Synopses & Reviews
Until the Last Trumpet Sounds He remains the only military officer in United States history to have worn six stars. His career encompassedand dramatically affectedthe transformation of his country into a world superpower. Now, the first intimate biography of General of the Armies John J. Pershing provides a compelling argument for his singular resonance. Following the success of American Gothic, historian Gene Smith confirms his reputation as one of historys premier storytellers. Until the Last Trumpet Sounds is the epic saga of a military legend. Born in Missouri on the threshold of the golden military age of Grant, Lee, Sherman, and Jackson, Pershing was five years old when Lee surrendered at Appomattox in 1865. He attended West Point, initially pursuing the appointment with no desire to even become a soldier, but to receive a top education. While not a brilliant scholarand despite a penchant for tardiness that cost him hundreds of disciplinary demeritshe emerged as a peerless leader, elected president of his class and commander of the Corps of Cadets. As a young soldier, he taught military tactics and mathematics at the University of Nebraskaamong his students was a young writer named Willa Catherand served in the cavalry, witnessing the poignant, inevitable shift of the American West from a frontier to an uninterrupted extension of settlements. Pershings military career began in the West, commanding Buffalo Soldiers, participating in the Wounded Knee campaign and, later, chasing Pancho Villa in Mexico. Smith pinpoints these beginnings as the foundations for the generals later achievements, vividly illustrating Pershings steady string of promotions and the development of his trademark discipline and stoicism. Filled with compelling anecdotesincluding a fascinating account of the young Pershings controversial promotion to general and his first assignment in ManilaUntil the Last Trumpet Sounds climaxes with the rich drama of World War I, providing insight into the mechanisms and underpinnings of Pershings triumphs as Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France and unparalleled rank as General of the Armies. Breathtaking military adventure and masterful biography converge in this riveting chronicle of a vital period in American history, sharply and uniquely observed through the life of one of its most important players. Until the Last Trumpet Sounds is a penetrating, fresh look at a courageous figure, from his Alsatian ancestors arriving in the New World in 1749 to his grandson killed in Vietnam. Smith brings his meticulous research and eye for telling detail to bear on Pershings eventual triumphs, as well as on his lasting legacies. Here is indispensable reading for all military and American history devotees.
Synopsis
Critical Praise for Gene Smith On Until the Last Trumpet Sounds
""The best recent compact study of the commander of the American Expeditionary Force of World War I."" Booklist
""A six-star effort . . . captures Pershing better than anyone has before."" The Grand Rapids Press
On The Shattered Dream
""A storyteller of history, Gene Smith is one of the very best in his field."" The Washington Post
On When the Cheering Stopped
""A brilliantly written and dramatically effective work of history . . . Smith is a prodigious researcher, an artful writer."" The New York Times
On American Gothic
""A ripping good tale . . . the story rivets you. You can t put the book down."" The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
"A ripping good tale . . . the story rivets you. You cant put the book down."" ? The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
Vicksburg is the key. . . . Let us get Vicksburg, and all that country is ours.—President Abraham Lincoln, 1862
In a brilliantly constructed and powerfully rendered new account, James R. Arnold offers a penetrating analysis of Grant's strategies and actions leading to the Union victory at Vicksburg. Approaching these epic events from a unique and well-rounded perspective, and based on careful research, Grant Wins the War is fascinating reading for all Civil War and military history buffs.
Acclaim for Grant Wins the War
Nicely details the coordination of Union military and naval operations and the boldness and genius of General U. S. Grant that brought Union victory, and he offers an excellent discussion of the technology and tactics of siege warfare. . . . a good drums-and-bugle account of an important event.—Library Journal
A particular strength of this work is its demonstration that modern weapons left no shortcuts to victory, and little room for command virtuosity.—Publishers Weekly
Throughout, Arnold backs up his assessments with solid facts and sound reasoning, engagingly presented. He has produced a useful and enjoyable brief history of the Vicksburg campaign, helpful to scholars and general readers alike.—Journal of Military History
Powerfully and persuasively argues that the Union victory at Vicksburg in 1863 was in fact the actual turning point of the Civil War.—Helena (Mont.) Independent Record
Synopsis
Critical Praise for Gene Smith On Until the Last Trumpet Sounds
"The best recent compact study of the commander of the American Expeditionary Force of World War I." Booklist
"A six-star effort . . . captures Pershing better than anyone has before." The Grand Rapids Press
On The Shattered Dream
"A storyteller of history, Gene Smith is one of the very best in his field." The Washington Post
On When the Cheering Stopped
"A brilliantly written and dramatically effective work of history . . . Smith is a prodigious researcher, an artful writer." The New York Times
On American Gothic
"A ripping good tale . . . the story rivets you. You can t put the book down." The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
GENE SMITH is the bestselling author of When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson. His other books include The Shattered Dream: Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression and the acclaimed American Gothic: The Story of America's Legendary Theatrical Family-Junius, Edwin, and John Wilkes Booth. He writes the "American Characters" column in American Heritage.
Table of Contents
FATHER OF WATERS.
Battles on the River.
Fates Intermingled.
Ebb Tide.
The Hazardous Enterprise.
THE SHOT-TORN GROUND.
The Battle of Port Gibson.
Blitzkrieg Through Mississippi.
To the Crossroads.
The Hill of Death.
"A Perilous and Ludicrous Charge." Assault.
Siege.
"Come Joe!
Come Quickly!" "A Hard Stroke for the Confederacy." Troops Present for the Vicksburg Campaign: May 1, 1863.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.