He challenged his troops. He confounded presidents. He inspired a nation. Along the wayâe*through three warsâe*he helped shape the world. Never has a soldier relished the role and responsiblity as did Douglas MacArthur.

From the Western Front of World War I to his grand return to the Philippines in World War II, MacArthur embodied the strength and spirit of the U.S. Army in the first half of the twentieth century. When he was relieved of command during the Korean War, he returned home to the largest ticker-tape parade New York City had ever thrown.

Biographer Mitchell Yockelson describes the life of a leader at once human and larger-than-life. Famous for the words, "I shall return," MacArthur devoted his career to honoring the admonition of his grandfather: "You must also be a gentleman and scholar and above all else, honorable."