Book Review | My Fellow Soliders

My Fellow Soldiers - John Pershing - BUY NOW

MY FELLOW SOLDIERS: General John Pershing and the Americans Who Helped Win the Great War | Andrew Carroll, Penguin Press, (2017), p416

My Fellow Soldiers is a compelling account of the role played by General John Pershing and the Americans who served in the First World War. Authored by Andrew Carroll, it is a detailed and informative account of the experiences of American soldiers.

From the volunteers who traveled to France to support the Allied efforts before America entered the war as airmen, soldiers, and medics, this story traces at the human level the personal stories of those who helped stop German aggression. He uses Pershing’s story from the campaign pursuing Poncho Villa to his command of the US Expeditionary Forces in WWI. Still, he weaves around him the stories of the everyday contributor informed by their personal letters and diaries. 

Names everyone will recognize from the next War got their tutoring in the first: George Marshall, Harry Truman, Bill Donovan, and George S. Patton. 

Pershing, whose brand was that of a starchy, stiff-upper-lip disciplinarian, is unveiled at the personal level. His wife and three daughters were killed in a house fire two years before the war. Only his six-year-old son survived. Thereafter, he had an intense romance with Patton’s sister and then, while in France, fell madly in love with a young French painter. 

Carroll brings forth the stories of often overlooked contributors, women, and African-American soldiers in the effort. He also details the diplomatic tensions between the French, English, and Americans in coordinating action. 

One of the strengths of Carroll's book is his attention to detail. He provides a wealth of information about the logistics of the war effort, including the difficulties faced by American troops in securing adequate food, medical supplies, and training. This is a significant contribution and a compelling read for those interested in learning more about an often-overlooked conflict.

My Fellow Soldiers - John Pershing - BUY NOW