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The Command Is Forward
Excerpt from The Command Is Forward: Tales of the a Battlefields as They Appeared
It is doubtful if those Chaumont powers who authorized the publication realized for one mo ment how the new weekly would thrive or how clearly it would become the voice of the A. E. F. - the voice of the men in the ranks whose faith ful friend it was from first to last. It is doubtful if, even after it was all over, the more tradition-bound among the great folk at G. H. Q. Quite understood by just what process of truth this army weekly had gradually succeeded in winning and maintaining its independence from interference.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
It is doubtful if those Chaumont powers who authorized the publication realized for one mo ment how the new weekly would thrive or how clearly it would become the voice of the A. E. F. - the voice of the men in the ranks whose faith ful friend it was from first to last. It is doubtful if, even after it was all over, the more tradition-bound among the great folk at G. H. Q. Quite understood by just what process of truth this army weekly had gradually succeeded in winning and maintaining its independence from interference.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
About the author
Alexander Woollcott
138 books15 followersAlexander Humphreys Woollcott (1887-1943) was an American drama critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, an occasional actor and playwright, and a prominent radio personality.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 8, 2018
"The Command Is Forward" is a different type of history book, made special because of the personal accounts of those who fought in the battles as well as recognizing the everyday bravery of others who were there. It is the intimacy of the stories that raises this book to another level. Some of these reprints from the Stars and Stripes are human interest stories centered around one individual, but even the stories detailing a battle find a way to identify different soldiers and include their personal contributions.
This is a different yet extremely enlightening way to learn about American soldiers in WWI. Five stars.
This is a different yet extremely enlightening way to learn about American soldiers in WWI. Five stars.
September 16, 2016
*Free copy for an honest review.
I knew I was reading a different kind of book when I saw the copyright date, 1918. That's the beauty of books and their ability to time travel. The Stars and Stripes was created with purpose of unifying American soldiers spread throughout the battlefront in Europe. It was considered to be a rounding success. After reading these stories, I can see why.
Every story recorded is incredibly inspiring, even those that are less than jovial. There are stories about the different roles that soldiers perform and how each one supports the other. From runners risking life and limb to pass messages to observation pilots getting shot in the air. From engineers building makeshift bridges to gunners forcing the enemy to flee. Almost every story in this collection is about the camaraderie. There are stories about men giving up their rations for the wounded. Stories about men in charge doing dangerous jobs because they wouldn't ask their men to risk their lives.
At the same time, there are also stories about French refugees returning home and rebuilding. About the reception they gave the soldiers who pushed back the German Army. The personal stories were just as moving as the group stories.
This book is not just for fans of history or World War II buffs. This is a book that people of almost all walks of life can be inspired by. Not necessarily inspired to join the armed forces, but inspired to view America in a new way. The way the final installment of The Stars and Stripes says the soldiers did when they were finally able to return home.
I knew I was reading a different kind of book when I saw the copyright date, 1918. That's the beauty of books and their ability to time travel. The Stars and Stripes was created with purpose of unifying American soldiers spread throughout the battlefront in Europe. It was considered to be a rounding success. After reading these stories, I can see why.
Every story recorded is incredibly inspiring, even those that are less than jovial. There are stories about the different roles that soldiers perform and how each one supports the other. From runners risking life and limb to pass messages to observation pilots getting shot in the air. From engineers building makeshift bridges to gunners forcing the enemy to flee. Almost every story in this collection is about the camaraderie. There are stories about men giving up their rations for the wounded. Stories about men in charge doing dangerous jobs because they wouldn't ask their men to risk their lives.
At the same time, there are also stories about French refugees returning home and rebuilding. About the reception they gave the soldiers who pushed back the German Army. The personal stories were just as moving as the group stories.
This book is not just for fans of history or World War II buffs. This is a book that people of almost all walks of life can be inspired by. Not necessarily inspired to join the armed forces, but inspired to view America in a new way. The way the final installment of The Stars and Stripes says the soldiers did when they were finally able to return home.
August 22, 2016
A fascinating collection of primary source material - first-hand articles published during WWI that don't deal with grand offensives and military strategy, but rather with the everyday life of common soldiers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews