Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Bestselling military historian John S.D Eisenhower's blow-by-blow depiction brings to life the generals and doughboys who turned the tide in WWI, the conflict that gave birth to the modern U.S Army. Pulling readers down into the trenches with his intimate battlefield knowledge, John S.D Eisenhower, a retired brigadier general, delivers the complete story of the United States' role in World War I, from the fortunate selection of John 'Black Jack' Pershing as commanding general, to the astonishingly rapid buildup of troops, to America's decisive intervention. While the bulk of recent Great War accounts approach the conflict from British and French perspectives, YANKS focuses entirely on the often misrepresented story of the American Expeditionary Force which, in an incredible span of just 18 months, grew from an under-equipped band of 120,000 troops into a dominant force of four million. Eisenhower has mined little-known diaries and memoirs to illuminate an extrordinary cast of war heroes, both famous and unsung. With chapters focusing on legends like Pershing, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and Sergeant Alvin York, as well as the brave doughboys who fought on the front lines, this riveting work captures the birth of the modern Army, reasserting the true contributions of America in World War I.

Reviews

John Milton Cooper, Jr. The New York Times Book Review Eisenhower makes World War I memorable...Yanks illuminates how [World War I] in part shaped World War II and all the American wars of the 20th century. Alan Gropman The Washington Times An outstanding account of the American combat effort in World War I...brilliantly organized [and] exceptionally well-written...Eisenhower tells a great story and he tells it well. Stephen E. Ambrose author of Band of Brothers and The Wild Blue When John Eisenhower describes General Pershing and his staff on the ship taking his first contingent of Americans to France, he makes you feel you were there -- most of all wondering, as Pershing did, how all this was going to work. Finding out is what makes this such an enjoyable read.

Author Bio

A graduate of West Point and retired Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, John S. D. Eisenhower has served on the U.S Army General Staff, on the White House Staff, and as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller THE BITTER WOODS, an account of the Battle of the Bulge, and most recently, AGENT OF DESTINY, a life of General Winfield Scott.