One antidote to our poisonous, nasty political atmosphere is to consider especially significant positive leaders of our past. Author, educator and soldier Josiah Bunting III has done just that for us in producing a new biography of General George C. Marshall.

Marshall, one of the greatest soldiers produced by our or any other nation, is what we used to refer to as a dedicated public servant. As chief of staff of the U.S. Army, he did essential work to get a dangerously unprepared America at least partially ready for World War II and then led the mammoth organizational effort required for victory. He later served as secretary of state and secretary of defense during the trying post-war years, when the Cold War and Korean War both began.

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Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of “After the Cold War” (NYU Press and Macmillan). Readers can write to him at acyr@carthage.edu.

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