Sergeant York: An American Hero

by David D. Lee

Book Overview

Alvin C. York went out on a routine patrol an ordinary, unknown American doughboy of the First World War. He came back from no-man's-land a hero. In a brief encounter on October 8, 1918, during the Argonne offensive, York had killed 25 German soldiers and, almost singlehandedly, effected the capture of 132 others. Returning to the United States the following spring, he received a tumultuous public welcome and a flood of offers from businessmen eager...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813115175
• ISBN13: 9780813115177
• Release Date: March 1985
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A nice account of a man who was idolized for strange reasons

This is a fine book about the legendary Sergeant Alvin York, recounting his whole life from the early childhood in rural Tenessee to the extraordinary exploits in the Argonne Forest and the turbulent years that followed the moment of glory. The author presents a fine portrait of York, with all its virtues and weaknesses and he does not forget to include also the German account of what happened on that fateful day of October 1918 at the Argonne Forest. I think that the most fanciful part of the book was the explanation of the reasons which catapulted York to fame, the life that York led after his return home and his opinions on current political affairs during the next decades. There are some good black and white photographs in the book and also a few maps.

Superb Bio of a WWI Hero

Lee views the life of World War I hero Alvin York through the lens of a changing society. York represented, according to Lee, the values of 19th century rural American-simplicity, honesty, hard work, Protestantism, and Anglo-American heritage-in an industrializing society. His defeat of German machine gunners came to symbolize "man over machine" as well. York moved from a pacifist, noninterventionist position to accept America's role as a major world power. This acceptance was based on a religious vision of the US as a defender against evil in the world. Lee's book is well written, moves fast, and well argued. He succeeds in demonstrating that an indivdual life can be used to understand American history in the early 20th century.

Riveting!

A valuable look at York the man, the times he lived in, and the process of creating a national legend. Distinguishes the myths of York's life from the simple facts of his famous exploits. I especially enjoyed the look back at York's rural background and how those values shaped him as a man as well as an American heroic ideal. WEll-researched and documented, but also simply a good read!