The Doughboys, Gary Mead
The Doughboys, Gary Mead
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

The Doughboys
America and the First World War

Author: Gary Mead

Narrator: Tom Perkins

Unabridged: 17 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/11/2021


Synopsis

More than three million American men, many of them volunteers, joined the AEF in the first twenty months of US involvement in the First World War.

Of these, over 50,000 were killed on European soil. These were the Doughboys, the young men recruited from the cities and farms of the United States, who travelled across the Atlantic to aid the allies in the trenches and on the battlefields. Without their courage and determination, the outcome of the war would have been very different.

Why did America become involved in the First World War? What was the fighting experience of the AEF in France and Russia? Most importantly, why has the vital contribution made by the Americans been largely neglected by historians of the Great War?

In this fascinating study, based on original research, Gary Mead adjusts the balance of history in favor of these unsung heroes. Drawing on a rich selection of engaging personal accounts, he brings us the stories of the young men whose courage and tenacity changed the course of the war.

About Gary Mead

Gary Mead was a journalist for ten years with the Financial Times and has worked extensively with the BBC, before which he lectured in English literature in Poland. He is the author of the Odyssey Illustrated Guide to South Africa.


Reviews

Goodreads review by A.L.

I’d say this is a 3.5 star book. Some parts were really interesting and some parts weren’t. Overall, I feel like I learned a lot about America’s experience in World War One. Here are some highlights: When the US declared war on Germany, the size of the American military was tied for 17th place, alo......more

Goodreads review by R

A task to read The book reads like scholastic thesis only lacking the APA formatting and endless cites. Instead we have endless italicized sections quoting the participants. To his credit, the author provides some context to the quoted sections. I bought the book so felt obligated to struggle through......more

Goodreads review by Al

This is a very well written book about the American Soldiers who served in WWI and in Russia/Siberia during the Russian Revolution. Although I have a few quibbles with the book, overall, this is a very well written and researched book - heavily based on individual interviews and anecdotes. OK, my qu......more

Goodreads review by Jon

Yes, the American Army helped to turn the tide once it got involved fully in this most awful war, that much I completely understand and agree with. Mr. Mead's premise is a sound one, and I enjoyed getting the chance to understand the differing approaches that the French and British military officers......more