George C. Marshall once called him "the brains of the army." And yet General Lesley J. McNair (1883-1944), a man so instrumental to America's military preparedness and Army modernization, remains little known today, his papers purportedly lost, destroyed by his wife in her grief at his death in Normandy. This book, the product of an abiding interest and painstaking research, restores the general Army Magazine calls one of "Marshall's forgotten men" to his rightful place in American military history. Because McNair contributed so substantially to America's war preparedness, this first complete account of his extensive and varied career also leads to the reevaluation of US army effectiveness during WWII. -- Provided by publisher.

Innovation in peace and war -- From cadet to commander: birth of an innovator -- World War I -- McNair: war planner -- Interwar education and training -- Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Purdue -- The Army War College class of 1928-1929 -- Getting over the hump -- Rise to prominence, 1935-1940 -- World War II: the culmination of a career -- Protective mobilization -- Training the Army ground forces -- The Army ground forces at war -- Epilogue.