See Here, Private Hargrove [Hardcover]

Marion Hargove (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Ams Pr Inc (June 1942)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 040419933X
• ISBN-13: 978-0404199333
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 50 Years Old and Still A Winner, November 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: See Here, Private Hargrove (Hardcover)

I first read this book when I was a teenager. Twenty plus years later, the story is still ethched solidly in my mind. Private Marion Thomas Lawton Hargrove, III is a most unlikely citizen soldier. A newspaper writer in civilian life, he is classified as a cook in the United States Army, just prior to the hostilities of WWII. The story is set in Fort Bragg, NC. The author paints the most wonderful pictures in your mind. The characters, like PFC Thomas Mulvehill come alive. Hargrove peeling potatoes. Hargrove on guard duty. Hargrove cooking his first egg...and it gets used for a tire patch. All this hearkens back to a simpler, bigger world. It is a wonderfully nostalgic view of what part of America used to be like. The book is a humorous chronology of Hargrove's service in the U.S. Army. The author steps back and takes a clear look at some of the absurdity foisted upon those who serve(d) in our armed forces. If you want to enjoy yourself thoroughly, find a copy of this wonderful book and take a nice leisurely stroll back to 1939-41. And when you're done, share it with a friend, because a smile is one of the nicest things you can pass along.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT Book!, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: See Here, Private Hargrove (Hardcover)

I loved this book. Nothing heavy - just a nice, light, funny story about an average guy trying to fit into the U.S. Army. I agree with the other reviewer - it really takes you back to a better time.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars His Life in the Army, May 14, 2008

By 

Acute Observer (By the Shore NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: See Here, Private Hargrove (Hardcover)

Edward Thomas Marion Lawton Hargrove graduated from high school, and worked in public relations, as a drugstore counterman, and then for a newspaper at various jobs. In July 1941 he was drafted into the peace time army. He wrote about his experiences for `The Charlotte News' in Charlotte North Carolina. The articles were collected and published in a best-selling book. The stories are entertaining and present his experiences at Fort Bragg. "Where is the balance of your rifle?" "This is all the supply sergeant gave me, sir." "Why will I need a rifle if I'm going to be a cook?" "To protect yourself from the soldiers who eat your cooking." The humor comes from the innocence of a rookie who learns a little slower than the rest.

The policy then was to release some men after basic training (Chapter 31). [This allowed training the maximum number in the least time.] The cavalry had horses [until 1943] and a recycling system (Chapter 33). Hargrove explains why your first organization [military, or college] makes the biggest impression on a person (Chapter 39). Printable Army slang is explained (Chapter 42). Rookies arrive in a train, well-trained soldiers depart on the same train (Chapter 71).

This book tells what pleased the readers of 1942. Private Hargrove survived basic training and was shipped out with the others. After the war Hargrove became a writer for Hollywood and television shows. You can compare his experiences to the stories you have heard or observed first hand. Did Hargrove have a talent for public relations?