This is a definitive history of the American army's role and performance during the First World War. Drawing from a rich pool of archival sources, David Woodward sheds new light on key themes such as the mobilisation of US forces, the interdependence of military diplomacy, coalition war-making, the combat effectiveness of the AEF and the leadership of its commander John J. Pershing. He shows us how, in spite of a flawed combat doctrine, logistical breakdowns and American industry's failure to provide modern weaponry, the Doughboys were nonetheless able to wage a costly battle at Meuse-Argonne and play a decisive role in ending the war. The book gives voice to the common soldier through firsthand war diaries, letters, and memoirs, allowing us to reimagine their first encounters with regimented military life, their transport across the sub-infested Atlantic to Europe, and their experiences both in and behind the trenches.

Author: David Woodward
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 08/29/2014
Series: Armies of the Great War
Pages: 481
Weight: 1.7lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781107648869


Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2015 pg. 1579

About the Author
Woodward, David: - David R. Woodward is Emeritus Professor of History at Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.