This is a chilling account of ground combat of a young company-grade officer who fought with the 9th Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, Fra...
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reviews
May 12, 2011
Evan
rated it: 
What a solid warrior biography is supposed to be about; first person account pulling you into their eyes and ears. Honest to embarrassing detail, vivid, humorous, and not self aggrandizing while sucking you into its world. While it doesn't delve into friends or give you many names to track the people, the author states at the outset that most would involve divulging gruesome details to family members so in respect he writes it a "the corporal" "kid" etc. One of the most vivi
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Dec 04, 2007
C.
rated it: 
"Do you know what crack and thump is?" Asked retired US Army Captain Charles Scheffel at the Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX, United States book signing for Crack! and Thump.
"Not really. Snipers?" Responded the officer on active duty, who was on his way to Iraq.
Scheffel gave him a signed copy of his book. "You need to know this. It could save your life. It saved mine more than once, and survival's the name of the game."
If you th More...
"Not really. Snipers?" Responded the officer on active duty, who was on his way to Iraq.
Scheffel gave him a signed copy of his book. "You need to know this. It could save your life. It saved mine more than once, and survival's the name of the game."
If you th More...
Sep 10, 2011
Ronald
rated it:
True story of a combat officer in WWII. Charlie Scheffel leads men through N.Africa, Sicily, and France before he is seriously injured near the German border in 1944. A great study in the horrors and comraderie of war, and how leaders were born every day by necessity! Brutal, honest, upsetting and patriotic, I totally enjoyed this bird's eye view of real war!
Nov 04, 2011
Rod
rated it:
I quite enjoyed this account, ostensibly written by an american infantry officer in WW2, of his experiences in training and then operationally in North Africa, and beyond. I may even go back to it and read it someday. It did tend to lay bare how green our cousins were in the early days. They soon learnt though did'nt they?
Jan 11, 2012
Kevin
rated it:
Great book. Fascinating first-hand account of what it was like to be an artillery officer during the battles of World War II in North Africa and Europe. Fairly short, pretty quick read.
Mar 22, 2011
Tom
rated it: 
This book to me was only okay. This is somewhat surprising given the high marks from others. Although interesting because the story was about personal experiences, I thought the book was a bit sloppy.
Mar 01, 2009
scmorgan
rated it:
This is a tour de force. Barry Basden captures Charlie Scheffel's life in battle so vividly you will think you are there. It is funny, frank, and sometimes horrific. I was unable to put the book down.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes WW II history, or anyone who simply wants to know what The Greatest Generation went through from the dustbowls of Oklahoma to the battlefields of North Africa, Sicily and Europe.
It's Charlie's story, of course, but without Basden I'm More...
Highly recommended for anyone who likes WW II history, or anyone who simply wants to know what The Greatest Generation went through from the dustbowls of Oklahoma to the battlefields of North Africa, Sicily and Europe.
It's Charlie's story, of course, but without Basden I'm More...
Feb 23, 2010
Crack! and Thump; With a Combat Infantry Officer in World War II (from Britton, Oklahoma) is an excellent account of an American hero's account of his WW II exploits.
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