Yanks : The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I [Hardcover]

John Eisenhower (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2001

Fought far from home, World War I was nonetheless a stirring "American" adventure. The achievements of the United States during that war, often underrated by military historians, were in fact remarkable, and they turned the tide of the conflict. So says John S. D. Eisenhower, one of today's most acclaimed military historians, in his sweeping history of the Great War and the men who won it: the Yanks of the American Expeditionary Force.

Their men dying in droves on the stalemated Western Front, British and French generals complained that America was giving too little, too late. John Eisenhower shows why they were wrong. The European Allies wished to plug the much-needed U.S. troops into their armies in order to fill the gaps in the line. But General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, the indomitable commander of the AEF, determined that its troops would fight together, as a whole, in a truly American army. Only this force, he argued -- not bolstered French or British units -- could convince Germany that it was hopeless to fight on.

Pershing's often-criticized decision led to the beginning of the end of World War I -- and the beginning of the U.S. Army as it is known today. The United States started the war with 200,000 troops, including the National Guard as well as regulars. They were men principally trained to fight Indians and Mexicans. Just nineteen months later the Army had mobilized, trained, and equipped four million men and shipped two million of them to France. It was the greatest mobilization of military forces the New World had yet seen.

For the men it was a baptism of fire. Throughout "Yanks" Eisenhower focuses on the small but expert cadre of officers whodirected our effort: not only Pershing, but also the men who would win their lasting fame in a later war -- MacArthur, Patton, and Marshall. But the author has mined diaries, memoirs, and after-action reports to resurrect as well the doughboys in the trenches, the unknown soldiers who made every advance possible and suffered most for every defeat. He brings vividly to life those men who achieved prominence as the AEF and its allies drove the Germans back into their homeland -- the irreverent diarist Maury Maverick, Charles W. Whittlesey and his famous "lost battalion," the colorful Colonel Ulysses Grant McAlexander, and Sergeant Alvin C. York, who became an instant celebrity by singlehandedly taking 132 Germans as prisoners.

From outposts in dusty, inglorious American backwaters to the final bloody drive across Europe, "Yanks" illuminates America's Great War as though for the first time. In the AEF, General John J. Pershing created the Army that would make ours the American age; in "Yanks" that Army has at last found a storyteller worthy of its deeds.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starting from near zero, the U.S. and Gen. John Pershing created a war-winning army in less than 18 months; veteran historian Eisenhower (Agent of Destiny, etc.) tells how they did it in this fast-paced narrative. A retired brigadier general in the army reserves, Eisenhower (writing here with spouse Joanne) presents the U.S. involvement in the war from the perspective of statesmen and generals. Even for combat color, he focuses primarily on senior officers: Douglas MacArthur and George Patton, with his insouciant courage under fire; George C. Marshall; and lesser-known figures like Charles Summerall, who threw a whole army's rear echelons into compound confusion in order to give the 1st Infantry Division a chance to capture Sedan in the war's final days. That kind of drive and energy was necessary given America's almost complete military unpreparedness. It took almost a year for the U.S. Army to put a single division of the American Expeditionary Force into battle. Without denying the administrative problems and the casualties caused by inexperience and improvisation, Eisenhower stresses the Americans' high learning curves at all levels. He argues as well that Pershing was an effective commander even in the Argonne campaign, the one most often cited as bringing the AEF nearly to gridlock, making a remarkably clear presentation of that confusing combat. Eisenhower sympathizes with Pershing's belief that the armistice was a mistake, that even a few days more might have convinced the Germans they had, in fact, been defeated in the field. It remains an arguable position, but the AEF emerges from these pages as the decisive instrument of an incomplete victory. (June 4)Forecast: The Eisenhower name, both presidential and military historical (John S.D. is the son of Dwight David), will draw readers to this title, which is suitable for generalists and buffs alike. The latter, however, will be more likely to take this blow-by-blow account all the way to the register.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This history focuses entirely on the challenges, victories, sacrifices (320,500 casualties), and long-term consequences of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in Europe during World War I. According to Eisenhower (brigadier general, ret.; Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott), the AEF was originally meant to be amalgamated with the Allied armies in Europe, but through the stubborn insistence of the Wilson administration and Gen. "Black" Jack Pershing, the Americans fought under their own colors. This well-written work demonstrates how a small, ill-equipped force grew into an awesome fighting machine and was led to victory after victory (Marne, Ch teau-Thierry, Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne) by a gifted, opportunistic corps of officers eager to prove themselves and their units. Battlefield accounts are enlivened with evocative recollections from the diaries and memoirs of officers and doughboys alike. Eisenhower contends that the AEF's contributions in France ranged from cowering the Central Powers into submission in 1918 to serving as an indispensable military model for World War II. This soundly researched effort, which would have benefited only from the inclusion of AEF engagement maps, includes Eisenhower's explanatory endnotes as an extra bonus. Recommended for all general and academic libraries. John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Athens
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1St Edition edition (June 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684863049
• ISBN-13: 978-0684863047
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,218,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GEN Eisenhower's latest contribution to military history, June 13, 2001

