Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"A model of military biography and a major contribution to our knowledge of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I." --Allan R. Millet Indiana University Press Indiana University Press Indiana University Press
Synopsis
World War I is the focus of this classic biography of General Black Jack Pershing
About the Author
Donald Smythe (1927-1988) was Professor of History at John Carroll University in Cleveland and lectured at the Army War College and the National War College.
Table of Contents
[Possible Foreword to come]
1. Selected to Command (April-May 1917)
2. The Voyage Overseas (May-June 1917)
3. First Days in France (June 1917)
4. Getting Organized (July-August 1917)
5. Chaumont (September 1917)
6. Into the Lines (October 1917)
7. Bleak Prospects (November 1917)
8. Valley Forge (December 1917)
9. The Robertson Proposal (January 1918)
10. Leonard Wood (February 1918)
11. Peyton C. March (March 1918)
12. The German March Offensive (March 1918)
13. The London Agreement (April 1918)
14. Abbeville (May 1918)
15. The Removal of Leonard Wood (May 1918)
16. Cantigny and Chemin des Dames (May 1918)
17. Versailles and Belleau Wood (June 1918)
18. The 100-Division Program (June-July 1918)
19. Soissons: The Turn of the Tide (July 1918)
20. The Goethals Proposal (July 1918)
21. The American First Army (August 1918)
22. St. Mihiel (September 12-16, 1918)
23. Meuse-Argonne: September 26, 1918
24. Meuse-Argonne: October 4, 1918
25. Meuse-Argonne: October 14, 1918
26. Meuse-Argonne: November 1, 1918
27. Portrait of Pershing (1917-1918)
28. Peace (December 1918-April 1919)
29. The Return Home (May-November 1919)
30. Marking Time (December 1919-June 1920)
31. Pershing for President (1920)
32. Chief of Staff (1921-1924)
33. In Retirement (1924-1930)
34. My Experiences in the World War (1931)
35. Micheline Resco (1917-1948)
36. Awaiting the Bugle's Call (1932-1948)
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index