Talk:The General (Forester novel)

Hitler Rumor

Forester does not refer to Hitler's alleged reading and distribution of The General to his officers as fact, what he says in the 1947 Preface is that his German publisher (who he does not name) in "the nightmare months before the war" told him "with frightened pride" that "the book was not only being bought by the masses but but was being carefully studies in the highest circles. The Fuhrer himself had read it and and was recomending it to his friends; among the Christmas presents which he gave away in 1938 were several specially bound copies -- the publisher could not find out for whom they were destined, but was sure that it would be great men like goering and Keitel...". Forester goes on to say that "Perhaps The General may have influenced the history of the world, if Hitler read it with care and yet with that lack of sympatetic understandign which was so conspicuious a part of his intellectual makup." (Preface to The General pp.xi-xii, Nautical and Avation Publishing company edition, ISBN 1-877853-39-9) Forester does not claim more than this "perhaps". This preface is present in every post-WWII edition of The General that I have seen. The rumor section should perhaps be expanded to make it clear exactly what Forester wrote, and to cite his source. 12.54.150.178 (talk) 22:00, 8 May 2013 (UTC)

John Kelly

I find it very significant to add the information I learned from this NY Times Magazine profile on John Kelly, it is clear from how this article wraps up that The General continues to influence John Kelly's thinking, and C.S. Forester's own Wikipedia entry makes it clear that Forester was a British subject who wrote war propaganda directed at Americans. And The General was admired by Hitler, which is relevant still, because Hitler was Hitler? John Kelly is alive and in the White House and serves at the pleasure of Donald Trump. Somebody please add John Kelly's name to this entry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/magazine/how-long-can-john-kelly-hang-on.html?ribbon-ad-idx=2&src=trending&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Trending&pgtype=article — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:602:8500:F703:F0B1:133A:4525:91FB (talk) 07:45, 27 February 2018 (UTC)

"Earlier this month, in a profile of Kelly and the challenges he faces, the Wall Street Journal’s Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Ballhaus noted that each time Kelly has assumed a new post—as a Marine Corps commander, Homeland Security secretary, and now President Donald Trump’s chief of staff—he has reread C. S. Forester’s 1936 novel The General. Kelly himself touted it in The Leader’s Bookshelf, a reading list put together by America’s top brass." (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/20/john-kelly-favorite-book-leadership-215507) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.126.195.34 (talk) 14:36, 20 August 2017 (UTC)

References

I have added some references with the chapter number only, as I have the novel in an "omnibus" edition; no introduction, pages 437-579. Hugo999 (talk) 13:34, 8 July 2019 (UTC)