By 

Rolfe L. Hillman III "Office drone" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yanks : The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I (Hardcover)

GEN John D. Eisenhower (USMA'44)'s latest contribution to military history, YANKS, is a worthy addition to the libraries of anyone interested in World War I. As with his previous fine efforts (Bitter Woods, So Far From God, and Agent of Destiny), General Eisenhower's literary skills make for an "easy" read. The book is editorially well-written. More importantly for military historians, the book is exhaustively researched; drawing on numerous official sources and private papers. The book is extensively footnoted and has an impressive bibliography including several recent efforts on World War I. The book contains the all-important maps critical for understanding and "seeing" the numerous battles which are vividly portrayed. The book also offers numerous photographs drawn from official sources and individuals.

The book offers a good balance of official history combined with narration of the individuals' contributions to the US involvement in "The War to End All Wars." General Eisenhower offers his insights into the U.S. Army, the combat commanders, the conduct of the war and the personalities involved in the political struggle among the Allies concerning the U.S. effort.

In sum, a fine effort.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Superficial Account of AEF, May 30, 2002

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yanks : The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I (Paperback)

Yanks is an interesting, well-written account of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France during the First World War. Eisenhower, a retired brigadier general and son of the president, provides a broad-brush summary of American participation in the war that will certainly satisfy the general reader. However, given the number of other books on this same subject, Yanks offers nothing of unique value. The author adds nothing to his "epic story" that distinguishes it from other books on this subject. The narrative is far too generalized for readers with greater background in the First World War, and omits too much to classify as a comprehensive history of even its own subject, the AEF.

Yanks consists of three major sections that cover the creation of the AEF, the AEF's initial battles in France and the AEF's independent operations. The narrative itself consists of 23 short chapters, which are well supported by 16 maps. A brief appendix on US mobilization, notes and bibliography conclude the volume. The author has invested considerable research in this work and there are no significant historical errors. Much of the author's focus is on General Pershing, commander of the AEF, and in fact this book might have been called, "General Pershings' War." Most of the narrative focuses on high-level leaders and operations, although the author takes the time to point out the contributions of fighting men like Alvin C. York and Sam Woodfill. Eisenhower's descriptions of the St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations are succinct but accurate.

