Overview

Serpents of War, the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army—a rare experience among American soldiers in 1918. In addition, Parkin provides a detailed account of the 79th Division’s attack on Mountfaucon, a military action that remains controversial to this day. This is a book by a brave soldier, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on the battlefield, and a gifted writer.Serpents of War is an abridged edition of a nearly 200,000-word World War I memoir that resides in Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library, enhanced by the contributions of two scholars of World War I and memory. Written in an unassuming but eloquent style, Parkin’s narrative seldom strains for effect. It possesses a strong sense of setting, a knack for capturing the chaos and strange exhilaration of battle, and a sharp eye for the interpersonal, social dynamics of military life—the personality clashes and simmering feuds, as well as the moments of comradeship and accord. Serpents of War is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

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9780700635054

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Reviews

Serpents of War delivers the fascinating memoir of US combat veteran Harry Dravo Parkin, who observed the final days of Imperial Germany from a POW camp. Trout and Isherwood brilliantly situate the memoir into a context that explains the war’s social and cultural meaning to Americans of Parkin’s generation. This book speaks to the values of the Victorian Age, the class dimensions of the First World War period, and the growth of American nationalism."" - Michael Neiberg, Chair of War Studies and Professor of History, US Army War College""Detailed and engaging, Serpents of War provides an intriguing, original perspective on an American officer’s adventures in a conflict rich in drama and meaning."" - Edward G. Lengel, chief historian, National Medal of Honor Museum, and author of Thunder and Flames: Americans in the Crucible of Combat, 1917–1918 ""In this extraordinary memoir, originally written for his son, Major Harry Parkin answers the age-old question that figured so prominently in World War I—era propaganda: ‘Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?’ The war forever marked the generation that experienced combat firsthand, as this account, too long overlooked, reveals. Serpents of War interlaces Parkin’s personal story of heroic combat service with insights into the strategic and tactical blunders that made victory so needlessly costly for the United States, resulting in a captivating narrative that immerses modern readers into the throes of combat and its aftermath."" - Jennifer D. Keene, author of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America

"""Serpents of War delivers the fascinating memoir of US combat veteran Harry Dravo Parkin, who observed the final days of Imperial Germany from a POW camp. Trout and Isherwood brilliantly situate the memoir into a context that explains the war's social and cultural meaning to Americans of Parkin's generation. This book speaks to the values of the Victorian Age, the class dimensions of the First World War period, and the growth of American nationalism.""--Michael Neiberg, Chair of War Studies and Professor of History, US Army War College ""Detailed and engaging, Serpents of War provides an intriguing, original perspective on an American officer's adventures in a conflict rich in drama and meaning.""--Edward G. Lengel, chief historian, National Medal of Honor Museum, and author of Thunder and Flames: Americans in the Crucible of Combat, 1917-1918 ""In this extraordinary memoir, originally written for his son, Major Harry Parkin answers the age-old question that figured so prominently in World War I--era propaganda: 'Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?' The war forever marked the generation that experienced combat firsthand, as this account, too long overlooked, reveals. Serpents of War interlaces Parkin's personal story of heroic combat service with insights into the strategic and tactical blunders that made victory so needlessly costly for the United States, resulting in a captivating narrative that immerses modern readers into the throes of combat and its aftermath.""--Jennifer D. Keene, author of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America"

Author Information

Steven Trout is professor of English, University of Alabama, and author of On the Battlefield of Memory: The First World War and American Remembrance, 1919–1941, and two other books.Ian Isherwood is associate professor of war and memory studies, Gettysburg College, and author of Remembering the Great War: Writing and Publishing the Experiences of World War I.

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