Author: James Carl Nelson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062975900
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
"Exceptional military history worthy of its heroic subject." —Matthew J. Davenport In the vein of Band of Brothers and American Sniper, a riveting history of Alvin York, the World War I legend who killed two dozen Germans and captured more than 100, detailing York's heroics yet also restoring the unsung heroes of his patrol to their rightful place in history—from renowned World War I historian James Carl Nelson. October 8, 1918 was a banner day for heroes of the American Expeditionary Force. Thirteen men performed heroic deeds that would earn them Medals of Honor. Of this group, one man emerged as the single greatest American hero of the Great War: Alvin Cullum York. A poor young farmer from Tennessee, Sergeant York was said to have single-handedly killed two dozen Germans and captured another 132 of the enemy plus thirty-five machine guns before noon on that fateful Day of Valor. York would become an American legend, celebrated in magazines, books, and a blockbuster biopic starring Gary Cooper. The film, Sergeant York, told of a hell-raiser from backwoods Tennessee who had a come-to-Jesus moment, then wrestled with his newfound Christian convictions to become one of the greatest heroes the U.S. Army had ever known. It was a great story—but not the whole story. In this absorbing history, James Carl Nelson unspools, for the first time, the complete story of Alvin York and the events that occurred in the Argonne Forest on that day. Nelson gives voice, in particular, to the sixteen “others” who fought beside York. Hailing from big cities and small towns across the U.S. as well as several foreign countries, these soldiers included a patrician Connecticut farmer whose lineage could be traced back to the American Revolution, a poor runaway from Massachusetts who joined the Army under a false name, and a Polish immigrant who enlisted in hopes of expediting his citizenship. The York Patrol shines a long overdue spotlight on these men and York, and pays homage to their bravery and sacrifice. Illustrated with 25 black-and-white images, The York Patrol is a rousing tale of courage, tragedy, and heroism.
The York Patrol
Author: James Carl Nelson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062975900
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
"Exceptional military history worthy of its heroic subject." —Matthew J. Davenport In the vein of Band of Brothers and American Sniper, a riveting history of Alvin York, the World War I legend who killed two dozen Germans and captured more than 100, detailing York's heroics yet also restoring the unsung heroes of his patrol to their rightful place in history—from renowned World War I historian James Carl Nelson. October 8, 1918 was a banner day for heroes of the American Expeditionary Force. Thirteen men performed heroic deeds that would earn them Medals of Honor. Of this group, one man emerged as the single greatest American hero of the Great War: Alvin Cullum York. A poor young farmer from Tennessee, Sergeant York was said to have single-handedly killed two dozen Germans and captured another 132 of the enemy plus thirty-five machine guns before noon on that fateful Day of Valor. York would become an American legend, celebrated in magazines, books, and a blockbuster biopic starring Gary Cooper. The film, Sergeant York, told of a hell-raiser from backwoods Tennessee who had a come-to-Jesus moment, then wrestled with his newfound Christian convictions to become one of the greatest heroes the U.S. Army had ever known. It was a great story—but not the whole story. In this absorbing history, James Carl Nelson unspools, for the first time, the complete story of Alvin York and the events that occurred in the Argonne Forest on that day. Nelson gives voice, in particular, to the sixteen “others” who fought beside York. Hailing from big cities and small towns across the U.S. as well as several foreign countries, these soldiers included a patrician Connecticut farmer whose lineage could be traced back to the American Revolution, a poor runaway from Massachusetts who joined the Army under a false name, and a Polish immigrant who enlisted in hopes of expediting his citizenship. The York Patrol shines a long overdue spotlight on these men and York, and pays homage to their bravery and sacrifice. Illustrated with 25 black-and-white images, The York Patrol is a rousing tale of courage, tragedy, and heroism.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062975900
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
