Father Duffy's Story a Tale of Humor and Heroism, of Life and Death with the Fighting Sixty-Ninth

by Francis Patrick Duffy

On one occasion, after having had to swallow an exceptionally large dose of complimentary eloquence, I stated that I was going to borrow a title for my book from my favorite philosopher, Mr. Dooley, and call it "Alone in Europe," The title that has been given it sounds almost as egoistic as that; but there will be found in these pages other names than my own. Indeed, objection may be made from a literary point of view that the book bristles with names. I could not write my story otherwise. I knew these men, and what they did, and my only regret is that I have undoubtedly overlooked some, especially amongst replacements, whose names and deeds should be mentioned. Battles are not fought by commanding officers alone, >not even by chaplains unaided; and the men who do the fighting usually get little personal credit for their valor.

Genres: Military History

404 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2007

About the author

Francis Patrick Duffy (1871–1932) was a Canadian American soldier, Catholic priest and military chaplain.

Reviews

[Dave E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Duffy's book is an excellent record of the New York's 69th Infantry Regiment during WWI. Some chapters take the form of a diary, including observations of the men around him, while others document the actions of the regiment during its major battles in 1918. He does an excellent job of documenting many of the men's battle deaths and injuries, frequently as related to him by others who were there. The listing of the names of the dead while appreciated for its thoroughness and showing how every soul mattered the Father, did make for stilted reading in some parts of the book.

[Ebook Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, the e-book version can be found at:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fath...