The A.E.F.: With General Pershing and the American Forces

Description

Readers interested in realistic first-hand accounts of what life on the front and in the trenches was like in World War I will surely enjoy this collection sketches. The author, Heywood Broun, accompanied General Pershing and American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F) to Europe, where they were deployed to fight alongside the troops of the Allied Forces, mainly the French and British in 1917.

Broun looked at the events and harsh circumstances the soldiers needed to endure with the eyes of a journalist, and he documented his experiences with the accuracy and attention to detail of a really good and experienced war correspondent.

As part of General Pershing’s troops, Heywood Broun becomes involved in various, often dangerous events and incidents right from the beginning. One of the first stories in the book is about the threat of an attack by a German submarine, so the reader is instantly drawn into the eventful world of the war correspondent, but less dramatic events and periods such as the time spent in the training camp behind the front line are described with equal talent. After arrival, the AEF cross France to get to a training camp first, then to the war zone. They stop briefly in Paris where they meet cheering crowds that encourage them, then the Americans move on and soon reach their camp. After the training, Broun accompanies the American soldiers to the trenches as well and that is where book ends with a sketch entitled The Veterans Return.

Though written a hundred years ago, Heywood Broun’s sketches are as lively today as they were when they were first published. The stories are not only very realistic and objective – they are also touching and perfectly paced, making the book an excellent source of information as well as an entertaining and moving read.
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