American Caesar

William Manchester's life of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur spans his birth in 1880 to his death in 1964. The portrait is sympathetic yet balanced: Manchester credits MacArthur's personal courage, his gifts as an administrator and his military record, and he also documents the general's vanity, his paranoia and his habit of insubordination. The title carries the main argument, that MacArthur resembled Julius Caesar, and Manchester presses the parallel through their intellect, strategic skill, political ambition, generosity as conquerors and capacity for hubris. John Huston hosted a 1983 television series based on it.

Elon Musk included it in a set of audiobook recommendations he posted on X, and James Mattis named it in the list of favorite books printed as an appendix to Call Sign Chaos.