Pershing: General of the Armies

By Donald Smythe

Book Overview

The product of nearly 25 years of research, Pershing: General of the Armies remains one of the most authoritative biographies of the man known as "Black Jack." Newly appointed head of the American Expeditionary Forces, Pershing sailed for Europe in May 1917. Once in France, he set about the task of building an army. By October the Americans were at the front and over the next year became involved in increasingly significant battles, all vividly recounted here: Cantigny, Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, and the 47-day slugfest in the Meuse-Argonne. Although the impact of the American forces on the outcome of the war has been much debated, there is no question that the troops acquitted themselves well under Pershing's command. Pershing's postwar life included an unsuccessful run for president, a stint as Chief of Staff, and a secret romance with a French woman 34 years younger than he; nonetheless, his influence as a leader extended into World War II.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 025334381X
• ISBN13: 9780253343819
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

American Command in World War I

It appears of late that there is an increasing interest in books about World War I. Books have appeared on individual battles and on specialized equipment such as tanks and aircraft. After all, this was the time when much of the foundation for the later wars was being derived. This particular book by Donald Smythe covers Pershing during the World War I years. (Smythe covers Gen. Pershing's earlier life in the previous book: Guerrilla Warror.) This book was written in the late 1980's, and just reprinted now.During this time Pershing had to build the army and assuage the commanders of the British and French forces who wanted the Americans to come into their armies as replacment soldiers under British or French commanders. This was the first time that a large army would be sent by the Americans to fight on land beyond the oceans. The Americans had a lot to learn on the battlefield and in the conference room, but learn it they did. And they applied this learning in another European was a generation later. As a measure of the tribute to be paid to Pershing, when he died in 1948, the funeral procession was led by sixteen American generals marching in the rain. At the head of the generals were Eisenhower and Bradley.