Amazon has posted at April 7 release date for the book “General Lesley J. McNair: Unsung Architect of the U.S. Army” by Mark Calhoun.  McNair was chief of staff, General Headquarters from 1940-42 and then commander, Army Ground Forces from 1942-1944.  In that capacity, he had a great deal of influence on the formation, doctrine and policies of the US Army, including the Armor and Tank Destroyer branches.  It is not uncommon to find his name mentioned in online discussions about US WW2 armor, particularly when it comes to the debate over the late introduction of the M26 Pershing tank into the ETO.  Often, McNair is presented as the villain in such discussions, a characterization that is most likely unfair.  While it is probable that the issues concerning tank deployment and development that so fascinate tank aficionados will only comprise a small part of this book, hopefully there will be much of value here for those interested in the development of the US Armor force in WW2.

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