Posted: August 1st, 2023

A Review of George Browne’s An American Soldier in World War I

A Review of George Browne’s An American Soldier in World War Ia critical examination of George Browne’s novel An American Soldier in World War One
An American Soldier in World War I is not your average book on the atrocities of World War I. Instead, it is a collection of short stories. The book is built around snippets of George Browne’s surviving letters to his beloved, Martha, which are linked together by the editor, David Snead, in an overarching commentary. They work together to create a picture of everyday life as seen through the eyes of an American soldier serving in the European theater of operations. However, while Browne’s first-person account does not provide a novel perspective in and of itself (a large number of Americans served in the First World War), the sheer volume of information gleaned from it is extremely valuable in terms of its contribution to the body of knowledge associated with the Great War. This compilation’s major goal is to close some of the gaping flaws in World War I scholarship, according to Snead, who claims that studies typically lack the personal perspective of the soldiers engaged and that academics rarely provide thorough citations for the information they present. A useful primary resource with contextual commentary on the experiences of American soldiers in World War I is the goal of An American Soldier in World War I, which is intended to provide a useful primary resource with contextual commentary on the experiences of American soldiers in the First World War.

It is vital to recognize the limitations of secondary sources in order to appreciate the significance of An American Soldier in its entirety. Secondary sources are information that has been obtained from primary sources and has been synthesised and interpreted (letters, government documents, maps, photographs, etc.). They are important sources of information that help to construct bodies of knowledge. However, as Snead points out, they may be lacking in the personal experiences that are required in order to form a meaningful connection with historical personalities. First-person testimonies, particularly in the context of major human conflict, are extremely valuable for gaining a better picture of what happened. According to the current situation, there are no longer any living veterans of the First World War. As a result, surviving accounts, particularly those from the World War II era, are extraordinarily precious. Despite the fact that a collection of letters from France does not cover every facet of the war, they do provide a unique perspective on events both monumental and commonplace. These viewpoints are not affected by the retrospection or nostalgia that comes with growing older. The immediacy and clarity of this collection, as well as the attention to detail that has been included, give it a great deal of value.

Pure emotion is something that one does not necessarily obtain from a dry study of battle formations or declarations from the time period. Apparently, Snead believes that students and academics are yearning for the emotional and mental experiences of those who are tasked with the nasty business of combat. Browne’s letters provide us with a wealth of personal experience in a variety of forms. Among the specific ideas Browne discusses and Snead emphasizes are the lack of preparation and severe underestimation of the nature of World War I, the ways in which soldiers pursued recreational opportunities, and the psychological toll incurred by the threat of poisonous gas being used as a weapon of war. When it comes to the first topic, World Conflict I was the first fully mechanized war, and it was unlike any other war in recent memory or throughout world history in many ways. In the words of Browne, just before departing for France, “we can’t just shoot Germans from this island, can we?” this lack of preparation is encapsulated in the following sentiment: This statement, of course, was most likely meant in jest, but the nonchalance with which it was delivered shows the nonchalance with which soldiers approached the conflict.

Browne’s descriptions of various forms of recreation are also a treasure trove of information about the time period. A visit to New York while in training, on-base entertainment (films, books, newspapers, etc.), baseball games, and times of relaxation where soldiers decompressed by doing nothing are all discussed. “We had nothing to do tho [sic], so have all our time to wander around and think,” he says. “We were bored tho [sic], so have all our time to wander around and think.” Snead reminds his audience that soldiers were not required to be in a constant state of conflict since doing so would exhaust them and render them useless. One of the most notable aspects of the First World War was the stalemate of trench warfare throughout the Western Front, which resulted in extended stretches of time when men had little to do in their spare time. Browne describes to Martha (and, by implication, to the audience) how he and his contemporaries passed the time during their spare time.

To this day, one of the most terrifying aspects of the First World War is the prospect of poisonous gas, which continues to catch the public’s imagination. Browne writes that he and his fellow soldiers were routinely awakened by gas alerts in the middle of the night, depriving them of much-needed sleep and instilling fear and anxiety about possible gas attacks on them. This, together with other aspects of the First World War, had a devastating effect on the troops’ mental health — a subject about which academics are still grappling with the full scope of its implications. It is via this story that we may gain an understanding of the process of worsening mental health that many soldiers went through.

Almost immediately, Snead is able to provide the reader with a much-needed personal viewpoint on the life-changing catastrophe that was the First World War, as well as the crucial historical commentary that provides the historical context upon which that perspective is built. Snead’s allegation that scholarly treatment of the lives of World War I soldiers is “woefully bereft of personal viewpoint” appears to be overdone, but the significance of this collection as a well-rounded, enlightening contribution to World War I historiography remains undiminished. It is not only concerned with the major events of the war; the reader is given a comprehensive image of Browne’s daily activities, his love life, his judgments on his peers and superiors, his worries, his hopes, and his perspective on battle. Having accomplished his goal of presenting a great primary source for any student or scholar of the First World War with An American Soldier in World War I, Snead may now look forward to his next project.

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