Sgt. York: His Life, Legend and Legacy by John Perry, ISBN 0-8054-6074-8, $16.99. I did not know that Sgt. York, the famous fighting man of WW1, had red hair. I also did not know that the film made about him was essentially true. It seems that a very thorough investigation of his wartime exploits was conducted before awarding him the Medal of Honor. This book is mandatory reading for WW1 enthusiasts, but a word of warning is needed. Only part of the book deals with the wartime years. This is a full biography of York and covers not only his early years, but focuses on the postwar years when he devoted himself to raising money for schools in his native Tennessee. This does not mean the nonwar portions are boring - far from it. York's dealings with publishers, Hollywood, the I.R.S., and even the American Legion are quite interesting. I'd recommend that anyone finding themselves suddenly in the spotlight could learn something about fame by reading this book. I must admit to being sceptical about York's wartime exploits, but after reading this book and learning something about his character, I stand convinced that he did something truly amazing on the battlefield0-8054-6074-8 Order it here
Fighting the Bolsheviks: the Russian War Memoir of PFC Donald Carey by Donald Carey, ISBN 0-89141-631-5, $24.95. WW1 enthusiasts rejoice! Here's a new book on WW1 that not only covers a little documented aspect of the war, but is well written and contains a lot of nice details as well. Carey served in the 339th Infantry Regiment in Northern Russia at the end of WW1. A school teacher in civilian life, he kept very good notes of his experiences and eventually turned them into this memoir. This may well be one of the last really good WW1 memoirs to be printed, as the veterans have just about died off. Thanks for this book is due to Carey's son, who realized this was an important manuscript that deserved to be published. The book starts off with Carey registering for the draft, then follows him as he is drafted, enters military life, is sent to England, then to Russia, and finally returns home by way of Brest, France. Although there are some nice photos included, they are poorly reproduced. The author had an eye for detail, and the book is filled with those minute facts we all love. When they first were issued with Russian rifles, what kind of food did they eat, how did they spend their days, and what types of uniforms did they wear. It is specifically important to note that Carey claims they first received the polar bear shoulder patch when stopping over at Brest, but the patch looked so bad that it was quickly replaced with the "NR" (for Northern Russia) version. At the same time in Brest he claims he turned his helmet in to be painted with the word "Russia" in blue letters across the crown. It may prove that the vast majority of painted helmets were done while units were preparing to ship out in transit areas such as Brest. This book is destined to become one of the classic sources of information on the Northern Russia expedition. Highly recommended, and a boost to the morale just when one thinks there are no more good WW1 books to be found. Order it here
The Cellars of Marcelcave by Christopher J. Gallagher, ISBN: 1-57249-110-8, $24.95.This book is an amazing and well told story of an American doctor who volunteers for military service in 1917. He is sent to serve in the front lines with the British Army, is captured, and spends time in a German POW camp. Although Gallagher served in the British Army, this book contains some of the most graphic and compelling images of First World War military medicine on the front lines. Due to the experience of the French and British Armies in 1917, it seems likely that many of their techniques were studied and adopted by the Americans. I must admit that the book is one of those stories that is almost too good to be true, but enough confirming evidence in period photos and sketches gets my benefit of the doubt. Very good reading and a must for anyone interested in either WW1 medicine or POW camp life. . Order it here
Sears Roebuck Catalog of WW1 Military Uniforms and Equipment. This is a high quality reprint of the 18 page specialty catalog issued by Sears Roebuck during the First World War. It contains detailed line drawings of many different types of materials available for private purchase. These are the things that an officer, or wealthy enlisted man, might have brought with him into military service. This is a must have reference to date non-issue items which appear to be from the wartime era. A case in point: I recently purchased a thermos bottle reputed to come from the estate of a WW1 officer. It looked like it was from WW1, but there was no way of really knowing if it wasn’t a Boy Scout item from the 1930’s. Then I turned to this book and found the exact bottle shown. I now know that it is definitely a wartime period item and that the lucky soldier paid $2.35 for it! The price of the reprint is $6.00 per copy, $4.75 each for quantities over ten. This includes postage. Overseas orders add an extra $1 for postage. They take Visa, M/C, and Discover with a .25 surcharge. Write to: 14th Division Antiques, 95 Main Street, Keene NH 03431
Over There! by Carl Andrew Brannen, ISBN 089096-7911, $24.95.This is the story of one man's service in WW1 in the 4th Marine Brigade. It is annotated and researched by his son, who has added some good photos and maps. The son has traveled to the locations his father fought at and does an admirable job of trying to discover the truth of the actions. Quirky in parts, as it is really a history of the son's discovery of his father, but there is very good material here for WW1 historians and Marine buffs in general. To top it off, Brannen was a member of the Composite Regiment (Pershing's Own) that was used for all the victory parades and ceremonies at the end of the war. Information on this unit is scarce and thus the book grows in importance. Anyone out there have any more info on this elusive unit? Anyway, one of the better and original WW1 books that has come out in a long while. Order it here
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