"Exceptional military history worthy of its heroic subject." —Matthew J. Davenport In the vein of Band of Brothers and American Sniper, a riveting history of Alvin York, the World War I legend who killed two dozen Germans and captured more than 100, detailing York's heroics yet also restoring the unsung heroes of his patrol to their rightful place in history—from renowned World War I historian James Carl Nelson. October 8, 1918 was a banner day for heroes of the American Expeditionary Force. Thirteen men performed heroic deeds that would earn them Medals of Honor. Of this group, one man emerged as the single greatest American hero of the Great War: Alvin Cullum York. A poor young farmer from Tennessee, Sergeant York was said to have single-handedly killed two dozen Germans and captured another 132 of the enemy plus thirty-five machine guns before noon on that fateful Day of Valor. York would become an American legend, celebrated in magazines, books, and a blockbuster biopic starring Gary Cooper. The film, Sergeant York, told of a hell-raiser from backwoods Tennessee who had a come-to-Jesus moment, then wrestled with his newfound Christian convictions to become one of the greatest heroes the U.S. Army had ever known. It was a great story—but not the whole story. In this absorbing history, James Carl Nelson unspools, for the first time, the complete story of Alvin York and the events that occurred in the Argonne Forest on that day. Nelson gives voice, in particular, to the sixteen “others” who fought beside York. Hailing from big cities and small towns across the U.S. as well as several foreign countries, these soldiers included a patrician Connecticut farmer whose lineage could be traced back to the American Revolution, a poor runaway from Massachusetts who joined the Army under a false name, and a Polish immigrant who enlisted in hopes of expediting his citizenship. The York Patrol shines a long overdue spotlight on these men and York, and pays homage to their bravery and sacrifice. Illustrated with 25 black-and-white images, The York Patrol is a rousing tale of courage, tragedy, and heroism.
Sergeant York
Author: David D. Lee
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813145872
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Alvin C. York went out on a routine patrol an ordinary, unknown American doughboy of the First World War. He came back from no-man's-land a hero. In a brief encounter on October 8, 1918, during the Argonne offensive, York had killed 25 German soldiers and, almost singlehandedly, effected the capture of 132 others. Returning to the United States the following spring, he received a tumultuous public welcome and a flood of offers from businessmen eager to capitalize on his acclaimed feat. But York, true to his character, went quietly back to his home in the Tennessee mountains, where he spent the remainder of his life working to bring schools and other services to those remote valleys where his neighbors lived. In this definitive biography, David D. Lee has firmly established the simple facts of Alvin York's life, distinguishing them from the myths which have grown up around the man. He has reexamined the sometimes conflicting accounts of the famous exploit, finding in his research a hitherto unknown report of the skirmish from German military archives. Lee goes beyond that single wartime episode, however, to consider its consequences on York's later life—his efforts, not always successful, to better his mountain community; his involvement in making a motion picture of his life; his difficulties with money and taxes. But Sergeant York is better known as a symbol than as an individual, and in this study Lee connects the man and his life to an American heroic ideal. With his rural background, his refusal to take commercial advantage of his fame, and his simple piety, Alvin York exemplified the traditional values of an agrarian America that was in his own day already receding into the past. He claimed a special place in the hearts of his countrymen, Lee concludes, because his life seemed to show that the virtues of the common man continued to be a vital part of American society.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813145872
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Alvin C. York went out on a routine patrol an ordinary, unknown American doughboy of the First World War. He came back from no-man's-land a hero. In a brief encounter on October 8, 1918, during the Argonne offensive, York had killed 25 German soldiers and, almost singlehandedly, effected the capture of 132 others. Returning to the United States the following spring, he received a tumultuous public welcome and a flood of offers from businessmen eager to capitalize on his acclaimed feat. But York, true to his character, went quietly back to his home in the Tennessee mountains, where he spent the remainder of his life working to bring schools and other services to those remote valleys where his neighbors lived. In this definitive biography, David D. Lee has firmly established the simple facts of Alvin York's life, distinguishing them from the myths which have grown up around the man. He has reexamined the sometimes conflicting accounts of the famous exploit, finding in his research a hitherto unknown report of the skirmish from German military archives. Lee goes beyond that single wartime episode, however, to consider its consequences on York's later life—his efforts, not always successful, to better his mountain community; his involvement in making a motion picture of his life; his difficulties with money and taxes. But Sergeant York is better known as a symbol than as an individual, and in this study Lee connects the man and his life to an American heroic ideal. With his rural background, his refusal to take commercial advantage of his fame, and his simple piety, Alvin York exemplified the traditional values of an agrarian America that was in his own day already receding into the past. He claimed a special place in the hearts of his countrymen, Lee concludes, because his life seemed to show that the virtues of the common man continued to be a vital part of American society.
