Strike Swiftly: The 70th Tank Battalion: From North Africa to Normandy to Germany [Hardcover]

Marvin Jensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 1997

The 70th Tank Battalion engaged in some of the bloodiest and most grueling battles of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

During WW II, Jensen served as a cook in the bivouac of a potent tank battalion. His first book is a proud history of the unit and, not incidentally, a tribute to his friends at the front. The men of the 70th Tank Battalion fought from Tunis and Sicily to Normandy on D-Day. Then, through the hazardous Norman hedgerows to the glory of Paris on Liberation Day, from the Seigfried Line into the Battle of the Bulge, often advancing beyond their maps, they were an integral part of bloody, cosmic events. Jensen records the details, including the symbiotic kinship of the tankmen and the infantry. We learn the difference in handling a light tank and a medium one. He notes the functions of quartermaster and ordnance, field kitchen and graves registration. Official records, action reports, citations, and other historical sources are marshaled to record events in the life of the battalion (like the surrender of some 20,000 Germans to its A Company, consisting of just 134 men). But the personal journals and letters and many interviews with veterans of the 70th are the most powerful evidence of military prowess coupled with basic humanity. Jensen's debriefing is almost pedestrian, merging minor events and high drama. Yet it is a matter-of-fact record of unsurpassed comradeship and courage. By the last page, these tales of bravery become a powerful evocation of the world's last good war. For this military history, a feeling for the difference between a squad and a division or a carbine and a howitzer might be helpful but is certainly not required. It's a simple text of a harrowing time when men fought, not for a flag, but for their brothers-in-arms and their honor and then went--those who survived- -home again. (maps and photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press; First edition (February 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891416102
• ISBN-13: 978-0891416104
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,579,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great tribute and enjoyable history lesson, July 30, 2000

By 

Steve Birch (Wurzburg, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike Swiftly: The 70th Tank Battalion: From North Africa to Normandy to Germany (Hardcover)

Marvin Jensen's "Strike Swiftly" is a great addition to any library. Jensen shows the people behind some of the great events of the Second World War. As he traces the 70th Tank Battalion from pre-WW II through the end of the war, he honors his brothers in arms, both living and dead, with solid history of events and a more solid account of the people. Inspiring and easy to read, the stories are often humorous and the reader will appreciate the fact that the U.S. Army in WW II was a citizen's army. Jensen details well small unit armor tactics and explains day to day army life. If you like military history and enjoy it from the soldiers point of view, Jensen is right on target!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for children of WWII soldiers!, October 6, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike Swiftly: The 70th Tank Battalion: From North Africa to Normandy to Germany (Hardcover)

I am biased, being Marvin's son. However, not only did I gain a great understanding of what happened to the ordinary soldier during the war, but I found a gap filled in the history books. Most of the time, 'history' books are told from the point of view of national strategy and of the leaders thereof. Although important, they do not tell the true human story. I've loaned this book to a number of friends of my generation, and all of them returned it with glowing praise. They say they finally understood what dad (or uncle or...) went through during the war and had a new-found appreciation of that involvement. Recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book from the combatant's perspective., April 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Strike Swiftly: The 70th Tank Battalion: From North Africa to Normandy to Germany (Hardcover)

Jensen's book is a collection of tales, events, and history all sewn together. It read quickly and left the reader wanting to learn more about the experiences of the men of the 70th battalion. It was told from the perspective of those who were truly involved in and affected by the war, not by some staff officer retelling the events from afar. It was warm, engaging, funny, serious, sad, and real. A Great book!