The first volume of a two volume series, this book begins the intimate, first hand look at a relationship that shaped the history of World War II, that of General Douglas MacArthur and his Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Richard Sutherland. Written by their chief clerk, Paul P. Rogers, this series focuses on the command structure that developed between MacArthur and Sutherland and how it changed as the war progressed. Told from the vantage point of one who was there, it presents new information about the operations of the General Headquarters for the Pacific during the war. This first volume begins with the prewar careers of MacArthur and Sutherland, continues through Pearl Harbor and Corregidor, followed by the epic struggles of 1942, and concludes with the campaign at Buna.

The book presents information that challenges, contradicts, and compliments the two major biographies of MacArthur and presents new documents never before seen. Rogers here writes of the good years in the first half of the Pacific campaign where MacArthur and Sutherland were maintaining a good, although increasingly strained, relationship. Rogers tells of his own position as MacArthur and Sutherland are alienated from each other in the accelerating scope and speed of operations. Bound to be one of the definitive works on World War II, this book will prove unforgettable for anyone with an interest in United States and military history.