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War and Remembrance: The Story of the American Battle Monuments Commission (AUSA Books) Kindle Edition

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

"No soldier could ask for a sweeter resting place than on the field of glory where he fell. The land he died to save vies with the one which gave him birth in paying tribute to his memory, and the kindly hands which so often come to spread flowers upon his earthly coverlet express in their gentle task a personal affection."—General John J. Pershing

To remember and honor the memory of the American soldiers who fought and died in foreign wars during the past hundred years, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was established. Since the agency was founded in 1923, its sole purpose has been to commemorate the soldiers' service and the causes for which their lives were given. The twenty-five overseas cemeteries honoring 139,000 combat dead and the memorials honoring the 60,314 fallen soldiers with no known graves are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained shrines in the world.

In the first comprehensive study of the ABMC, Thomas H. Conner traces how the agency came to be created by Congress in the aftermath of World War I, how the cemeteries and monuments the agency built were designed and their locations chosen, and how the commemorative sites have become important "outposts of remembrance" on foreign soil. War and Remembrance powerfully demonstrates that these monuments—living sites that embody the role Americans played in the defense of freedom far from their own shores—assist in understanding the interconnections of memory and history and serve as an inspiration to later generations.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautifully rendered and meticulously researched history of the American Battle Monuments Commission. For those interested in the history of the memorialization of America's fallen, this is the perfect book―a significant contribution to the history of memory and what happens to the dead after the guns fall silent."―Peter Mansoor, Colonel, US Army (Ret.), and CNN military analyst

"The author has taken on a project that no one else has attempted, and has done so on the basis of extremely extensive research in relevant archives, publications, and personal papers deposited in widely separated locations. This well-written book will be of interest for readers in many decades to come."―Gerhard L. Weinberg, author of
A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II

"Professor Thomas Conner has written a much needed and fascinating study of the history and practice of the American Battle Monuments Commission. It is the first scholarly and widely accessible account of a singular effort to honor the American dead who have fallen overseas. Conner's scholarship is impeccable. His gratitude both to the dead and those who have honored them is moving. And his prose is engaging. We are fortunate that our first book on the ABMC has been entrusted to such an distinguished and learned scholar."―Victor Davis Hanson, author of
The Second World Wars

"Thomas H. Conner has written a riveting and probably definitive history of the federal institution responsible for the conception, building and ongoing maintenance of these awe-inspiring cemeteries and monuments. This is an absorbing and thoroughly researched history, in itself a worthy monument to the ABMC."―
Army Magazine

"Conner employs superb writing and meticulous research to form a narrative that is as enjoyable as it is instructive. In highlighting the service of a nearly unknown government commission, Conner rightly reveals to his fellow Americans that the duty to remember our fallen fellow citizens is never complete. In a time such as ours, which seems bent on erasing everything from history that it finds distasteful, the work of recalling an honorable past is more vital than ever."―
American Spectator

"Conner's book offers an unparalleled account of the American Battle Monuments Commission. This is an incredible contribution to the history of the American Battle Monuments Commission, as no finding aid or guidebook of names to its records exists."―
Real Clear Defense

About the Author

Thomas H. Conner is the William P. Harris Professor of Military History at Hillsdale College. For forty years, he has made nearly annual visits to our country's overseas war memorials, often with groups of touring students.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07CVRJB9M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University Press of Kentucky (October 5, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 5, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 13431 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
27 global ratings
Untold History of a Grand and Necessary Job
5 out of 5 stars
Untold History of a Grand and Necessary Job
It's hard to believe that the unique history of a GOOD government agency was untold - until now.Dr. Conner's treatment of the history of the American Battle Monuments Commission is all at once informative, nuanced, grand, personal, and memorable. His telling of the events that precipitated the ABMC, it's early leaders (most notably, General John J. Pershing and General George C. Marshall) and their legacy, and the aims of the agency in present day are in depth and engaging.What's most moving about this book though is it's consideration of what Remembrance means to the Commission. The efforts the ABMC and it's staff undertake to honor our overseas dead and maintain the beautiful grounds and memorials is affecting. I have had the good fortune to visit a few of these sites and they are as magnificent to behold as Dr. Conner describes them. I certainly have more to see...General Pershing established the motto of the ABMC when he stated, "Time will not dim the glory of their deeds." Dr. Conner does a great service to that motto. This book offers a much needed reminder of those heroic deeds and of the places and people that exist to memorialize them.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2018
Over the decades I have visited ABMC cemeteries and monuments in Manila, Cambridge, Florence, California, Rome, and Honolulu. Their somber beauty always leave any visitor humbled by the sacrifice of those who rest forever in these sacred places or whose names are listed by the hundreds on the “Tablets of the Missing”.

