The United States Merchant Marine has a tradition---from the Revolutionary War to the present-day Gulf conflicts---of being in the forefront of every American military action. They have served with distinction in every case. Brian Herbert has chronicled the amazing exploits of these gallant seamen; assembling a fascinating array of data to describe the world of the Merchant Marine in peace and especially in war. Drawing from historical documents; government records; diaries; and interviews with surviving veterans; Herbert has constructed a brilliant history that details the heroism; self-sacrifice; and grim determination that has been the hallmark of the United States Merchant Marine. He also reveals one of the great injustices of American history---the grave failure of our legislators that has allowed the veterans of the Merchant Marine to become the forgotten heroes of World War IIThe civilian fighters of the Merchant Marine performed feats of extraordinary bravery during World War II; they were the lifeline of the entire Allied war effort; delivering troops; materiel; food; fuel; and every essential needed for victory over the Axis enemy. While executing these duties; the Merchant Marine suffered losses so high that the casualty rates were kept secret. At the war's end; the men and women of every other branch of the service were honored by parades and given medical and educational benefits. But the members of the Merchant Marine; who were so vital to our victory; have received neither the benefits nor the recognition they deserved. New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert is part of the growing movement across the United States to right this terrible wrong.The Forgotten Heroes is a history of the unsung heroes of the United States Merchant Marine and a plea for justice for these neglected veterans of World War II.
#1673600 in Books 2015-09-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.30 x 1.20 x 7.40l; 2.48 #File Name: 0764348914360 pages
Review
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Well doneBy D. C. CaugheyIn the interest of full disclosure; I must begin this review by stating that I have seen this project in various stages over the last ten years; and have corresponded with the author for the better part of a decade. That said; I have done my best to be as impartial as possible in this review.In Masters of the Field; author John Herberich tells the tale of the 4th United States Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War. Herberich’s work is the first of its kind on the regiment. While there have been volumes written on Minty’s brigade as a whole; and a couple of the other regiments individually; no one until now has published a Civil War history of the regiment.The author sets the stage well with an explanation of the regiment’s beginnings in 1855 and status as the war began. He then follows the regiment as it fights through the majority of the major battles of the Western Theater; and a few of the Eastern Theater; until the final cavalry charge with General Wilson at Selma; Alabama. Each year of the war has its own section; as the regiment is followed through battles such as Wilson’s Creek; Fort Donelson; Shiloh; Stones River; Chickamauga and the Tullahoma and Atlanta campaigns.The author spent nearly twelve years researching this book; and the depth of research is easily apparent. I am confident he found every record of substance with information on the regiment; and used them wherever possible to tell the regiment’s story in the words of the participants. There are extensive quotes from the letters and memoirs of enlisted men such as James Larson; Charles Bates; and James Wiswell; as well as National Tribune articles from others. These help flesh out the official reports and officer narratives quite nicely. Thirty seven pages of endnotes ensure the reader looking for more information will be easily able to find it; though many of the sources are very rare. The bibliography appears short at first glance; before one considers that the majority of the material comes from army records at the National Archives and several letter collections.A robust section of appendices follows the narrative; including a full roster of the regiment’s soldiers. Other sections focus on the regiment’s officers; including field commissions and those from before the war who later became general officers for either the C.S.A. or the U.S.A.I thoroughly enjoyed Hal Jesperson’s maps; which provided an excellent aid to following the progression of the various campaigns. Some individual battle maps would have been nice; but I am certainly in the category of military history reader who always desires more maps.The author has an understandably pro-regiment bias; as his great-grandfather served in the unit throughout the war. Herberich is forthright about the matter; addressing it in the prologue and the epilogue; and I did not find it a distraction. He certainly accomplishes his goal of capturing the service of the regiment for posterity and honoring its members. The overwhelming majority of quotes were from Union sources; however. It would have been helpful to see more Confederate accounts; particularly during the battle sequences.I reviewed a digital version of the book; so I can’t speak to the physical characteristics of the book; such as quality of binding.Overall; this book is an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the Western Theater of the Civil War; particularly those interested in cavalry operations and the Army of the Cumberland.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Wonderfully done!By Ionia FromentWow! Just wow. I have got a massive collection of Civil War related books; but this is truly the first one I have seen that deals with an individual regiment in such depth.This book took some serious research and it is obvious whilst reading it that the author really cared about using the actual words of the people involved to tell the story of these important historical events.Although the author admits to a family history based bias; I didn't see that he was particularly opinionated one way or the other in most cases; and felt he made an honest effort to tell the truth based on the variety of documents he researched and provided.This is an exciting book; with a lot of value for anyone interested in this period of history and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. I will definitely be adding this to my personal collection.Excellent.This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher; provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I have lost fine brave men and strong war horsesBy KENT STAABWell; I have rode with the 4th Cavalry from the western frontier; to the western theater of the civil War. I have suffered through miserable weather conditions; rain; snow and frozen feet. I have followed Kilpatrick's Raid around Atlanta. I have lost fine brave men and strong war horses.I have marched; charged with sabers. dismounted and fought as the infantry; and ended up at Selma. It is very difficult to return home after living and fighting along side brave men who became your brothers. Through this book and the writings; I was there.
