Laurence Stallings (1894–1968)

Laurence Stallings, a Marine who lost a leg at Belleau Wood, who went on to be a famous writer and playwright ("What Price Glory?"), has written the definitive history of the life of the American soldier in World War I. Filled with both personal stories and sweeping unit histories, "The Doughboys" gives a clear picture of the war following America's entry in 1917. Stallings's writing style is sometimes whimsical and some of his turns of phrase have dated badly enough to make them unclear to today's reader, but the balance is strongly tipped in the direction of excellence. It's not a good source (intentionally) for details of the first three years of the war, but the American participation is covered in splendid detail. A number of participants, particularly General John J. Pershing, Marshal Foch, Petain, and Clemenceau, are well illuminated. And the most flavorful seasoning is the stories of individual soldiers, the most famous of whom was Sergeant Alvin York, but all of whom provide a rich tapestry of real life to this history. Well worth the read.… (meer)