Shavetail: The Odyssey of an Infantry Lieutenant in World War II [Hardcover]

William L. Devitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

Because he went a military school, when he was sent to the beaches of Normandy, it was as a liuetenant. So, this boy who had never seen battle was sent to lead others and try to bring them home safely. With photos. This book mentions many of the great battles in World War II.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud; First Edition edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878391614
• ISBN-13: 978-0878391615
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,272,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a read!, October 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Shavetail: The Odyssey of an Infantry Lieutenant in World War II (Hardcover)

The book is a very interesting set of personal recollections - some funny, some poignant, some harrowing. I recommend it!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very honest war story, November 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Shavetail: The Odyssey of an Infantry Lieutenant in World War II (Hardcover)

The thing most impressive about this interesting book is the brutal honesty. No false vanity or ego here. He critiques the commanding generals and gives himself plenty of good licks too. I took basic infantry training in the Korean war and, fortunately, that was the end of the infantry for me. The book gives a very good feel for what it was like to be in the infantry. It was as bad as I had always imagined.

The most astonoshing thing I learned was that taking ROTC in high school could result in a direct commission. I had no idea that went on.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great narrative, February 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Shavetail: The Odyssey of an Infantry Lieutenant in World War II (Hardcover)

Its hard to describe the emotions I felt while reading this book.
This story is one man's remembrance of a war that cost the
"Greatest Generation" their youth, their innocence, and in all too many cases, their lives. Mr. Dewitt is very humble, but the
day to day life he describes while in the field, and advancing towards an unseen enemy, rings true. He continually asked himself, "Will I do the right thing?" vs. "Will I turn tail and run?" Most alive today have never dealt with life or death situations. As one who has read about danger but never really experienced, I can say - Yes, you did the right thing. Thank you for remembering how it was for us.