Floyd Gibbons was a keenly observant war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during World War I. He went on to become an early radio news reporter. He was quite possibly the originator of the idea of being embedded with the troops. This is a compilation of the dispatches of his first person experiences as American troops were introduced to the field. Consistently maintaining good relations with the commanding officers allowed him to have unprecedented access to troop movements and activities at the front. He was so close to the action that he was shot three times during the Battle of Belleau Wood, including in the eye. He wore a white patch over it for the rest of his life. His last bit of reportage before his injury would likely have been censored due to its colorful language, but was allowed to go into print because he was not expected to live. Live he did, to return to the front to continue reporting vividly about life and conditions of the troops on both sides and the devastating effect on the civilian population in the French countryside. This is an excellent first person account of the down in the mud conditions of the Great War. ( )