Revered Commander Maligned General

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Revered Commander, Maligned General

Author : Michael E. Shay
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
ISBN 13 : 0826272517
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis Revered Commander, Maligned General by : Michael E. Shay

Download or read book Revered Commander, Maligned General written by Michael E. Shay and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2011-04-13 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Major General Clarence Ransom Edwards is a vital figure in American military history, yet his contribution to the U.S. efforts in World War I has often been ignored or presented in unflattering terms. Most accounts focus on the disagreements he had with General John J. Pershing, who dismissed Edwards from the command of the 26th (“Yankee”) Division just weeks before the war's end. The notoriety of the Pershing incident has caused some to view Edwards as simply a “political general” with a controversial career. But Clarence Edwards, though often a divisive figure, was a greater man than that. A revered and admired officer whose men called him “Daddy,” Edwards attained an impressive forty-year career, one matched by few wartime leaders. Michael E. Shay presents a complete portrait of this notable American and his many merits in Revered Commander, Maligned General. This long-overdue first full-length biography of General Clarence Edwards opens with his early years in Cleveland, Ohio and his turbulent times at West Point. The book details the crucial roles Edwards filled in staff and field commands for the Army before the outbreak of World War I in 1917: Adjutant-General with General Henry Ware Lawton in the Philippine-American War, first chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, and commander of U.S. forces in the Panama Canal Zone. Revered Commander, Maligned General follows Edwards as he forms the famous Yankee Division and leads his men into France. The conflict between Edwards and Pershing is placed in context, illuminating the disputes that led to Edwards being relieved of command. This well-researched biography quotes a wealth of primary sources in recounting the life of an important American, a man of loyalty and service who is largely misunderstood. Photographs of Edwards, his troops, and his kin—many from Edwards’ own collection—complement the narrative. In addition, several maps aid readers in following General Edwards as his career moves from the U.S. to Central America to Europe and back stateside. Shay’s portrayalof General Edwards finally provides a balanced account of this unique U.S. military leader.

Military Review

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 628 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Military Review by :

Download or read book Military Review written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Professional Journal of the United States Army

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (327 download)

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Book Synopsis Professional Journal of the United States Army by :

Download or read book Professional Journal of the United States Army written by and published by . This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, 1917-1919

Author : John T. Greenwood
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813196647
Total Pages : 539 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, 1917-1919 by : John T. Greenwood

Download or read book John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, 1917-1919 written by John T. Greenwood and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2023-12-19 with total page 539 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General of the Armies John J. Pershing (1860–1948) had a long and decorated military career but is most famous for leading the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He published a memoir, My Experiences in the World War, and has been the subject of numerous biographies, but the literature regarding this towering figure and his enormous role in the First World War deserves to be expanded to include a collection of his wartime correspondence. Carefully edited by John T. Greenwood, volume 3 of John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, 1917–1919 covers the period of January 1 through March 20, 1918, as General Pershing encounters logistical and organizational challenges that originated in the last months of 1917. With the collapse of the Eastern Front and Allied defeats in Italy, British and French commanders were preparing for a renewed German offensive and proposed that American troops be put under their control for training and frontline combat in order to replenish losses. Pershing's diary entries indicate that he rejected these proposals and yet offered four segregated African American regiments to be placed under French control. The conclusion of the AEF autonomy debate allowed Pershing to focus on reorganizing the General Headquarters of the AEF, establishing effective communication lines, and contracting Allied European governments to produce armaments for the AEF with American raw materials. In March 1918, Maj. Gen. Peyton C. March replaced Gen. Tasker H. Bliss as chief of staff. The sources included in this edition show the origin of Pershing and March's personal feud, which persisted well after the war. Pershing's letters during this time period convey a long and arduous struggle to build an American army at the front. Together, these volumes of wartime correspondence provide new insight into the work of a legendary soldier and the historic events in which he participated.