Patrol
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060731591
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
Vietnam. A young American soldier waits for his enemy, rifle in hand, finger on the trigger. He is afraid to move and yet afraid not to move. Gunshots crackle in the still air. The soldier fires blindly into the distant trees at an unseen enemy. He crouches and waits -- heart pounding, tense and trembling, biting back tears. When will it all be over? Walter Dean Myers joined the army on his seventeeth birthday, at the onset of American involvement in Vietnam, but it was the death of his brother in 1968 that forever changed his mind about war. In a gripping and powerful story-poem, the award-winning author takes readers into the heart and mind of a young soldier in an alien land who comes face-to-face with the enemy. Strikingly illustrated with evocative and emotionally wrenching collages by Caldecott Honor artist Ann Grifalconi, this unforgettable portrait captures one American G.L's haunting experience.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060731591
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
Vietnam. A young American soldier waits for his enemy, rifle in hand, finger on the trigger. He is afraid to move and yet afraid not to move. Gunshots crackle in the still air. The soldier fires blindly into the distant trees at an unseen enemy. He crouches and waits -- heart pounding, tense and trembling, biting back tears. When will it all be over? Walter Dean Myers joined the army on his seventeeth birthday, at the onset of American involvement in Vietnam, but it was the death of his brother in 1968 that forever changed his mind about war. In a gripping and powerful story-poem, the award-winning author takes readers into the heart and mind of a young soldier in an alien land who comes face-to-face with the enemy. Strikingly illustrated with evocative and emotionally wrenching collages by Caldecott Honor artist Ann Grifalconi, this unforgettable portrait captures one American G.L's haunting experience.
The Polar Bear Expedition
Author: James Carl Nelson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062852795
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 395
Book Description
In the brutally cold winter of 1919, 5,000 Americans battled the Red Army 600 miles north of Moscow. We have forgotten. Russia has not. "AN EXCELLENT BOOK." —Wall Street Journal • "INCREDIBLE." — John U. Bacon • "EXCEPTIONAL.” — Patrick K. O’Donnell • "A MASTER OF NARRATIVE HISTORY." — Mitchell Yockelson • "GRIPPING." — Matthew J. Davenport • "FASCINATING, VIVID." — Minneapolis Star Tribune An unforgettable human drama deep with contemporary resonance, award-winning historian James Carl Nelson's The Polar Bear Expedition draws on an untapped trove of firsthand accounts to deliver a vivid, soldier's-eye view of an extraordinary lost chapter of American history—the Invasion of Russia one hundred years ago during the last days of the Great War. In the winter of 1919, 5,000 U.S. soldiers, nicknamed "The Polar Bears," found themselves hundreds of miles north of Moscow in desperate, bloody combat against the newly formed Soviet Union's Red Army. Temperatures plummeted to sixty below zero. Their guns and their flesh froze. The Bolsheviks, camouflaged in white, advanced in waves across the snow like ghosts. The Polar Bears, hailing largely from Michigan, heroically waged a courageous campaign in the brutal, frigid subarctic of northern Russia for almost a year. And yet they are all but unknown today. Indeed, during the Cold War, two U.S. presidents, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, would assert that the American and the Russian people had never directly fought each other. They were spectacularly wrong, and so too is the nation's collective memory. It began in August 1918, during the last months of the First World War: the U.S. Army's 339th Infantry Regiment crossed the Arctic Circle; instead of the Western Front, these troops were sailing en route to Archangel, Russia, on the White Sea, to intervene in the Russian Civil War. The American Expeditionary Force, North Russia, had been sent to fight the Soviet Red Army and aid anti-Bolshevik forces in hopes of reopening the Eastern Front against Germany. And yet even after the Great War officially ended in November 1918, American troops continued to battle the Red Army and another, equally formiddable enemy, "General Winter," which had destroyed Napoleon's Grand Armee a century earlier and would do the same to Hitler's once invincible Wehrmacht. More than two hundred Polar Bears perished before their withdrawal in July 1919. But their story does not end there. Ten years after they left, a contingent of veterans returned to Russia to recover the remains of more than a hundred of their fallen brothers and lay them to rest in Michigan, where a monument honoring their service still stands. In the century since, America has forgotten the Polar Bears' harrowing campaign. Russia, notably, has not, and as Nelson reveals, the episode continues to color Russian attitudes toward the United States. At once epic and intimate, The Polar Bear Expedition masterfully recovers this remarkable tale at a time of new relevance.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062852795
