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Over There
Leather bound edition, published in 2018 by Easton Press.
- GenresWorld War IHistory
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 16, 2024
At the intersection of 34th and Butler Streets in downtown Pittsburgh stands a statue of a World War I (WWI) Doughboy (American soldier) atop a small monument. I often took a walk up the street to view it whenever we visited my grandmother. I remember him standing there, his British Brodie helmet cocked at an angle on his weary head, his Springfield rifle in hand, and the cloth puttees unraveling on his leg. He is a lone reminder of when America joined a war and of the long forgotten sacrifices that were made.
OVER THERE: AMERICA IN THE GREAT WAR was published to commemorate the one hundred year anniversary of America's involvement in the war that gave us Armistice Day. Falling between the American Civil War and World War II, WWI is often overlooked as our involvement was of a short duration, yet Americans died in battle at a rate only surpassed by the murderous gunfire of the Civil War. Over 120,000 lay buried in European cemeteries. One can only imagine the toll had America joined the war when it started three years earlier.
This book, richly illustrated, documents the eagerness to join the fight once it was thrust upon the US by world events. Training is touched upon, as well as participation in battles, and finally the voyage home and discharge from service.
Though eager to do their part, American infantrymen went to war with British and French weapons, equipment, tanks, and aircraft as the country was so unprepared. Naively believing that those great oceans to the east and west would isolate America, defense rested on a strong navy. But at least the army had uniforms.
Though racial segregation existed in both the military and civilian lives, African-American flocked to the colors as well. The 92nd Division "Buffalos" was an all black division. The 369th Regiment was known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" and they lived up to their name. The French didn't have any problem with black in their ranks so black regiments often served alongside French ones.
Besides gunfire and gas, the great killer in 1918 was a virus. The Spanish Flu, as it was commonly known then, may have killed as many as 50 million world wide.
Some interesting facts enlightened me. Hello Girls were valuable telephone operators and Doughnut Dollies served coffee and donuts to the troops. Komfort Kits for the troops included a corn cob pipe as well as the usual snacks and toiletries. It was the 92nd's divisional band that introduced Jazz music to Europe. The box cameras for aerial reconnaissance were huge. One pictured was almost as tall as the man next to it. These were hung by hand over the side of the plane in flight for photos, that is, when the observer wasn't manning his machine gun. The French light machine gun known as the Chauchat was looked upon with disdain by the Americans using it while the small French 37mm infantry cannon was more accurate than a rifle and had a range of a mile and a half.
Some things covered I knew, such as the great hazard of being the balloon observer as well as being the enemy pilot trying to shoot him down. Balloons were so well defended by ground fire that shooting one down took as much courage and skill as downing an enemy plane. One American hero was Sgt. Alvin York, played by Gary Cooper in the 1941 film 'Sergeant York.' He won the Medal of Honor for killing 25 enemy, capturing 35 machine guns, and capturing 132 enemy single handed in one battle! Mentioned is the German ace Manfred von Richthofen with 80 kills. He was mentioned due to his link to the cartoon air battles with Snoopy of the Peanuts comic strip. Though the British and French were allies fighting the Germans, it appeared that the US troops felt a closer bond to the French due to their help during the American Revolutionary War. Thus the famous phrase by the American army arriving in France, "Lafayette, we are here!"
Simple maps are included, yet they show what needs to be shown, and they are not spread between two adjoining pages where the most important parts are concealed in the spine of the book. (My personal pet peeve.) This is a great book by a husband and wife team.
OVER THERE: AMERICA IN THE GREAT WAR was published to commemorate the one hundred year anniversary of America's involvement in the war that gave us Armistice Day. Falling between the American Civil War and World War II, WWI is often overlooked as our involvement was of a short duration, yet Americans died in battle at a rate only surpassed by the murderous gunfire of the Civil War. Over 120,000 lay buried in European cemeteries. One can only imagine the toll had America joined the war when it started three years earlier.
This book, richly illustrated, documents the eagerness to join the fight once it was thrust upon the US by world events. Training is touched upon, as well as participation in battles, and finally the voyage home and discharge from service.