Maligned General

Author : Chester L. Kieffer
Publisher : First Glance Books
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Maligned General by : Chester L. Kieffer

Download or read book Maligned General written by Chester L. Kieffer and published by First Glance Books. This book was released on 1979 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The United States in World War I

Author : James T. Controvich
Publisher : Scarecrow Press
ISBN 13 : 0810883198
Total Pages : 657 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis The United States in World War I by : James T. Controvich

Download or read book The United States in World War I written by James T. Controvich and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2023-05-08 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the centennial of the First World War rapidly approaching, historian and bibliographer James T. Controvich offers in The United States in World War I: A Bibliographic Guide the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference bibliography yet published. Organized by subject, this bibliography includes the full range of sources: vintage publications of the time, books, pamphlets, periodical titles, theses, dissertations, and archival sources held by federal and state organizations, as well as those in public and private hands, including historical societies and museums. As Controvich’s bibliographic accounting makes clear, there were many facets of World War I that remain virtually unknown to this day. Throughout, Controvich’s bibliography tracks the primary sources that tell each of these stories—and many others besides—during this tense period in American history. Each entry lists the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, and page count as well as descriptive information concerning illustrations, plates, ports, maps, diagrams, and plans. The armed forces section carries additional information on rosters, awards, citations, and killed and wounded in action lists. The United States in World War I: A Bibliographic Guide is an ideal research tool for students and scholars of World War I and American history.

A Civilian in Lawton's 1899 Philippine Campaign

Author : Michael E. Shay
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
ISBN 13 : 082627305X
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis A Civilian in Lawton's 1899 Philippine Campaign by : Michael E. Shay

Download or read book A Civilian in Lawton's 1899 Philippine Campaign written by Michael E. Shay and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the midst of the Philippine-American War, twenty-two-year-old Robert Dexter Carter served in Manila as a civilian quartermaster clerk. Through his letters to his family, he provided a vivid picture of army life in Manila—the sights, the smells, and his responses to the native culture. In addition to his letters, his diary and several related articles present a firsthand account of the historic voyage of the United States Army Transport Grant through the Suez Canal to Manila in early 1899. Carter’s writings not only tell of his sometimes harrowing experiences, but also reveal the aspirations and fears of a young man not quite sure of his next steps on life’s journey. Carter’s father, Robert Goldthwaite Carter, was a war hero and a longtime friend of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Lawton. Carter obtained his position through Lawton’s influence, and his respect for Lawton is clear throughout his writings. A frequent guest in the Lawton home, the young clerk was introduced to many notable figures both military and civilian. Carter’s letters, particularly to his father, are full of news and gossip related to his commander. In other letters, he reveals the kindness and generosity of Mrs. Lawton, who took time to look out for Carter while he was in the hospital and often loaned him books. This well-researched and expertly edited work casts light on the role of support troops in war, a subject too often minimized or ignored. Shay begins each chapter with an introduction that establishes the setting, the context of events, and the disposition of Carter and his compatriots and provides notes and commentary to place the letters in context. By choosing not to edit the offensive expletives of a sometimes arrogant and racist young man, Shay presents a fully nuanced portrait of a young American exploring the larger world in a time of turmoil. Enhanced by photographs from collections at the Library of Congress and the Military History Institute, as well as many of Carter’s own whimsical drawings, the book will appeal to armchair historians and scholars alike.

Pershing's Lieutenants

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472838610
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Pershing's Lieutenants by :

Download or read book Pershing's Lieutenants written by and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-26 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War I had a profound impact on the United States of America, which was forced to 'grow' an army almost overnight. The day the United States declared war on Germany, the US Army was only the 17th largest in the world, ranking behind Portugal – the Regular Army had only 128,00 troops, backed up by the National Guard with some 182,000 troops. By the end of the war it had grown to 3,700,000, with slightly more than half that number in Europe. Until the United States did so, no country in all history had tried to deploy a 2-million-man force 3,000 miles from its own borders, a force led by American Expeditionary Forces Commander-in-Chief General John J. Pershing. This was America's first truly modern war and rising from its ranks was a new generation of leaders who would control the fate of the United States armed forces during the interwar period and into World War II. This book reveals the history of the key leaders working for and with John J. Pershing during this tumultuous period, including George S. Patton (tank commander and future commander of the US Third Army during World War II); Douglas MacArthur (42nd Division commander and future General of the Army) and Harry S. Truman (artillery battery commander and future President of the United States). Edited by Major General David T. Zabecki (US Army, Retired) and Colonel Douglas V. Mastriano (US Army, Retired), this fascinating title comprises chapters on individual leaders from subject experts across the US, including faculty members of the US Army War College.

