United States Army: The Definitive Illustrated History by D.M. Giangreco (Sterling, 2014).
The operative word in this visually stunning book’s title is “definitive.” Giangreco, an award-winning author and military historian, traces 250 years of U.S. Army history, from the American Revolutionary War to the Civil War, through both world wars, and up to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. All aspects of soldier life and battlefield experiences are revealed in the book’s more than 1,400 photographs and paintings, which are woven together by the author’s comprehensive and masterfully written text.
Such Troops as These: The Genius and Leadership of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson by Bevin Alexander (Penguin, 2014).
In his superb new book, Alexander continues to demonstrate the breadth of his historical knowledge as well as his keen insight and outstanding capacity to write a compelling and engaging narrative. He cuts through a century and a half of mythmaking about the Confederate high command not only to reveal Jackson’s true genius but also to expose the failures of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis that cost the South any chance of victory.
The Americans on D-Day: A Photographic History of the Normandy Invasion by Martin K.A. Morgan (Zenith Press, 2014).
Through 450 photographs – some familiar, but others previously unpublished – Morgan presents the visual story of the U.S. military’s participation in D-Day and its first week of combat in the Normandy invasion. His excellent chapter introductions and highly detailed captions put the photographs in proper context and provide a wealth of information about uniforms, weapons and equipment.
The Wereth 11 (Jansen Media, 2011).
A powerful docudrama about 11 African-American Soldiers of 333d Field Artillery Battalion who were massacred by German troops at Wereth, Belgium, on December 17, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge. In May 2014, the U.S. Congress officially recognized the Wereth 11’s “dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice.” (See Dispatches, May 2014 ACG.)
Brothers in War
(National Geographic Video, 2014).
A superb documentary chronicling the 1967 Vietnam War combat tour and its aftermath experienced by the Soldiers of Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. The film is based on Andrew Wiest’s book The Boys of ’67: Charlie Company’s War in Vietnam (Osprey Publishing, 2014).
Originally published in the November 2014 issue of Armchair General.