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 395
Book Description
In the brutally cold winter of 1919, 5,000 Americans battled the Red Army 600 miles north of Moscow. We have forgotten. Russia has not. "AN EXCELLENT BOOK." —Wall Street Journal • "INCREDIBLE." — John U. Bacon • "EXCEPTIONAL.” — Patrick K. O’Donnell • "A MASTER OF NARRATIVE HISTORY." — Mitchell Yockelson • "GRIPPING." — Matthew J. Davenport • "FASCINATING, VIVID." — Minneapolis Star Tribune An unforgettable human drama deep with contemporary resonance, award-winning historian James Carl Nelson's The Polar Bear Expedition draws on an untapped trove of firsthand accounts to deliver a vivid, soldier's-eye view of an extraordinary lost chapter of American history—the Invasion of Russia one hundred years ago during the last days of the Great War. In the winter of 1919, 5,000 U.S. soldiers, nicknamed "The Polar Bears," found themselves hundreds of miles north of Moscow in desperate, bloody combat against the newly formed Soviet Union's Red Army. Temperatures plummeted to sixty below zero. Their guns and their flesh froze. The Bolsheviks, camouflaged in white, advanced in waves across the snow like ghosts. The Polar Bears, hailing largely from Michigan, heroically waged a courageous campaign in the brutal, frigid subarctic of northern Russia for almost a year. And yet they are all but unknown today. Indeed, during the Cold War, two U.S. presidents, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, would assert that the American and the Russian people had never directly fought each other. They were spectacularly wrong, and so too is the nation's collective memory. It began in August 1918, during the last months of the First World War: the U.S. Army's 339th Infantry Regiment crossed the Arctic Circle; instead of the Western Front, these troops were sailing en route to Archangel, Russia, on the White Sea, to intervene in the Russian Civil War. The American Expeditionary Force, North Russia, had been sent to fight the Soviet Red Army and aid anti-Bolshevik forces in hopes of reopening the Eastern Front against Germany. And yet even after the Great War officially ended in November 1918, American troops continued to battle the Red Army and another, equally formiddable enemy, "General Winter," which had destroyed Napoleon's Grand Armee a century earlier and would do the same to Hitler's once invincible Wehrmacht. More than two hundred Polar Bears perished before their withdrawal in July 1919. But their story does not end there. Ten years after they left, a contingent of veterans returned to Russia to recover the remains of more than a hundred of their fallen brothers and lay them to rest in Michigan, where a monument honoring their service still stands. In the century since, America has forgotten the Polar Bears' harrowing campaign. Russia, notably, has not, and as Nelson reveals, the episode continues to color Russian attitudes toward the United States. At once epic and intimate, The Polar Bear Expedition masterfully recovers this remarkable tale at a time of new relevance.
Sergeant York, His Own Life Story and War Diary
Author: Alvin Cullum York
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1914-1918
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1914-1918
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
The Long Patrol
Author: Brian Jacques
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101666072
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Barradum! Barradum! Barrabubbitybubbityboom! Tamello De Fformelo Tussock wants more than anything to join the Long Patrol, those staunch and stalwart hare warriors who make their home at the top of Salamandastron Mountain. But Tammo, as he is called, is too young and inexperienced. Or is he? Guided by the nomad squirrel Russa, Tammo makes his way to Redwall, where the Long Patrol has gathered to protect their beloved Abbey from the great rat Rapscallions. And as the mighty rats rear their ugly heads and ancient Redwall warriors fall, young Tammo learns what life, death and honor really mean as a new generation of Redwall heroes comes to the fore to save their home from evil.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101666072
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Barradum! Barradum! Barrabubbitybubbityboom! Tamello De Fformelo Tussock wants more than anything to join the Long Patrol, those staunch and stalwart hare warriors who make their home at the top of Salamandastron Mountain. But Tammo, as he is called, is too young and inexperienced. Or is he? Guided by the nomad squirrel Russa, Tammo makes his way to Redwall, where the Long Patrol has gathered to protect their beloved Abbey from the great rat Rapscallions. And as the mighty rats rear their ugly heads and ancient Redwall warriors fall, young Tammo learns what life, death and honor really mean as a new generation of Redwall heroes comes to the fore to save their home from evil.
