Andrew Carroll

This is a very different perspective of the " Generals" series. Told through the eyes of persons who lived in Pershing's orbit: Truman, MacArthur, and many who were a lot less famous. Thus, it's not really a biography, more of a history lesson around the early twentieth century. Here is a bit of the story: while searching for Pancho Via in the American Southwest and Mexico, most of JJP's family died in a house fire. He received many letters of condolence from people around the world.....one from Pancho Via himself! So, in the course of reading this history lesson, we get a view of Pershing.… (mehr)

5651. War Letters Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, edited by Andrew Carroll (read 28 Sep 2019) This is a 504 page book (plus index) published in 2001 and having therein numerous letters written during the Civil War, World Wars One and Two, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and Bosnia.. I found the book eminently readable and since the letters are in most cases short if one is is of limited interest one quickly gets to the next one. Many are poignant and often give a picture of what war is doing to the writer. Some are by famous people--Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, General Patton, General MacArthur, etc. Most are by less famous persons and there are even Dear John letters and many are highly introspective. All too often a note tells that the writer did not survive the war and when the note tells that the writer survived and returned to his loved ones the fact is a joy. This was a good book to read and savor.… (mehr)