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Five Lieutenants: The Heartbreaking Story Of Five Harvard Men Who Led America To Victory In World War I (2012)

by James Carl Nelson(Favorite Author)

3.39 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0312604238 (ISBN13: 9780312604233)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: An interesting read about average men thrown into an unreal situation. But I didn't find it particularly "heartbreaking" as mentioned in the subtitle. No doubt due to incomplete biographical information on his subjects, the author wasn't able to really capture the characters of these men in a way that made them feel "real." Yes, they were, but I was never able to connect with them emotionally so didn't have an investment in them.
review 2: I enjoyed this book a lot, but I think to be fair, it is a better concept than it is a narrative. The author weaves together the story of five young men, all Harvard men in one way or another and all Lieutenants in the American army in World War 1. They do not all know each other though several meet in and around Paris. ... more All participate in an important offensive that will help turn the tide of the war in 1918. I felt that the book really hit its stride when all the men got to Europe and even more when he starts to narrate the events of the battle. That was riveting. I sometimes got the characters confused and early parts of the book dragged. At times it seemed the author did not know if he was telling a fictionalized account of these men based on fact or if he were doing popular history. The latter style suits him and that is the voice he settles into in the second half of the book. This is a good read for those who like WW1 history, social history of the early 20th century or people connected to Harvard. less

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