Taking Command: General J. Lawton Collins from Guadalcanal to Utah Beach and Victory in Europe

"The crux of the fighting was the place I headed for." -General J. Lawton Collins

Known as "the GI's general" and "Lightning Joe," General J. Lawton Collins played no less than a global part in the Allied victory of World War II.

Here, for the first time, is the story of an American hero and patriot- a man who earned the admiration of the grunts with whom he shared foxholes and the respect of the highest-ranking generals. Collins was a true leader of men with his iron-clad devotion to duty, his genuine concern for those under his command, and his seemingly unending drive to defend his nation against all enemies-no matter where the fight took him...