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"Eisenhower 1956: The President’s Year of Crisis: Suez and the Brink of War" by David A. Nichols (Simon & Schuster, ISBN 9781439139332, $28.00) 

If you continue to follow the events in Egypt, this book is for you. 

If you admire Eisenhower as president, this book is for you. 

If you want to deepen your understanding of the Middle East, this book is for you. 

If you are intrigued by the intricacies of power, diplomacy and nations, this book is for you. 

Unlike his well-received panoramic narrative, "A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution," in this book, Nichols focuses on one event on the world stage, the Suez Crisis of 1956. Using the same techniques, exhaustive research, straightforward writing and eyewitness drama, he continues his study of Eisenhower as President. Weaving the personal and the presidential qualities of the man, he deftly portrays Eisenhower, recovering from a heart attack; facing the decision about a second term; dealing with the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Nassar July, 1956; and the betrayal of wartime allies Great Britain, France as they secretly plot with Israel to gain territory and control of the canal.   

Nichols emphasizes two dominant themes behind Eisenhower’s thinking and planning. First, after witnessing and participating in World War II and its aftermath, Ike firmly held a tension-filled conviction. He desired continuing world peace and, at the same time, feared nuclear war, World War III. In the last months of 1955, the growing turmoil in the Middle East led him to write in his diary that there was not a “single conclusive sign that the world is actually moving toward universal peace and disarmament... it would appear that the world is on the verge of an abyss.” 

Secondly, the looming power of the Soviet Union, the nation’s chief nemesis of the Cold War, could lead to the war he feared. The Soviet Union was not only flexing its strength in Europe with puppet communist regimes but also, venturing into the Middle East. Rumors of a Soviet Egyptian arms deal and Soviet financial aid for the Aswan Dam circulated. Indeed, as Great Britain, France and Israel signed a secret agreement which included an Israeli invasion of the Sinai Peninsula and the plan for Anglo-French occupation of the Canal Zone in October of 1956, the Soviet Union sent troops into Hungary in response to protests.     

Using diplomatic documents; intelligence reports; Oval Office conversations; and minutes of National Security meetings, Nichols focuses on Eisenhower, his motivations and his decisions as he confronts the unfolding events. The Israeli invasion, the Anglo-French bombardment of Egyptian air fields and the subsequent landing of their troops in the Suez Canal Zone, the blockage of the canal by scuttled ship tested the leadership of the president. Moving strategically and deliberately, Eisenhower used the hastily declared ceasefire on November 6 to solidify his strategy to defuse the crisis. His plan, eventually known as the Eisenhower Doctrine, committed the United States to work for stability and security in the Middle East. 

Nichols closes the book--a solid, well-researched and carefully written account of a president and an international crisis--with a conclusion, restating the salient points and noting their presence and importance to the present.   

Review by Joyce Suellentrop