Though eager to do their part, American infantrymen went to war with British and French weapons, equipment, tanks, and aircraft as the country was so unprepared. Naively believing that those great oceans to the east and west would isolate America, defense rested on a strong navy. But at least the army had uniforms.
Though racial segregation existed in both the military and civilian lives, African-American flocked to the colors as well. The 92nd Division "Buffalos" was an all black division. The 369th Regiment was known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" and they lived up to their name. The French didn't have any problem with black in their ranks so black regiments often served alongside French ones.
Besides gunfire and gas, the great killer in 1918 was a virus. The Spanish Flu, as it was commonly known then, may have killed as many as 50 million world wide.
Some interesting facts enlightened me. Hello Girls were valuable telephone operators and Doughnut Dollies served coffee and donuts to the troops. Komfort Kits for the troops included a corn cob pipe as well as the usual snacks and toiletries. It was the 92nd's divisional band that introduced Jazz music to Europe. The box cameras for aerial reconnaissance were huge. One pictured was almost as tall as the man next to it. These were hung by hand over the side of the plane in flight for photos, that is, when the observer wasn't manning his machine gun. The French light machine gun known as the Chauchat was looked upon with disdain by the Americans using it while the small French 37mm infantry cannon was more accurate than a rifle and had a range of a mile and a half.
Some things covered I knew, such as the great hazard of being the balloon observer as well as being the enemy pilot trying to shoot him down. Balloons were so well defended by ground fire that shooting one down took as much courage and skill as downing an enemy plane. One American hero was Sgt. Alvin York, played by Gary Cooper in the 1941 film 'Sergeant York.' He won the Medal of Honor for killing 25 enemy, capturing 35 machine guns, and capturing 132 enemy single handed in one battle! Mentioned is the German ace Manfred von Richthofen with 80 kills. He was mentioned due to his link to the cartoon air battles with Snoopy of the Peanuts comic strip. Though the British and French were allies fighting the Germans, it appeared that the US troops felt a closer bond to the French due to their help during the American Revolutionary War. Thus the famous phrase by the American army arriving in France, "Lafayette, we are here!"
Simple maps are included, yet they show what needs to be shown, and they are not spread between two adjoining pages where the most important parts are concealed in the spine of the book. (My personal pet peeve.) This is a great book by a husband and wife team.
June 10, 2016
Robert J. & Rebecca S. Dalessandro
Over There: America in the Great War by is great collection of photographs and informative text, with a concise introduction that covers America's entry into the war in little easy-to-digest chunks. Whilst it is not a book for those who want an in-depth exploration into the US' entry and involvement in the First World War, the bitesize introductions, though generalised, give enough significant information to tempt readers into reading further or researching more themselves.
Although it could be read altogether, this seems less of a 'book to read' and more like a documentary or keep-sake thanks to all the photographs and captions. Due to the chronology of chapters, readers are able to use this book as a reference for a particular period or event.
The photographs throughout are incredible and really help to tell the story, especially the inclusion of propaganda posters. The addition of colour photographs later on in the book just add that something 'special'. Be careful of the photo on page 123 though: it might just make you go 'aww'.
Stackpole Books have published a tremendous photographic document of American history.
Over There: America in the Great War by is great collection of photographs and informative text, with a concise introduction that covers America's entry into the war in little easy-to-digest chunks. Whilst it is not a book for those who want an in-depth exploration into the US' entry and involvement in the First World War, the bitesize introductions, though generalised, give enough significant information to tempt readers into reading further or researching more themselves.
Although it could be read altogether, this seems less of a 'book to read' and more like a documentary or keep-sake thanks to all the photographs and captions. Due to the chronology of chapters, readers are able to use this book as a reference for a particular period or event.
The photographs throughout are incredible and really help to tell the story, especially the inclusion of propaganda posters. The addition of colour photographs later on in the book just add that something 'special'. Be careful of the photo on page 123 though: it might just make you go 'aww'.
Stackpole Books have published a tremendous photographic document of American history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews