Recon Scout: Story of World War II

by Fred H. Salter

Book Overview

HE LIVED ON THE ABYSS OF DEATH AS A RECON SCOUT IN WORLD WAR II. From Africa's Sahara Desert, where he met Churchill, to the plains of Tunisia, where he served under Patton, Fred Salter executed... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345446933
• ISBN13: 9780345446930
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Recon Scout by Fred Salter

I bought this book in paperback form to use for research into the 91st CRS. It turned out to be such a fascinating story that I bought a hard cover copy for my permanent library. It was written by a man who lived through WWII serving in the same unit my uncle, Ross Powell, served in. It is very realistically told, and very human, by a down to earth good guy. I found no historical inaccuracies whatsoever in the telling of this story.

MIND, SPIRIT, AND PHYSICAL TRAUMA

I highly reccomend this book to any reader who wants an insight into the suffering and endurance of men in battle. Fred writes from his own eyes and experiences of the " horrors, enlightments, and sufferings." I was shaken and taken back by his account of the war. I have a new found empathy and respect for history and soldiers who go into the front lines. READ IT!

Incredible Detail

After reading Forever on the Edge, I had to read Recon Scout to understand what the author went through during his war days. This book, with incredible detail and history, truly showed what a soldier experienced and how he survived. Especially interesting and harrowing were his nightly patrols into enemy territory. The author truly lets the reader in his mind as he battles to stay alive and keep moving forward. A must read for anyone interested in war and history. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks -- here's your next movie!

A personal view from in front of the front lines

This book captured me merely by the title, my Grandfather was a Recon Scout (the 85th Cav. Rec. Sqd.) as well, but he didn't tell me as many stories of his time as Mr. Salter has done in this true autobiographical classic. This book begins with a wide eyed, ambitious and energetic young boy who follows his desires to be a cavalry hero and joins up with the Army. He passes on the air corp. voluntarily and ends up with the horse cav. He even trains to do mounted (on horseback) charges, something that seems hard to imagine today. He ends up in the 91st Cavalry Recon Sqd (Mechanized) and ends up in Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He promotes up to Corporal and turns down other promotions during the course of the war. He finishes the war as hardened and experienced as any soldier. This book captures the war from a first person view, Mr. Saltier engaged in everything from hand to hand combat, close quarters gun battles, running supplies under fire, rescuing wounded friends, and solo night patrols. As much as he excelled at these things and was truly a hero, these events left their scars on this young man.Mr. Saltier spars no one his criticism, not the lieutenant who shirked a night patrol, not himself. He lost a multitude of friends, killed the enemy in close quarters, endured artillery barrages, darned and sewed his own equipment, watched civilians bury their dead children, stood guard in a [house of ill repute], met Churchill. He fought and suffered a myriad of wounds (physical and psychological) for his country. This book is as close as I hope I ever get to combat. In war, every soldier loses something, Mr. Saltier has eloquently shared all of those losses so that the rest of us may gain from it.

Fact IS more interesting than Fiction!

I'm proud to review this work, as I met Fred Salter shortly after he first self published this work in 1994 and am proud that he calls me "friend". For seven years I've personally believed in this book, and here with the rerelease of it by a major publishing company reinforces the exceptional nature of this book.Not only did this book first give me a detalied and intimate look at the 91st Cavalry Recon Squadron, a unit I had tried to research for 5 years prior to its first debut, but it is the classic story of the common soldier. Fred's exploits, and those of his comrades, are the stories of which legends are made...and its all true. As courageous as Fred and his other scouts were, we are constantly reminded that they were human beings in a harsh and unnatural situation called war. These men were not "John Waynes" as we've been led to believe of the WWII veteran, but they saw and did things that still 60 years later that haunt them. Various post war syndroms that are commonly associated with Vietnam veterans were common to the soldiers of WWII as well.Fred's book is very easy reading and to understand. Its captivating and gives a very intimate picture of a soldier and how he felt about those expereinces. This book should be a must read to every US military officer, in order to have them understand that they are not supermen and that warfare very much is a case of "...but for the grace of God go I..." (note the TRUE story of the Lieutenant outside Cassino, an episode that still upsets my friend, not with anger but guilt for his very understandable nature and actions).This book is a must read for all Worlr War Two historians. Especially if you enjoy the Italian campaign, Mechanized Cavalry, or just an exceptional soldier's story.Again, I am proud to know Fred and many of the 91st Cavalry personally, including many peoples mentioned "Recon Scout".I'll end this review with an explination of how personal this book is. Many veterans ask Fred how he can talk about much of what he does...Fred notes that he can't, he can only write about them.