An American Soldier In World War 1 Summary
World War I created a unique situation that had never happened before, with a large portion of western nations fighting against each other over much of the globe. The war had a significant and life changing impact on the world, but even more on those who took part the fighting. In An American Soldier in World War I, editor David Snead explains the purpose of the book; to share the soldier’s story, including personal views and citations for information, he found lacking in other books. To achieve this the editor used George Browne’s personal letters placed in the context of the situation to further explain their contents. In doing so Snead tells both Browne’s story and also the story of the average American soldier in World War I through focusing
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He experiences a wide variety of different situations and is present at several key battles. Through this variety Snead is able to address many of the different positions soldiers found themselves in. Browne explains many advantages and disadvantages of trench warfare to Marty in his letters, such as the relative safety, convenience to weapons, the mud, and sanitation. By doing this he offers a realistic view on the situations all soldiers faced in the trenches and admits the legitimate need for them in this new form of warfare. A point often lacking among the others’ descriptions of the unsanitary conditions. As an engineer, Browne offered a unique view on the trenches and much of the infrastructure for the military including trenches, barracks, and wiring as he was involved in their construction and maintenance. This allows of detailed descriptions of the conditions and their impact on the soldiers throughout the book. Browne also sees firsthand the terror and destruction of war with almost twenty percent of his division killed, and the impact on his disposition is clear as his letters begin to take a less optimistic tone. Only soldiers can describe the true destructive nature of war and Snead uses their descriptions frequently when explaining it to the reader, while always citing the
He experiences a wide variety of different situations and is present at several key battles. Through this variety Snead is able to address many of the different positions soldiers found themselves in. Browne explains many advantages and disadvantages of trench warfare to Marty in his letters, such as the relative safety, convenience to weapons, the mud, and sanitation. By doing this he offers a realistic view on the situations all soldiers faced in the trenches and admits the legitimate need for them in this new form of warfare. A point often lacking among the others’ descriptions of the unsanitary conditions. As an engineer, Browne offered a unique view on the trenches and much of the infrastructure for the military including trenches, barracks, and wiring as he was involved in their construction and maintenance. This allows of detailed descriptions of the conditions and their impact on the soldiers throughout the book. Browne also sees firsthand the terror and destruction of war with almost twenty percent of his division killed, and the impact on his disposition is clear as his letters begin to take a less optimistic tone. Only soldiers can describe the true destructive nature of war and Snead uses their descriptions frequently when explaining it to the reader, while always citing the