Customer Reviews

From Poplar to Papua: Montana's 163rd Infantry Regiment in World War II

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

 

 

I am enjoying this WWII book. easy reading and with personal insights. I haven't finished it yet but find it amazing how our young boys could fight in such conditions and finally win. I love the personal notes of cutting up the soldiers did. They thought up some great capers.

I enjoyed this look at Montana her sons who went to war. A very nice look at Montana and the midwest during a time of stress and trouble for our country. The combat stories are real and resonant with the times. I recommend this book, it is a good look at a generation that is moving from memory to history. This is a forgotten war in many respects. The Marines and Navy get most of the ink for their battles against the Japanese. These Army campaigns were brutal and were often more classic land battles than some of the sharp fights in the Pacific Ocean Areas. Shows how a group of men from the heartland learned to battle the Japanese as well as the elements. An interesting look at how the US Army was able to field and train effective field forces to fight in North Africa, Europe as well as the Pacific. A tribute to the men from the National Guard who made up the core of the unit and how they adapted to the rigors of war "on the edge of the empire". A must read for those readers interested in the US Army in WW2.

This is a very good book. It gives a detailed account of the activities of Montana's 163rd Infantry Regiment from training, to combat. It draws heavily off of personal journals kept by the soldiers, so you can expect it to be pretty accurate. It tells about many of the more humorous happenings, as well as some of the not so humerous happenings. Some of the events are somewhat unbelievable.

On the other hand, it doesn't have all that much action, which is the main reason I don't give it 5 stars.

All in all, whether you are just interested in accurate, non-fiction wartime history, or are just from Montana (like I am) and interested in the role of Montanans in the war, this is a good book to read. Read and enjoy.

This book was recommended as a valuable research item for an oral history on which I'm working. It dealt with the WWII experiences of the infantry regiment in which my narrator served. Unfortunately it focuses almost exclusively on the editor's interviews with men who had served with the regiment from 1940 until the end of the war. My narrator was a reserve National Guardsman and did not enter active duty until after the attack on Pearl Harbor. While it was only marginally useful for my purposes, I did find it a vivid account of the experiences of the guardsmen. It is suspenseful and "personal"; and anyone interested in the recovery of New Guinea should find it very helpful.