Customer Reviews

Cellars of Marcelcave: A Yank Doctor in the BEF

5 star:		(4)
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Dr. Ben Gallagher's account of WWI is one of the most compelling books I have ever had the pleasure to read. Between his medical background, self-reflection and observation this is perhaps one of the most complete views of war and humanity ever committed to paper.

Inbetween his own story, Dr. Gallagher also relates the stories of the people around him, including one of the most remarkable escapes from a POW Camp I have ever heard. He also includes the stories of his patients whose courage is both humbling and inspirational.

I am grateful that this account was published and I am only too sorry that more readers have not found this hidden treasure. Don't miss out. This is one of the best personal accounts you will ever find!

Gallagher's memoir is a combination of clinical observation and vivid prose which provides one with a unique view into the March 1918 Offensive which should become a classic of that nearly forgotten generation. His detail and imagery are phoenominal. Factual in the extreme, his reference to the obscure 12th. U.S. Engineers of Missouri railroad men only serves to enhance the credibility of his experience. I have not, yet, seen a medical memoir of any war to compare. We are fortunate that this account has been published rather than lost in the archives of some facility.

dr gallagher's second book reflects a remarkable talent as a story-teller. In Cellars, he makes the reader feel like a member of the family as he relates the tale of his grandfather's experiences in World War I. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to his next story.

Gallagher was a freshly minted physician when he volunteered for the British Army ahead of the American mobilization for World War One. Fortunately for us his narrative skills matched his surgical abilities.
He was attached to the Gloucesters in the Somme sector, and, despite his misgivings, quickly became an effective battle surgeon. His remarkable adventures, his relations with the English (for whom he had no great love), and, especially, his descriptions of Great War surgical practices make for fascinating reading.
The experienced military history reader may notice a few historical inaccuracies, (the U.S. 11th Engineers were not from the Missouri National Guard; Gallagher's decoration was the Military Cross, not the Military Medal, a different award), but these don't detract seriously from the immediacy and impact of one of the best memoirs by an American serving with the British Army.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)