Behind the Lines: Powerful and Revealing American and Foreign War Letters -- and One Man's Search to Find Them [Hardcover]

Andrew Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2005

Andrew Carroll spent three years traveling throughout the United States and around the world to seek out the most powerful and unforgettable letters ever written during American wars.

Behind the Lines is the result of that extraordinary trip and represents the first book of its kind: a dramatic, intimate, and revealing look at warfare as seen through the personal correspondence of US and foreign troops and civilians who have experienced major conflicts firsthand. From handwritten missives penned during the American Revolution to e-mails from Afghanistan and Iraq, Behind the Lines captures the full spectrum of emotions -- exhilaration, fear, devotion, despair, courage, heartache, patriotism, rage, and even humor -- expressed in times of war.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. After it was released in June of 2001, Carroll's War Letters shot onto bestseller lists as the U.S. entered its first major war in 10 years. That collection selected 150 letters from 50,000 Carroll received after a Dear Abby mention of his Legacy Project, founded in 1998 to preserve soldiers' letters home; the book ranged from the Civil War to Bosnia. This follow-up reaches from the American Revolution to the war in Iraq and offers 200 letters along with 72 b&w photos and illustrations. All the letters were written "during major American wars," but not necessarily by soldiers or by Americans; Carroll culled many of them globe-trotting through 35 countries, from Poland to Iraq, over the past year (he tells the story of his journey in a moving introduction). As for the letters themselves, Carroll has made the very wise editorial decision of printing them as they were written, with misspellings, odd line breaks and regional references intact; letters in translation reproduce idioms and distinctive grammatical turns word for word. The letters are, almost without exception, arresting in their earnestness, sincerity and passion, and diverse in their sentiments—brave, fearful, amorous, angry, resigned, conniving, unbalanced, stoical. The result is captivating in its immediacy. Short head notes provide succinct context, but most speak for themselves. 50-state author tour. (May 10)

From Booklist

Compilations of war letters written by soldiers in combat zones have become an increasingly familiar genre in recent years. But this collection is unique, both in scope and content. Carroll traveled to more than 30 countries on five continents to search for these letters, and his encounters on his travels are just as interesting as the letters. Historically, the letters range from the Revolutionary War to the current conflict in Iraq. They include letters from American and Allied soldiers, but they also include correspondence from enemy soldiers and their wives and loved ones. There are numerous gems here. A Revolutionary War soldier tries to reassure his wife and mother concerning his safety. A French mother chillingly urges her son to fight in World War I or she will disown him as a coward. A British soldier captured during the fall of Singapore describes the physical and emotional pain of a Japanese POW camp. The wife of a Turkish soldier killed at Gallipoli poignantly relates her loneliness and material deprivation. In general, the letters are subdued and seem to cry out for understanding of the horrors of war. This is a wonderful book that should remind us of the grinding pain endured by both those who serve and those who wait for them. Carroll is also the compiler of the similar and well-received War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from the American Wars (2001). Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First edition (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743256166
• ISBN-13: 978-0743256162
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The reality of war revealed, May 22, 2005

By 

Robert Leahy (Tustin, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Behind the Lines: Powerful and Revealing American and Foreign War Letters -- and One Man's Search to Find Them (Hardcover)

Andy Carroll's last book - War Letters - showed what war is like by reprinting letters of American combatants who had ac-tually fought those wars. (I should confess that one of my letters about Vietnam was reprinted in that book.)

Andy's new book - Behind The Lines - shows what war is like with reprints of letters from both combatants and non-combatants - civilian women and children. This book also in-cludes letters written by non-Americans as well as Americans.

Andy limited the letters to those from the wars in which America was involved. Thsee wars range from the Revolutionary War (there's a great letter from a Hessian soldier [Hessians were German soldiers "leased" to Great Britain to fight as mer-cenaries] giving his impressions of America and the poor fighting ability of the rebels), the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam (there's a good letter from a soldier asking his parents to forgive him for having killed a man in combat), Kosovo and Gulf Wars I and II.

While many letters deal with combat, other letters show the many faces of war. At times, war can be terrifying, funny, ab-surd, touching and hilarious. (You know you've been fighting too long when the same incident strikes you as both terrifying and hilarious.)

One letter was a love letter written by a California woman to a Swiss national. In fact, the letter was complete fabrication. The Swiss national actually was a German spy traveling in Great Britain during WWII. The letter was created to make his cover seem more believable.

One letter was from a brother who had enlisted in the Union army in the U.S. Civil War. He wrote to berate his brother for having enlisted in the Confederate army.

One letter was from a German wife to her husband's company commander. She requested that her husband be given a leave "because of our sexual relationship." She wanted her husband to come home so they can have sex. The commander's sym-pathetic reply is included in the book.

One letter writer came up with a list of "The Army's Ten Commandments," which should bring a smile to anyone who served in the Army. Commandment number four is, "Thou shall not laugh at second lieutenants."

One writer came up with a letter filled with multiple choice op-tions. By checking various options, he could either proclaim his undying love or write about an upcom-ing/imminent/current/recent military offensive.

Several letter writers tried to warn their families that they should prepare for a slight adjustment period when the men come home. One Vietnam writer warned, "If it should start raining, pay no attention to his joyous scream as he strips naked, grabs a bar of soap, and runs outdoors for a shower." (As a Vietnam veteran, I found that letter puzzling. Doesn't everybody shower that way?)

The book is divided into several themes that illustrate the dif-ferent faces of war: friendship; combat; laughing though the tears; civilians caught in the crossfire; and the aftermath of war.

As a Vietnam Infantry pointman and squad leader, I view a book about war differently from most people. Andy's book showed me a side of war I had never considered - its impact on non-combatants - who could neither run away (what any sane person does when people are trying to kill him) nor fight (if you're going to die anyway, why not die fighting?).

The book also showed me what I already knew from my own experience: that war changes forever those touched by it.

One Vietnam veteran was haunted by the fact that several of his comrades had died rescuing him after he was seriously wounded. So decades after the end of the Vietnam war, he left a letter at the Vietnam Memorial thanking those men for their sacrifice. That letter is included in the book.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for stories about triumphant soldiers marching in victory parades in front of cheering, grateful crowds. That's not the side of war that Andy wanted to show. Instead, the book shows the side of war that doesn't make the 5:00 TV news.

You will need to read this book in small doses because the emotional impact of the letters can be overwhelming. In Los Angeles I attended a reading of selected letters from the book. One of the speakers read a letter he had written as a Jewish teenager while riding in a sealed railway car on his way to a German concentration camp. The letter told his sister how much he loved her. He pushed the finished letter through a hole in the side of the railway car and hoped that a kind peasant would find and mail it to his sister. One did.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredibly moving book, May 12, 2005

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Book lover "Book lover" (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Lines: Powerful and Revealing American and Foreign War Letters -- and One Man's Search to Find Them (Hardcover)

This compilation is marvelously well-edited and includes an incredible variety of letters from soldiers and civilians from numerous wars. The author has put together a very nuanced, clear-eyed, resonant and moving collection and has written helpful, insightful descriptions throughout the book. This book would make a great gift.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, June 30, 2005

By 

Judith L. Sullivan (Monson, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Behind the Lines: Powerful and Revealing American and Foreign War Letters -- and One Man's Search to Find Them (Hardcover)

This is a great book!! I really enjoyed reading it, and found myself unable to put it down. The book gives readers a better understanding of what soldiers and their families go through. After reading this book, I believe I have a better appreciation for our Veterans and our troops serving our country. Definately a recommended book in my opinion.