than two hundred years of our history.

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Posted on Mar 14, 2014 in Carlo D'Este

John S.D. Eisenhower Part II

John S.D. Eisenhower Part II

John Eisenhower’s life was a record of great accomplishment … As Pres. Obama noted of his passing: “He grew up the son of an American hero, but emerged a great American in his own right …”

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Posted on Feb 8, 2014 in Carlo D'Este

John S.D. Eisenhower

John S.D. Eisenhower

On December 21, 2013 we lost a great American, and an acclaimed writer and historian. John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower, who passed away at the age of 91, was a soldier, a diplomat, and a man of great talent and kindness who never traded on his name or his father’s famous reputation.

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Posted on Jan 4, 2013 in Carlo D'Este, War College

The Heroes Among Us

This month author and historian Carlo D’Este describes his feelings about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting while highlighting the bravery of some of the victims.

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Posted on Jul 31, 2012 in Carlo D'Este, War College

A Very Special Lady Part 2

Author and historian Carlo D’Este highlights Ruth Ellen Patton Totten’s book The Button Box and talks about how a visit with her remains one of the most exceptional and unforgettable days of his life.

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Posted on May 24, 2012 in Carlo D'Este, War College

Lest We Forget

Author and historian Carlo D’Este reminds us of the significance of Memorial and why we should take a moment to remember the real meaning behind the holiday.

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Posted on Jun 1, 2009 in Carlo D'Este, War College

D-Day, Sixty Five Years Later

June 6, 2009 will mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day, when the eyes of the world were focused on a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast. It is hard for those living in freedom today to imagine just what the news of the Allied landings really meant.

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Posted on Mar 26, 2008 in Carlo D'Este, Stuff We Like

Practicing History: The William E. Colby Military Writers’ Symposium

We have never avoided the hard issues that are central to the public’s understanding. This month I’m taking the opportunity to highlight one of the finest military programs in the United States. Now in its 13th year, the William E. Colby Military Writers’ Symposium has established itself as a premier forum for the discussion of military history, military intelligence operations and international affairs. Since its inception it has brought to my alma mater, Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont—the nation’s oldest private military college—over 82 top authors, historians, journalists, and filmmakers for a two-day event consisting of open forums, lectures and a public panel presentation. In 2008, the symposium is poised for yet another residency of inspired debate, discussion and sharing of knowledge. What began as an experiment quickly evolved into a program of national prominence. As you will see, the program is also ably supported by Armchair General magazine. From an idea to reality: A Brief History of the Colby Symposium A program to bring influential writers to the...

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Posted on Jul 31, 2006 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

An Incident of War

In this article, Historian Carlo D’Este provides us with a “sneak peek” from his forthcoming new book, Warlord, a biography of Winston Churchill’s astonishing military career from his youth through World War II.

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Posted on Oct 12, 2005 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

Monty: World War II’s Most Misunderstood General, Part 3

[Note: This is Part 3 of a scheduled three-part analysis of Montgomery’s leadership and battlefield performance in World War II. The first part of this series can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.] An Armchair General Exclusive by Carlo D’Este. This final installment about Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery examines his generalship during the most crucial battle fought by the Allies since the D-Day landings in France on June 6, 1944, the desperate Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 that is perhaps the least understood of his colorful military career. The ensuing battle of Normandy and the breakout from the so-called Falaise Gap were also controversial and will be the subject of a future article on Patton and Monty. At the end of August 1944 the Normandy campaign came to a sudden and dramatic end with an overwhelming allied victory that left the German army in the West in full retreat toward Germany. So crushing was the allied victory that some began to perceive that...

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Posted on Aug 25, 2005 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

Monty: World War II’s Most Misunderstood General, Part 2

[Note: This is Part 2 of a scheduled three-part analysis of Montgomery’s leadership and battlefield performance in World War II. Look for Part 3 in September or October 2005. The first part of this series can be found here.] Last month’s article on the generalship of Field-Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery during World War II was aimed at presenting a brief glimpse into a complex character that was nothing like the cardboard stereotype that has been the typical portrayal of the man they called Monty. This essay is part 2 of a three-part examination of Monty’s leadership during the war and his relationship with senior Allied commanders. This essay is a look at his campaigns in the Mediterranean after El Alamein. * * * With Bernard Montgomery what you saw was what you got; there was not the slightest pretense to the man. He spoke his mind, always forcefully and with little thought of whether or not it was, in modern terminology, politically correct. Monty spoke as a soldier whose...

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Posted on Jul 11, 2005 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

Monty: World War II’s Most Misunderstood General, Part 1

Have you ever wondered why Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery (better known as “Monty”) often surfaces in debates about World War II generals as both the best and the worst the Allies could muster? Armchair General wanted to cut through as much of the varying opinions and myths as possible and get straight to the facts about this important battlefield leader. We enlisted the help of noted author and historian Carlo D’Este to give us a modern perspective of this controversial man.

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Posted on Jun 13, 2005 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

What if D-Day Had Failed?

Do we take D-Day for granted? Has the passage of time made the D-Day landings seem as if they were always destined to succeed? Armchair General Consulting Historian and author Carlo D’Este examines how this important event was no sure thing.

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Posted on May 4, 2005 in Carlo D'Este, Front Page Features

The Triumph and Tragedy of George S. Patton, Jr.: The Slapping Incidents in Sicily

Feared by enemies, immortalized in movies, and one of the best generals ever; But one slap almost ended it all! Famed historian Carlo D’Este, who has recently joined the ACG team as Consulting Historian, provides this exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at George S. Patton, Jr.’s infamous “slapping incidents” as his inaugural contribution of what is a new monthly feature.

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