Military Review English Edition January-February 2017 | Page 142

Philippine Sea (a.k.a. the “Marianas Turkey Shoot”)
and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He likewise considers the
missed opportunities that arose because U.S. planners at
General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area neglected
to include the guerilla movement in Allied intelligence
and offensive plans. Although the book addresses both
the tactical and strategic levels, it provides the greatest
insight at the operational level of guerrilla warfare.
Holmes’ thorough research is a valuable resource for
special operations planning, for case studies on special
operations–conventional forces interdependence, or as
part of a larger study of the differences in the evolution
of guerrilla movements on the various islands of the
Philippines in World War II. The casual reader might
find the density of detail cumbersome at times, but
researchers will appreciate the meticulous precision,
including specific dates, troop numbers, and even packing
lists. Despite an academic treatment that seems clinical at
times, the book contains indispensable gems of wisdom
that practitioners must consider when planning for unconventional or guerrilla warfare contingencies.

Maj. Thomas R. Nypaver,
Texas Army National Guard,
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

THE JEW WHO DEFEATED HITLER
Henry Morgenthau Jr., FDR, and
How We Won the War

Peter Moreira, Prometheus Books, Amherst,
New York, 2014, 296 pages

I

n The Jew Who Defeated Hitler: Henry Morgenthau
Jr., FDR, and How We Won the War, Peter Moreira
tells of the contributions Henry Morgenthau Jr. and
the United States Treasury Department made toward
winning the Second World War. The t itle of the book is a
bit exaggerated because no single person defeated Hitler,
but what cannot be denied is the crucial role Morgenthau
played in the Allies’ winning the war. The defeat of the
Axis Powers in World War II was the most expensive
human undertaking ever attempted, and Morgenthau,
while largely behind the scenes, was the individual who
helped finance the war and establish many of the initiatives that helped raise so much money for both the
United States and the other allied countries.
140

Moreira uses a wide selection of primary and
secondary sources consisting of previously published
books, diary entries, letters, international and domestic
financial reports, and Morgenthau’s personal papers
while secretary of the treasury. Highlights include his
descriptions about the
multiple war-bond campaigns held in the United
States, Morgenthau’s
involvement in the
lend-lease program, the
War Refugee Board,
and the Bretton Woods
Conference. Moreira
brings to life Henry
Morgenthau Jr. and the
important representatives within the Treasury
Department in detail
and vividly accounts for
their efforts in financing
World War II. Moreira is also quick to point out some
of Morgenthau’s flaws, particularly his insecurities and
routine jealousy of other important leaders within
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cabinet.
The friendship between Morgenthau and Roosevelt
is written superbly and makes you appreciate the behind-the-scenes impact that Morgenthau had within
American policy and diplomacy during the twelve
years he was secretary of the treasury. He showed great
leadership and organizational skills and artfully picked
the right talent to work in the Treasury Department.
Due to the amount of respect and confidence Roosevelt
had in Morgenthau, he was often assigned tasks not
within his duty description or area of influence, which
brought Morgenthau undue stress and criticism among
some of his peer competitors wanting the same influence on the president.
The Jew Who Defeated Hitler is tailored toward any
reader interested in the economic requirements of defeating the Axis powers in World War II, and it focuses
primarily on the strategic level of warfare. This book is
recommended to any member of the security community
who wants to understand how global finances, economic industries, or coalition partners can greatly hinder
or improve successful military operations. Some of the
fundamental lessons learned within this book are the
January-February 2017  MILITARY REVIEW