To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War

5 starsIn this fantastic book about WWI, we meet Manfred Baron von Richoften the "Red Baron" who single-handedly shot down over eighty planes for Germany. He might be mechanically inept, but oh can he fly! He loves being up in the air. He has a Great Dane that follows him everywhere and they seem very well suited to one another. The British pilots were to name Richoften's squad as “Richoften's Flying Circus” for the colorful ways in which each pilot decorated his plane. Richoften's was painted completely red. I found it particularly interesting that his younger brother Lothar joined his unit and was a very good ace as well, shooting down nearly as many planes as his world famous older brother.On the other side there is Gervais Raoul Lufbery, a French/American fighter pilot who volunteered to go to France to fly airplanes for the war effort while the United States was still neutral. Unlike von Richoften, he is a whiz at mechanics and takes a very active interest in everything mechanical about his plane, even polishing his bullets before inserting them into the belt of the machine gun. He loves walking in the woods and searching for mushrooms.We also meet German Generals Ludendorff and von Hindenberg. Ludendorff does the heavy lifting for von Hindenberg whom the soldiers admire and love. There is also British Field Commander Sir Douglas Haig. The Russians are also fighting the Germans and Austrians with the autocratic and aloof Czar Nicholas II in command. He is an awful military leader. There is much dissent and political unrest in Russia. Even the soldiers are beginning to rebel under the influence of men like Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin. Essentially, the Russian forces have given up the fight.Once the United States finally decided to get into the war, they seemed to be slow off the mark. Endless meetings and a failure to name commanders, organize troops and arrange for the ordnance and materials needed to conduct a war were the routine of the day. Even six months later, the Americans were still dragging their collective feet. They thus entered the war totally unprepared. When General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing named the overall commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe arrives in England and France, he is utterly shocked and amazed at what the British and French believe about his mission. In fact, the French even have it in writing from Washington. His closest aide and friend is then Captain George Patton.Major Billy Mitchell is appointed the leader of the American Air Service under Brigadier General William Kenly. When he meets Lufbery's Lafayette Escadrille, he is honest with them. There is no air force; they are it for the time being. He offers them the option of flying for their own flag – the United States. Raoul Lufbery and his friend Bill Thaw are promoted to Majors and take on the task of teaching the new American recruits to fly. Eddie Rickenbacker is one of the new men.And then there was the ground war. After many delays and much bureaucratic nonsense, the Americans are finally on the move in France.We meet Private Roscoe Temple whose initiation into the war are drastic and horrific. He sees old buddies shot and killed and makes new friends in the attempt to drive the Germans out of Belleau Wood. He moves on through France with the other men in his battalion; their numbers dwindling by the day. He must deal with hunger, exhaustion, new replacements, new officers and most of all, the mighty German Army. The fierce and fiery (then) tank leader George Patton is in the thick of battle. Even wounded, he is still bellowing orders.One thing that astounded me was the Sedition Act and its effect on everyday citizens who spoke against the war, even in mild terms.The reader has the experience of being in the battle with the Marines. Mr. Shaara describes the terrain, the weather and the men's sheer terror and determination to survive. This is a fantastically well written book. The characters are colorful and interesting – and very true to life. I have enjoyed Mr. Shaara's books for a very long time from the Revolutionary War and right on through the Korean War. I am hoping that he does a treatment for the VietNam war as well. (My war, so to speak.)

Gets inside the men that fought in a very believable way. Nothing felt false or overdone. I wil! Search out his other books.

I have read several books by Jeff Shasta and have found them to be an interesting view of historical events. This one is that way also. The scope of the events of World War I are a large undertaking, but this book does a very good job of looking at just some of the story of the AEF I. By looking at a few of the many persons involved in the war the picture that is presented give you a good sense of the role of America in WWI. Now if you are looking to read of Alvin York don't, because this is about the man, who was in charge, John Pershing. It is about the men on both sides who flew the fragile early planes in combat.

Overall a good read as are several of the Jeff Shaara books. He can at times become to wrapped up in the build up and take to long to get to the action.As is often the case, the nationality of the historian telling the tale credits the end of the war to a different hero. I have found English historians will credit the turn in the tide of victory to England inventing the tank and employing it in battle, or by more fully incorporating more men-those from its far flung English Empire (Indian and African troops) plus the American army in terms of placing more troops at the line of battle.Shaara credits the American Army and more specifically it's leader Black Jack Pershing for the eventual victory. He shows Pershing insisting upon individual American solders not being pushed into weak English or French units piecemeal. He also insisted upon waiting for a more complete training and for only Americans fighting under American commanders before committing our troops to battle. Shaara credits Pershing's strategy of attacking salients (limited areas of a bulge in the enemy line) using first the cover of extensive artillery shelling to soften and blind the Germans, then troops advancing only under shelter from enemy fire and fire power superiority of tanks. Throughout the book the author points out the infighting and poor decision making of the English and French military and political leaders while it seems Black Jack made all of the right moves.I think we may never really know what caused the victory. I suspect it was a combination of elements: more strategic coordination between the Allies (simultaneous attack at different points in the line using one country's artillery, another's tanks, manpower, and so on), a more coherent useof well trained troops in common units lead by it's own leaders, and the advent and use of tanks to roll over trenches and create moving screens for the troops (whether invented by the British, French, or the Americans).

The books by these authors, father and son I am told, provide a way to learn the history of these wars or battles in a way that one can experience the event. Simply seeing the maps and hearing of the weapons and casualties would not bring about the same experience of what happened. It is more moving than simple historical fact.

This novel is a moving overview, from a US perspective, of the American effort in WW1. Formidably researched, though I doubt Pershing would have been greeted by a Home Guard band in 1917.

Shaara's style doesn't seem to fit the WW1 scenario as well as it did the Civil War novels he wrote. I was also irritated by the assumption in the book that the USA won WW1 - as well as WW2 presumably - and single handed too, with little help from those pesky Brits! The interplay between Pershing and the US Government is well covered however and, as it frequently the case with historical novels, will encourage me to read more widely in "real" history books about this.

Seriously enjoyed this. Opened my eyes to other faces of The Great War which I knew nothing about before. Hard hitting and so full of information, inspired me to research further into these fascinating men.

Long, absorbing read about WW1. Is there any limit to Jeff Shaara's range? Great, as usual.

Could be a good story, but can’t read it as the print is way to.small. Good seller, no problem with him.