Customer Reviews

Honor Untarnished: A West Point Graduate's Memoir of World War II (Tom Doherty Associates Books)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bennett who served with the 58th and 62nd Mobile Artillery Battalions US Army takes the reader from his childhood to Westpoint and then through his service in North Africa, Sicily and Europe. I enjoyed the honesty with which Bennett pointed out both the successes and failures of himself and the US Army during the time he was in the service. He also explains how the US Army had many lessons to learn during the course of the war. His discriptions of the carnage following the Kasserine Pass battle and the US Soldiers routed during the initial phase of the Battle of the Bulge are noteworthy. He also describes how the United States Army and the individual US soldier meet the challenge of the German Armed Forces and ultimately prevailed. The book describes the torment that two families felt when the wrong family is notified of the death of a service member. I liked the book coming from someone who was there from the early days of North Africa until the end of the war and how he expains the use or missuse of the mobile self-propelled M7 Priest artillery units he was assigned to. The battles are seen from the view point of this young artillery commander and should be taken in context with more detailed books that cover each individual battle. An example of this is the loss of personnel and vehicles during the Sicily campaign. When reading the book you get the impression that all the casualties were caused by the Germans & Italians. If you read other accounts of the action in books such as The Battle for Sicily by Mitcham he details how some of these casualties were caused by the enemy and some by a mistaken attack by US A-36 aircraft.

Finally I have two minor complaints against the publisher:

1: Maps of North Africa, Sicily, Omaha Beach and the push into Europe would have helped in following the story. No Maps are included in the book.

2: Why do you have a picture of US Marines assaulting a beach on the cover? Would it be that hard to find a picture of a US Army M7 Priest self-propelled gun in action.

A great read written by someone who was there.

I have read many books on WWII from many perspectives and have been to visit the D-Day beaches four times. I cannot visit the American graves in Normandy without being moved. Twice I have had the experience of hearing taps played near Omaha Beach. I have the utmost respect for all those who fought and died. I had high expectations for the book. My problem is that the book never finds its voice. At times it is the four star general writing with his perspective of high and at other times it is the young colonel leading his men. I wanted to hear more from this man. Just as he starts to share, the general leaps in and throws off the narrative. Let the colonel talk about his artillery missions and show me more of how his experience was different. (A few photos and maps would be nice). If the general needs to talk, give him a separate chapter at the end of the book. We hear from the privates and generals but not the majors and colonels. Their voices could add to the history. I wish the colonel would have spoken for them.

I really enjoyed this first hand account of General Bennett's experiences. I have read this type of book extensively, and I put this very close to the top of my list.

I especially enjoyed his comments about how people behaved and thought during this climatic time in our history. His feelings about missing his wife, and how he felt when his first troopers died, and what that must have meant to the families added a real human touch. I enjoyed his description of train rides, gas rationing, and many other small points that really gave me a feel for what it was like for not just soldiers, but also civilians, both American and Foreign.

I agree, it would have been really nice to have some pictures of what his vehicles looked like and some maps. But, I would also have enjoyed a picture of his wife whom he obviously loved deeply. A picture of Fort Knox, or Fort Sill during training.

Those would really have added value to this book, but it certainly stands out without them too. My thanks to General Bennett for sharing his story, and not just the combat.

Well done!!

I enjoyed this book and want to point out some historically important points.

First off, I will say this is a thinking man's book, and less of a "thrilling combat/adventure story." Its a good description of a (West Point) Jr. officer in the artillery moving to the Armored Artillery (M7's) and becoming XO and CO of the 58th and 62nd AFA (both D-day units).

While it is important in that there is little published on the AFA, the three points of most importance are:

1. The author was in from the start so it deals with the development of the AFA doctrine.

2. It covers the AFA work at the Assualt training center in the UK, and the Normandy Invasion work of the 62nd AFA.

3. It has a very interesting take on the Patton 'slapping' incident that I think deserves attention. The author was in the next tent when one of the incidents happened. If you are a Patton enthusiast, find this book and read the Sicily section.

So, if you are a serious student of the war this is a great book.

Donald Bennett served for several decades with the US army, retiring as a Four Star General. This book briefly covers his youth during The Depression, his entry and various trials at West Point but the bulk is on his service as a battery and then battalion commander of M-7 Priests in WW2. Bennett sees combat in Tunisia, Sicily and North East Europe, including a second wave arrival on Omaha Beach.

Bennett had a better run than many during the 1930s culminating in acceptance to West Point. There is lots of interest here. There is remarkable insight into the sort of men the era and the Point produced. Bennett for instance took it very seriously and virtually adopted the Cadet Creed as his instructions for life. He was also increasingly aware of the changing world situation and his likely future in it.

After graduation Bennett is assigned to artillery and has the bizarre experience, in the age of Blitzkrieg, to command a horse drawn unit. It is fascinating to read his thoughts on this and his concerns for how the US could possibly defeat mechanized enemies. Fortunately he is posted to the 58th Mobile Armored Artillery, the first unit to receive the M-7 and is thrilled with the possibilities this weapon offered. His thoughts on how mobile artillery should operate are fascinating, showing his keen insight. He is able to put his theories to the test when he receives command of the 62nd Armored Artillery for Normandy.

Bennett is in combat a lot. In Tunisia he is shelled and attacked often by the Luftwaffe. He sees how professional the Germans are and sets out to improve his units accordingly. There follows the Sicilian campaign where he finds himself in the neighbouring tent when Patton slaps that soldier. Bennett writes Patton was cheered as he left! This occurred also when Patton fronted units to issue his apology. He is quite a fan of the Patton way of war. Indeed it is one of his themes that when at war, nations need to be ready to fight with determination. He laments the state of the US national spirit today but this is no long whine about `it was better in my day', just an old soldier's considered observations.

