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Product Description
AT BELLEAU WOOD is the full and dramatic story of America's greatest World War I battle. On June 5, 1918, the 2nd U.S. Division, made up of soldiers and Marines - mostly inexperienced - launched an offensive on German lines at Belleau Wood. Using sources on both sides of the Atlantic and interviewing many of those who fought in the battle, Asprey recreates what took place. He describes the troops and their officers, the mistakes and misunderstandings, the combination of tactical ingenuity and pure guts which ultimately enabled Major Maurice Shearer to report: "Belleau Wood now U.S. Marine Corps entirely." The battle at Belleau Wood allowed the Allies to end the war by year's end. "Robert Asprey...has masterfully captured the tenacity, undying courage and stark fortitude which marked the conduct of friend and foe alike." (General G.C. Thomas, USMC (Ret.))
Amazon.com Review
On June 15, 1918, the 2nd U.S. Division--consisting of army soldiers and combat-ready troops recruited from the Marine Corps by General Pershing to supplement limited American forces--met with their German opponents at Belleau Wood. At the time, Allied spirits were extremely low; the question was not if the Germans would march into Paris, but when. But the 2nd fought hard and pulled out a victory, and created the psychological turning point that allowed the Allies to end the war by year's end. Military historian Robert Asprey tells this rousing tale with much first-hand testimony (in interviews, memoirs, and letters home) from the troops that made it happen.
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