Sergeant York And His People
Author: Sam K. Cowan
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 114
Book Description
In 'Sergeant York And His People' by Sam K. Cowan, readers are immersed in a detailed account of the life of Alvin C. York, a renowned World War I hero. The book combines historical facts with insightful anecdotes about York's upbringing, his experiences in the war, and how he became a symbol of American patriotism. Written in a straightforward and engaging style, the book captures the essence of rural America in the early 20th century, offering a vivid portrayal of York's struggle for personal and moral growth amidst the chaos of war. Cowan's work not only sheds light on York's heroism but also provides a broader understanding of the societal values and challenges of the time. The language and tone of the book reflect Cowan's dedication to preserving York's legacy and honoring his contributions to American history. 'Sergeant York And His People' is a must-read for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of human nature and heroism.
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 114
Book Description
In 'Sergeant York And His People' by Sam K. Cowan, readers are immersed in a detailed account of the life of Alvin C. York, a renowned World War I hero. The book combines historical facts with insightful anecdotes about York's upbringing, his experiences in the war, and how he became a symbol of American patriotism. Written in a straightforward and engaging style, the book captures the essence of rural America in the early 20th century, offering a vivid portrayal of York's struggle for personal and moral growth amidst the chaos of war. Cowan's work not only sheds light on York's heroism but also provides a broader understanding of the societal values and challenges of the time. The language and tone of the book reflect Cowan's dedication to preserving York's legacy and honoring his contributions to American history. 'Sergeant York And His People' is a must-read for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of human nature and heroism.
Sgt. York His Life, Legend, and Legacy
Author: John Perry
Publisher: Fidelis Publishing. LLC
ISBN: 1735856339
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
War hero, Medal of Honor recipient, and one of the world's first international media celebrities, Sgt. Alvin York was the most famous soldier of his generation. His welcome home ticker-tape parade in New York was the biggest in history at the time. Advertisers clamored for his endorsement, corporations invited him to join their boards of directors, and movie producers vied to put his story on the silver screen. Yet this shy country boy from the hills of Tennessee couldn't imagine cashing in on fame coming from killing fellow human beings in the service of his country. “Uncle Sam's uniform ain't for sale,” he told them. Sgt. York: His Life, Legend & Legacy remains the only complete biography of this great American patriot based on original sources. Author John Perry scoured military records including official accounts of York's famous battle from surviving eyewitnesses, as well as Warner Bros. archives in Hollywood for details about the film. He also interviewed a host of people who knew York including neighbors who welcomed him home from the war, attended his wedding, hunted and camped with him in the Wolf River Valley. York's four surviving children were eager participants in the project, with son George Edward Buxton York commenting upon reading the completed draft, tears streaming down his face, “Now people will know what my daddy was really like!” This new edition includes a message from York's youngest son, 90-year-old Andrew Jackson York.
Publisher: Fidelis Publishing. LLC
ISBN: 1735856339
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
War hero, Medal of Honor recipient, and one of the world's first international media celebrities, Sgt. Alvin York was the most famous soldier of his generation. His welcome home ticker-tape parade in New York was the biggest in history at the time. Advertisers clamored for his endorsement, corporations invited him to join their boards of directors, and movie producers vied to put his story on the silver screen. Yet this shy country boy from the hills of Tennessee couldn't imagine cashing in on fame coming from killing fellow human beings in the service of his country. “Uncle Sam's uniform ain't for sale,” he told them. Sgt. York: His Life, Legend & Legacy remains the only complete biography of this great American patriot based on original sources. Author John Perry scoured military records including official accounts of York's famous battle from surviving eyewitnesses, as well as Warner Bros. archives in Hollywood for details about the film. He also interviewed a host of people who knew York including neighbors who welcomed him home from the war, attended his wedding, hunted and camped with him in the Wolf River Valley. York's four surviving children were eager participants in the project, with son George Edward Buxton York commenting upon reading the completed draft, tears streaming down his face, “Now people will know what my daddy was really like!” This new edition includes a message from York's youngest son, 90-year-old Andrew Jackson York.
