Kay Summersby Morgan (1908–1975)

Eisenhower was the first president that I can remember; I was six when he was elected. At that time of my life I didn't pay attention to politics. But years later, I noticed that I never hear any bad things about him, and often hear good ones. So when a GR friend read this and wrote a favorable review, I was curious to learn more about the man.

For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I didn't much like Kay Summersby. Was she being coy? ingenuous? Something about the way she told her story -- some details -- didn't ring true to me. But overall it was an interesting, if not brilliantly-written, account of her affair with General Eisenhower during the Second World War. And of course, not just the affair, but all the events she describes, big and small, that provide an insider's picture of the General's life and that of his personal staff. It's very far from the usual pictures you get of either the fighting, the occupations, or the holocaust. And even though the writing was not great, it was good enough to tell the story clearly and capture my attention.… (mehr)

I had been reading Jean Edward Smith's bio of Ike, "Eisenhower In War And Peace", and I was surprised at all the mentions of Kay Summersby, the young (mid 30's) Brit woman who was Ike's driver, later an aide, for the last three years of WWII. According to Smith, they spent considerable time together, during both "normal" hours, and after hours, the after hours including lots of bridge, lots of horseback riding, and a certain amount of more intimate moments. Because she was always near at hand, and because she and Ike had developed a close personal relationship, she became well known to all of the Allied generals with whom Ike was constantly meeting as well as the great world leaders of the time, including FDR, Churchill, De Gaulle, and King George VI. As a matter of fact, FDR was apparently quite charmed by her and had a hand in her eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. Though Ike and Kay were very discrete, there were rumors flying around both during and after the War about their relationship. Reading Smith's bio, I was quite surprised at the time he focused on Kay and on this relationship. In Smith's quite detailed Index, he devoted to her an entire column with more than 40 subjects. In his book, Smith cites General Omar Bradley's comment about "Past Forgetting": "Their close relationship is quite accurately portrayed, so far as my personal knowledge extends, in Kay's second book, 'Past Forgetting' ".

Kay wrote two books after settling in New York in the late 40's. The first was "Eisenhower Was My Boss", and the second was "Past Forgetting: My Love Affair With Dwight D. Eisenhower". "Past Forgetting" was written four years after Ike had died. Sadly, Summersby had found out that she was dying from liver cancer and had six months to live; it was with this knowledge that she began to write "Past Forgetting". I decided to read it for two reasons. First, because she was there. I felt her story would enhance my understanding of Ike. Because many of her observations were cited by Smith, I felt that her story had a reasonable level of credibility. What was it like for Ike on D-Day? How did he spend his time? How did he get news from the front? What was he like when he took his tie off? How did he feel about Patton?. The book does not disappoint - no, more than that, it charms. Having read this book I feel I know Ike better, and like him better. Second, like everybody else I was curious about the "did they, or didn't they?" issue. Summersby is quite clear on that point. Interestingly, Smith to my recollection left the door open a bit. This book is not, repeat NOT, one of those tawdry, gossipy, make a quick buck, tell all's. Nor is it a history book. It is the recollection of a woman dying of cancer, and recalling incredible moments from thirty years earlier. It's fascinating and I recommend it highly.… (mehr)