Thomas Conner has written a superb history of The American Battle Monuments Commission - and of the men and women who over the decades created the sacred final resting places for those who gave everything for our country and our allies.

I most appreciated Dr. Conner’s stories of the loving care demonstrated by the foreign caretakers of these cemeteries. I have witnessed this love and devotion myself, especially in England and Italy. It is unforgettable to witness.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2020
This is an interesting historical topic of which very little is written other than as a deserved tribute to fallen soldiers. I was most curious about the time period of 1939-1945, WW II, and how the area was treated by the Germans. Very little info was available on the topic, even from the present day Commission, but this book devoted an entire section to the matter. I would recommend this to WW2 historical buffs.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020
This book is everything I thought it would be. I have traveled to every ABMC site in Europe, and now having the knowledge of how these sites came to be is so rewarding. The backatory of politics and policies that impact the way Americans memorialize war is a fascinating subject.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2018
Dr. Conner has spent his professional career studying and researching the monuments of the Great Wars. It is without question that the book is written from the perspective of first hand knowledge of each site... it is a factual account that gives full meaning and purpose for the Monuments Commission.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2019
A,book - had interest in topic - and read it -,
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2019
excellent service and great product
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2018
It's hard to believe that the unique history of a GOOD government agency was untold - until now.

Dr. Conner's treatment of the history of the American Battle Monuments Commission is all at once informative, nuanced, grand, personal, and memorable. His telling of the events that precipitated the ABMC, it's early leaders (most notably, General John J. Pershing and General George C. Marshall) and their legacy, and the aims of the agency in present day are in depth and engaging.

What's most moving about this book though is it's consideration of what Remembrance means to the Commission. The efforts the ABMC and it's staff undertake to honor our overseas dead and maintain the beautiful grounds and memorials is affecting. I have had the good fortune to visit a few of these sites and they are as magnificent to behold as Dr. Conner describes them. I certainly have more to see...

General Pershing established the motto of the ABMC when he stated, "Time will not dim the glory of their deeds." Dr. Conner does a great service to that motto. This book offers a much needed reminder of those heroic deeds and of the places and people that exist to memorialize them.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Untold History of a Grand and Necessary Job
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2018
It's hard to believe that the unique history of a GOOD government agency was untold - until now.

Dr. Conner's treatment of the history of the American Battle Monuments Commission is all at once informative, nuanced, grand, personal, and memorable. His telling of the events that precipitated the ABMC, it's early leaders (most notably, General John J. Pershing and General George C. Marshall) and their legacy, and the aims of the agency in present day are in depth and engaging.

What's most moving about this book though is it's consideration of what Remembrance means to the Commission. The efforts the ABMC and it's staff undertake to honor our overseas dead and maintain the beautiful grounds and memorials is affecting. I have had the good fortune to visit a few of these sites and they are as magnificent to behold as Dr. Conner describes them. I certainly have more to see...

General Pershing established the motto of the ABMC when he stated, "Time will not dim the glory of their deeds." Dr. Conner does a great service to that motto. This book offers a much needed reminder of those heroic deeds and of the places and people that exist to memorialize them.
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8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018
As the proud father of two sons at Hillsdale, I have enjoyed the pleasure of Dr. Conner's company on many occasions. His devotion to America's fallen and passion for honoring their final resting places is perhaps only surpassed by the wisdom and kindness he shares with his students. This book has been meticulously researched and crafted with a care befitting the most solemn of subject matters. I will enjoy it thoroughly, recommend it often, and remain profoundly grateful to its author.
12 people found this helpful
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