Sons of Freedom

Author : Geoffrey Wawro
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465093922
Total Pages : 712 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Sons of Freedom by : Geoffrey Wawro

Download or read book Sons of Freedom written by Geoffrey Wawro and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2018-09-25 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "stirring," definitive history of America's decisive role in winning World War I (Wall Street Journal). The American contribution to World War I is one of the great stories of the twentieth century, and yet it has all but vanished from view. Historians have dismissed the American war effort as largely economic and symbolic. But as Geoffrey Wawro shows in Sons of Freedom, the French and British were on the verge of collapse in 1918, and would have lost the war without the Doughboys. Field Marshal Douglas Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, described the Allied victory as a "miracle" -- but it was a distinctly American miracle. In Sons of Freedom, prize-winning historian Geoffrey Wawro weaves together in thrilling detail the battles, strategic deliberations, and dreadful human cost of the American war effort. A major revision of the history of World War I, Sons of Freedom resurrects the brave heroes who saved the Allies, defeated Germany, and established the United States as the greatest of the great powers.

Henry Ware Lawton

Author : Michael E. Shay
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
ISBN 13 : 0826273653
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis Henry Ware Lawton by : Michael E. Shay

Download or read book Henry Ware Lawton written by Michael E. Shay and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2017-06-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Henry Ware Lawton’s nearly four decades as a professional soldier in the U.S. Army tie his story closely to that of America in the nineteenth century, from the Civil War to the settlement of the West, to the experiment with empire. Lawton served the country nearly uninterrupted from the day he enlisted at age 18—soon after Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War, where he earned a Medal of Honor—to his death at age 56, a major general in the Philippine War. In between, he fought in the Spanish-American War and the Indian Wars; during that time he rose to national prominence as the man who captured Geronimo.

Sergeant Stubby

Author : Ann Bausum
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 1426214650
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis Sergeant Stubby by : Ann Bausum

Download or read book Sergeant Stubby written by Ann Bausum and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2015 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For those who loved New York Times bestseller Rin Tin Tin comes the memorable story of Sergeant Stubby--World War I dog veteran, decorated war hero, American icon, and above all, man's best friend--never before told and timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of World War I. National Geographic tells the story of a stray dog who becomes Sergeant Stubby the War Dog during World War I. Beloved award-winning author and library darling Ann Bausum brings her friendly writing style and in-depth research to her first-ever book for adults. Simultaneously releasing with a National Geographic Kids book Stubby the War Dog, this moving story will touch readers' hearts"--

Sky Pilots

Author : Michael E. Shay
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
ISBN 13 : 0826273246
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis Sky Pilots by : Michael E. Shay

Download or read book Sky Pilots written by Michael E. Shay and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exploration of the noncombatants who earned the love and respect of the doughboys should appeal to armchair historians and scholars alike. Enhanced with photographs and an appendix summarizing the biographical information for each man, Sky Pilots is the first comprehensive look at the role of the Army chaplaincy at the divisional level. In August 1917, the U.S. 26th “Yankee” Division was formally activated for service in World War I. When the soldiers arrived in France, they were accompanied by more than three dozen volunteer chaplains. These clergymen experienced all the horrors of war, shared all the privations of the common soldier, and earned the love and affection of their “boys.” Two died, several were gassed or wounded, and many were decorated by France and the United States for their heroism, yet their stories have been lost to history. Through extensive research in published and archival sources, as well as firsthand materials obtained from the families of several chaplains, Michael E. Shay brings to life the story of these valiant men—a story of courage in the face of the horrors of war and of extreme devotion to the men they served. Just as important, Sky Pilots follows the chaplains home and on to their subsequent careers. For many, their war experiences shaped their ministries, particularly in the area of ecumenism and the Social Gospel. Others left the ministry altogether. To fill in the chaplains’ stories, Shay also examines the evolution of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, the education of the newly appointed chaplains, and the birth of the Yankee Division.

Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant

Author : William Garrett Piston
Publisher : University of Georgia Press
ISBN 13 : 082034625X
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant by : William Garrett Piston

Download or read book Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant written by William Garrett Piston and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the South, one can find any number of bronze monuments to the Confederacy featuring heroic images of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J. E. B. Stuart, and many lesser commanders. But while the tarnish on such statues has done nothing to color the reputation of those great leaders, there remains one Confederate commander whose tarnished image has nothing to do with bronze monuments. Nowhere in the South does a memorial stand to Lee's intimate friend and second-in-command James Longstreet. In Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant, William Garrett Piston examines the life of James Longstreet and explains how a man so revered during the course of the war could fall from grace so swiftly and completely. Unlike other generals in gray whose deeds are familiar to southerners and northerners alike, Longstreet has the image not of a hero but of an incompetent who lost the Battle of Gettysburg and, by extension, the war itself. Piston's reappraisal of the general's military record establishes Longstreet as an energetic corps commander with an unsurpassed ability to direct troops in combat, as a trustworthy subordinate willing to place the war effort above personal ambition. He made mistakes, but Piston shows that he did not commit the grave errors at Gettysburg and elsewhere of which he was so often accused after the war. In discussing Longstreet's postwar fate, Piston analyzes the literature and public events of the time to show how the southern people, in reaction to defeat, evolved an image of themselves which bore little resemblance to reality. As a product of the Georgia backwoods, Longstreet failed to meet the popular cavalier image embodied by Lee, Stuart, and other Confederate heroes. When he joined the Republican party during Reconstruction, Longstreet forfeited his wartime reputation and quickly became a convenient target for those anxious to explain how a "superior people" could have lost the war. His new role as the villain of the Lost Cause was solidified by his own postwar writings. Embittered by years of social ostracism resulting from his Republican affiliation, resentful of the orchestrated deification of Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Longstreet exaggerated his own accomplishments and displayed a vanity that further alienated an already offended southern populace. Beneath the layers of invective and vilification remains a general whose military record has been badly maligned. Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant explains how this reputation developed—how James Longstreet became, in the years after Appomattox, the scapegoat for the South's defeat, a Judas for the new religion of the Lost Cause.

The Whites of Their Eyes

Author : Michael E. Shay
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 0811773523
Total Pages : 413 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (117 download)

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Book Synopsis The Whites of Their Eyes by : Michael E. Shay

Download or read book The Whites of Their Eyes written by Michael E. Shay and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” remains one of the enduring, and most stirring, quotations of the Revolutionary War, and it was very likely uttered at the Battle of Bunker Hill by General Israel Putnam. Despite this, and Putnam’s renown as a battlefield commander and his colorful military service far and wide, Putnam has never received his due from modern historians. In The Whites of Their Eyes, Michael E. Shay tells the exciting life of Israel Putnam. Born near Salem, Massachusetts, in 1718, Putnam relocated in 1740 to northeastern Connecticut, where he was a slaveowner and, according to folk legend, killed Connecticut’s last wolf, in a cave known as Israel Putnam Wolf Den, which is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. During the French and Indian War, Putnam enlisted as a private and rose to the rank of colonel. He served with Robert Rogers, famous Ranger founder and leader, and a popular phrase of the time said, “Rogers always sent, but Putnam led his men to action.” In 1759, Putnam led an assault on French Fort Carillon (later Ticonderoga); in 1760, he marched against Montreal; in 1762, he survived a shipwreck and yellow fever during an expedition against Cuba; and in 1763, he was sent to defend Detroit during Pontiac’s rebellion. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Putnam—who had been radicalized by the Stamp Act—was among those immediately considered for high command. Named one of the Continental Army’s first four major generals, he helped plan and lead at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he gave the order about “the whites of their eyes” and argued in favor of fortifying Breed’s Hill, in addition to Bunker Hill. Most of the battle would take place on Breed’s. During the battles for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island during the summer of 1776, Putnam proved himself a capable and courageous battlefield commander with a special eye for fortifications, but he sometimes faltered in tactical and strategic decision-making. In the fall of 1777, the British outmanned Putnam, resulting in the loss of several key forts in the Hudson Highlands near West Point. Putnam was exonerated by a court of inquiry, but—nearly sixty and opposed by powerful political elements from New York, including Alexander Hamilton—he spent many of the following months recruiting in Connecticut. In December 1779 he was returning to Washington’s Army to rejoin his division when he suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. The Whites of Their Eyes recounts the life and times of Israel Putnam, a larger-than-life general, a gregarious tavern keeper and farmer, who was a folk hero in Connecticut and the probable source of legendary words during the Revolutionary War—and whose exploits make him one of the most interesting officers in American military history.