The combat highlight is Bennett's participation on D-day. He goes in with the second wave, in order to better control his vehicles but is confronted by absolute chaos. He finds himself directing infantry and it is a dramatic chapter indeed. He also has a pivotal role in holding a shoulder of the Bulge. While his role saw him directing fire rather than firing a gun himself, he does encounter German ground troops and is in some very dangerous situations. He touches on some of the awful aspects of battle but his role means his experiences are generally different to those of the infantry.

Bennett is a good writer. He does his best to convey in modern terms how the events of the 40s hit home and he has some pertinent things to say about his countries ignorance, then and now. (Indeed, in some ways the events of Sept 11 may have prompted him to write.) I found this book to be absorbing. Bennett's fresh, clear thinking on how to use the weapons at his disposal is also evident in how he has conveyed his thoughts to the reader. He has some stirring things to say about America and Democracy and what is needed when confronted by evil. Highly recommended.

The book is well written and was hard to put down. It tells Gen. Donald V. Bennett's story of the struggle to get in and through West Point. It next moves to initial artillery training. Here he learns how to ride a horse while pulling his artillery piece. In addition, he learned how to place his foot where it would not be crushed while riding the horse. His stories of North Africa included the sights, smells, running a bordello (to get the disease rate down), and fighting Rommell. His insights and experiences in Sicily were preparations for his Normandy experience. His spell binding account of Normandy is the best chapter in the book and as good as any ever written. He gives a fresh point of view on the Battle of the Bulge pointing out the signs and intelligence higher up overlooked. His conclusion with experiences and insights about the Russians are eye opening.

This is one of the best books I have read on World War Two, and I have read many. Bennett takes us back in time, as if we are sitting in his living room listening to him over coffee. He tells us what it was like to be an American officer during World War Two. He reveals the worry of 1942 - 1943 that we could lose the war. At that point, we were military amateurs compared to the Germans and Japanese. Our military had been dismantled after World War One.

Bennett shows an interesting side to Patton. Bennett had malaria and was in the hospital where Patton slapped a soldier for cowardice. Bennett, who was in the next tent over, cheered Patton on, as did the other patients. Patton was confronting the growing problem of desertion among American soldiers in Sicily, which was another worry we don't often hear about.

Bennett comments on the realism of the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan," which is the D Day landing at Omaha Beach. Then he adds that the real thing was four terrifying hours of that 20 minute sequence.

He sprinkles leadership advice throughout his narrative: Remain humble as an officer. Eat the same food the men eat; live in the same conditions. The worst officers, in Bennett's view, were the ones who considered soldiers their personal servants.

The book is written as a living room chat. It is not written with the polish of a John Toland or Cornelius Ryan or Stephen Ambrose. But it is movingly written.

The first hand telling of WWII by a retired 4 star general. Detailed battle discriptions and analysis, and amazing individual encounters. Possibly THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!

"Honor Untarnished". Subtitled: "A West Point Graduate's Memoir Of World War II"
By General Donald V. Bennett with William R. Forstchen, Ph.D.


This book was called to my attention by other Amazon reviewers. Because the main author is a general, I had avoided this book, since my experience is that generals typically write, for example, about the 123 Battalion attacking the 456 Hill, and all the numbers are numbing.

The book, "Honor Untarnished", is a very personal memoir. It is the personal story of a young man, Donald Bennett, who was raised on the image of General Joshua Chamberlain (Civil War General from Maine) and other Civil War heroes. He literally worked on the railroad, and watched the rich dudes, ("high rollers"), as their train sped past his work crew, going to New York. He attended Michigan State. He had a few opportunities to be appointed to the Military Academy at West Point, New York, and after flunking out one time, (failed mathematics), he finally graduated in 1940, just in time for America's entry into the Second World War.

The author begins the book with "Cadet's Prayer" and ends the book with the "Cadet's Prayer". The book's title is extracted from that prayer: "Help us to maintain the honor of the Corps untarnished".
He ends the book by referring to the Cadet's Prayer.

The book covers his service from North Africa to Sicily, and then to England where they waited for the D-Day invasion of France. As an advocate of mobile artillery, then Major Bennett urges the placement of M-7 artillery forces up close to the firing line where they can have the greatest impact on the battle. He believes that this will save lives.

Very personally, he remembers the men who were lost. He describes the ache caused by the drowning of man who fell off the climbing nets and went straight to the bottom. The man was carrying too much weight. He describes, with a tone of regret, the destruction of a German artillery group, which was caught in the open by his M-7s. This description of the Germans wheeling their horse-drawn caissons around was an echo of his experiences in training back in the States, where his artillery was being serviced in the same way as they had done in the Civil War. He always feared being caught that way.

The future general does get into less personal observations, as when, on page 299, he states that war with Russia was "...close, damn close" in Czechoslovakia. Scattered throughout the book, there are strategic and politic observations such as that on page 299.

All in all, this book was well written and enjoyable.

I found this to be a very interesting book written about the first M7 armored artillery battalions in the US Army. The fact the author was involved in the development of these battalions from the begining makes it interesting in and of its self. The description of the author landing on his section of Omaha beach on D-Day and finding he was the senior officer still able to function and the actions that he took speaks well of him, enough to earn him the DSC. His later description of the front line knowledge of the German buildup prior to the Battle of the Bulge and the failure of Eisenhower, Bradley etc. to pay any attention to the intelligence they were getting from the front does not speak well of them, they were seeing just what they wanted to see and no one could change that with facts. His comments about rarely seeing general officers at the front is refreshing and honest particularly from a West Point oficer. He appears to have no use for Montgomery, while he thinks a great deal of General Patton. In all General Bennett has written a fine over due book on a subject that has seen little or no attention, i.e. the armored artillery in combat.