Subject
United States. Army Books
Best books
E. Alexander (Edward Alexander) Powell
The army behind the army
The Army Behind the Army by E. Alexander Powell is a historical account written in the early 20th century. It explores the often unseen services and technologies that sustained the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I—especially communications, engineering, transportation, and other logistical arms. The focus is on how specialists and technicians, rather than front-line troops alone, made large-scale modern warfare possible. The opening of the volume recasts the Signal Corps as the army’s “nerve-system,” replacing the flag-waving myth with telephones, radios, pigeons, runners, panels, lamps, and an extensive wire network. Powell outlines the corps’ rapid expansion, its recruitment of U.S. telephone talent (including female operators), the creation of color-coded outpost wire, and secrecy tools like buzzerphones and twisted-pair lines. He highlights listening-posts that tapped enemy currents, radio-intercept and direction-finding teams that mapped German nets and even staged a deceptive “false corps net,” and the reliability and heroism of carrier pigeons when every other link failed. A photographic branch—air and ground—trained specialists to map, report, teach, and buoy morale with films that countered enemy propaganda. The section closes with striking innovations: radiotelephony with aircraft, multiplexing many calls over a single wire, trees used as natural radio antennae, and a practical, unbreakable cipher-transmission device. The narrative then turns to the Engineers—motto “Essayons”—showing their vast remit from fighting as needed to building railways, ports, roads, and forests-to-lumber operations, operating inland waterways, shipping complete locomotives, and even fielding armored railcars, before introducing the life-or-death problem of supplying water to armies on the move.
James F. J. (James Francis Jewell) Archibald
Blue Shirt and Khaki: A Comparison
"Blue Shirt and Khaki: A Comparison" by James F. J. Archibald is a military analysis written in the early 20th century. The text provides a detailed examination of the British and American soldiers during the transition to modern warfare, reflecting on their equipment, training, and battlefield performance. Archibald draws comparisons between the two nations' military personnel, highlighting their similarities and differences, and explores the underlying sentiments of camaraderie, rivalry, and evolving perceptions of their respective strengths. The opening of the book sets the stage by immediately comparing the American and British soldiers in the wake of their military engagements during the late 19th century, notably in Cuba and the Boer War. Through vivid accounts of the battlefields and detailed observations of both armies’ approaches, Archibald introduces key figures such as Colonel Arthur Lee and Captain Slocum, emphasizing their respect for one another despite the competition between their nations. He reflects on the evolution of military traditions, equipment disparities, and the intrinsic qualities of the soldiers, suggesting that the American soldier's adaptability and the British soldier's historical prowess each have unique advantages that reflect their respective nations' military cultures. Archibald's firsthand experiences provide a rich context for his analyses, setting a compelling tone for the thorough examination that follows in subsequent chapters.
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