Lincoln's Tragic Admiral

Author : Kevin John Weddle
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
ISBN 13 : 9780813923321
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (233 download)

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Book Synopsis Lincoln's Tragic Admiral by : Kevin John Weddle

Download or read book Lincoln's Tragic Admiral written by Kevin John Weddle and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Weddle reveals that the admiral was the victim of a double irony: although Du Pont championed technological innovation, he outspokenly opposed the use of the new ironclads to attack Charleston. Only when his objections were overridden did his use of these modern vessels bring his career to an end. Weddle exposes this historical misunderstanding, while also pinpointing Du Pont's crucial role in the development of United States naval strategy, his work in modernizing the navy between the Mexican War and the Civil War, and his push for the navy's technological transition from wood to iron.".

The Commander

Author : Laila Parsons
Publisher : Saqi Books
ISBN 13 : 0863561764
Total Pages : 347 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (635 download)

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Book Synopsis The Commander by : Laila Parsons

Download or read book The Commander written by Laila Parsons and published by Saqi Books. This book was released on 2017-02-06 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revered by some as the Arab Garibaldi, maligned by others as an intriguer and opportunist, Fawzi al-Qawuqji manned the ramparts of Arab history for four decades, leading or helping to lead Arab forces in nearly every significant military conflict from 1914 to 1948. When an effort to overthrow the British rulers of Iraq failed, he moved to Germany, where he spent much of the Second World War battling his fellow exile, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who had accused him of being a British spy. In 1947, Qawuqji made a daring escape from Allied-occupied Berlin, and sought once again to shape his region's history. In his most famous role, he would command the Arab Liberation Army in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. In this well-crafted, lively and definitive biography, Laila Parsons tells Qawuqji's dramatic story and sets it in the full context of his turbulent times. Following Israel's decisive victory, Qawuqji was widely faulted as a poor commander with possibly dubious motives. Parsons shows us that the truth was more complex: although he doubtless made some strategic mistakes, he never gave up fighting for Arab independence and unity, even as those ideals were undermined by powers inside and outside the Arab world. 'An outstanding book ... one of the most important new works in modern Middle Eastern history.' Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs 'With great skill and impressive scholarship, Laila Parsons uses the extraordinary career of Fawzi al-Qawuqji as a prism through which to understand the tumultuous history of the Arab world in the first half of the twentieth century.' Charles Tripp, SOAS 'An indispensable account of the career of a remarkable Arab military leader whose life involved participation in most of the Middle East's major twentieth-century battles' Roger Owen, Harvard University

Glorious War

Author : Thom Hatch
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1250028507
Total Pages : 381 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (5 download)

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Book Synopsis Glorious War by : Thom Hatch

Download or read book Glorious War written by Thom Hatch and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-12-10 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From George Armstrong Custer's graduation from West Point to the daring cavalry charges that propelled him to the rank of General and national fame at age twenty-three to an unlikely romance with his eventual wife Libbie Bacon, Custer's exploits are the stuff of legend. Always leading his men from the front with a personal courage seldom seen before or since, he was a key part of nearly every major engagement in the east. Not only did Custer capture the first battle flag taken by the Union Army and receive the white flag of surrender at Appomattox, but his field generalship at Gettysburg against Confederate cavalry General Jeb Stuart had historic implications in changing the course of that pivotal battle. For decades, historians have looked at Custer strictly through the lens of his death on the frontier, casting him as a failure. While the events that took place at the Little Big Horn are illustrative of America's bloody westward expansion, they have unjustly eclipsed Custer's otherwise extraordinarily life and outstanding career. This biography of thundering cannons, pounding hooves, and stunning successes tells the story of one of history's most dynamic and misunderstood figures. Award-winning historian Thom Hatch reexamines Custer's early career to rebalance the scales and show why Custer's epic fall could never have happened without the spectacular rise that made him an American legend.