The Shadow Patrol
Author: Alex Berenson
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0755381416
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
A killer is on the loose . . . In 2009, the CIA officers in Afghanistan's Kabul Station received information from a reliable source regarding the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. But when they followed the informant to bin Laden's apparent location, they discovered it was a deadly trap. The man blew himself up, taking the chief of station and several senior officers with him. Two years later, the station still hasn't recovered and the situation has deteriorated. Every initiative meets with failure. No one knows who to trust. In desperation, John Wells' old CIA bosses ask him to go over and investigate. Reluctantly, Wells agrees but what he finds when he gets there is more than a station in disarray. There is a full-blown military drug-smuggling operation underway, and worse, a traitor is leaking information to the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible - and this is just the beginning. Only Wells stands in the traitor's way . . . for now.
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0755381416
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
A killer is on the loose . . . In 2009, the CIA officers in Afghanistan's Kabul Station received information from a reliable source regarding the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. But when they followed the informant to bin Laden's apparent location, they discovered it was a deadly trap. The man blew himself up, taking the chief of station and several senior officers with him. Two years later, the station still hasn't recovered and the situation has deteriorated. Every initiative meets with failure. No one knows who to trust. In desperation, John Wells' old CIA bosses ask him to go over and investigate. Reluctantly, Wells agrees but what he finds when he gets there is more than a station in disarray. There is a full-blown military drug-smuggling operation underway, and worse, a traitor is leaking information to the Taliban. Americans are dying, and an American is responsible - and this is just the beginning. Only Wells stands in the traitor's way . . . for now.
Sergeant York
Author: David D. Lee
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813145880
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
A stirring account of the heroic World War I exploits and life of Tennessean Alvin C. York. “Reads like a good novel.” —Southern Living In a brief encounter on October 8, 1918, during the Argonne offensive, Alvin C. York killed 25 German soldiers and, almost singlehandedly, effected the capture of 132 others. Returning to the United States the following spring, he received a tumultuous public welcome and a flood of offers from businessmen eager to capitalize on his acclaimed feat. But York, true to his character, went quietly back to his home in the Tennessee mountains, where he spent the remainder of his life working to bring schools and other services to those remote valleys where his neighbors lived. In this definitive biography, David D. Lee goes beyond that single wartime episode, however, to consider its consequences on York’s later life—his efforts, not always successful, to better his mountain community; his involvement in making a motion picture of his life; his difficulties with money and taxes. But Sergeant York is better known as a symbol than as an individual, and in this study Lee connects the man and his life to an American heroic ideal. With his rural background, his refusal to take commercial advantage of his fame, and his simple piety, Alvin York exemplified the traditional values of an agrarian America that was in his own day already receding into the past. He claimed a special place in the hearts of his countrymen, Lee concludes, because his life seemed to show that the virtues of the common man continued to be a vital part of American society.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813145880
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
A stirring account of the heroic World War I exploits and life of Tennessean Alvin C. York. “Reads like a good novel.” —Southern Living In a brief encounter on October 8, 1918, during the Argonne offensive, Alvin C. York killed 25 German soldiers and, almost singlehandedly, effected the capture of 132 others. Returning to the United States the following spring, he received a tumultuous public welcome and a flood of offers from businessmen eager to capitalize on his acclaimed feat. But York, true to his character, went quietly back to his home in the Tennessee mountains, where he spent the remainder of his life working to bring schools and other services to those remote valleys where his neighbors lived. In this definitive biography, David D. Lee goes beyond that single wartime episode, however, to consider its consequences on York’s later life—his efforts, not always successful, to better his mountain community; his involvement in making a motion picture of his life; his difficulties with money and taxes. But Sergeant York is better known as a symbol than as an individual, and in this study Lee connects the man and his life to an American heroic ideal. With his rural background, his refusal to take commercial advantage of his fame, and his simple piety, Alvin York exemplified the traditional values of an agrarian America that was in his own day already receding into the past. He claimed a special place in the hearts of his countrymen, Lee concludes, because his life seemed to show that the virtues of the common man continued to be a vital part of American society.