The biggest problem with Yanks - and one that greatly reduces its value - is that it really only covers the American divisions that fought directly under General Pershing's command. While the author acknowledges that ten US divisions fought under Allied control, he says virtually nothing about their contributions. The list of omitted units in this account of the AEF is incredible. The US 2nd Corps (27th and 30th Divisions), which spent the entire war under British command in Flanders and the Somme while suffering 16,000 combat casualties, is only briefly mentioned in one sentence. The American 37th and 91st Divisions, which fought with the Franco-Belgian army, are also barely mentioned. The capture of Blanc Mont by the US 2nd and 36th Divisions while assigned to the French 4th Army (and suffered 7,800 casualties) is only mentioned in a terse footnote. Furthermore, the author tends to over-focus on regular units like the 1st Infantry Division and fails to mention some National Guard units that participated in the final Meuse-Argonne offensive; the 29th Division is never mentioned once in these even though it was in the battle. Nor is US participation in other theaters mentioned; the operations of the 332nd Infantry Regiment in Italy in July-November 1918 and the 339th Infantry Regiment in Russia in September 1918 are never mentioned. Furthermore, the author omits virtually all mention of the contributions of supporting arms, such as artillery, engineers, signal, chemical and aviation. Based on this account, the reader would not be aware that there were 42 American artillery brigades in France by the end of the war. While the author includes photos of American aces Eddie Rickenbacker and Frank Luke, neither their accomplishments nor units are mentioned in the narrative. Indeed, brief mention of Patton and Billy Mitchell suffices for the author's coverage of the tank and air corps in the AEF. Due to these numerous omissions, Yanks only scratches the surface in its coverage of the AEF.

Another big problem with Yanks is that the author never spends much effort detailing important aspects of the US war effort that directly affected the build-up of the AEF. For example, the issue of armaments production is glossed over but the US failure to produce any significant quantities of artillery, tanks or aircraft was a major impediment. While the author notes Pershing's disdain that the British used only 9 weeks for basic training for their own troops, he fails to detail US training methods or explain how many virtually untrained troops were committed to battle in the Meuse-Argonne. A book like this desperately needs appendices covering order of battle, dates units arrived in France, a more detailed break-down of casualties, etc. Unfortunately, Yanks is about 50% shorter than it needs to be and the author should have made a greater effort to cover more than just the highlights of the AEF.

Finally, Yanks is rather weak on analysis. Major questions, like how great was the role of the AEF in the final victory, are barely addressed. The author might have mentioned that US troops held 83 miles of the Western Front at the armistice - less than the French but more than the Commonwealth armies. The author should also have mentioned that the ten US divisions that served under Allied command were spearheading the final Allied offensives in Champagne and Flanders. Europeans who want to minimize the AEF's role by suggesting that the St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations were sideshows should not be allowed to ignore all these other operations that Eisenhower allows to slip through the cracks of his broad-brush. The author tends to make some odd generalized linkages between the First and Second World War, particularly when he suggests that if the Allies had listened to Pershing and refused an armistice in November 1918 that the Second World War might have been avoided. This is patently absurd. If Pershing had gotten his way, the war would have extended well into 1919 with an invasion of Germany, with the result still an Allied victory. It is hard to see how more casualties with the same result could have prevented the rise of the Nazis in a defeated Germany. Finally, the whole issue of independent American formations versus coalition operations is never really addressed, but is still relevant today.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Missing Piece, July 22, 2003

By 

David Stapleton (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yanks : The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I (Hardcover)

While history can often make for dry reading material, John D. Eisenhower, does an admirable job of making the story of the United States Army in World War I readable. The author provides numerous details that flesh out the bare skeleton provided by other authors. He covers the buildup of forces, including a generous section on the logistics of moving to Europe and supplying it once it arrived. Eisenhower, also, offers valuable information and insights on the American Expeditionary Force, from senior figures like Pershing and Harbord to early views of Patton and MacArthur. Eisenhower's coverage of the battles and conflicts involving the US Army are not comprehensive, and you have to wonder if they were really meant to be, or meant as examples from which the reader can infer the details of other battles not covered. The coverage of the political/command battles provides another facet of the US involvement missed by many other books.

As any serious reader of history knows, you cannot get the whole story from any one book or author. In order to get a balanced and comprehensive view of history, the reader must look to multiple sources. This book makes an excellent companion to John Keegan's The First World War, providing a missing piece. It provides a source of balance and detail that Keegan neglects. However, it is not the be all and end all of the story; there are still plenty of missing pieces.
P-)