Publisher's Synopsis
An American Doughboy in World War I. What was it really like?...Literally a century in the making, this book is the result of one street-wise and peace-loving but fiercely patriotic American soldier who went well beyond the typical censored letters, pocket diaries, and post-war memoirs to help answer that question for future generations. Through a unique combination of skill, circumstances and strong personal motivation, Private William J. Graham (Company B, 103rd Military Police Battalion, 28th Division/First Army) delivers one of the most compelling, detailed, and true real-time eyewitness accounts of an American soldier's W.W. 1 experience ever recorded and available in its entirety now for the first time!Through his keen eyes and artful powers of description, it is not difficult to imagine yourself slogging through the muddy blood-spattered fields of the Western Front as the earth trembles and German shells scream overhead...where hunger, "cooties", and death are constant companions. Private Graham's uncensored journal of over 900 hand-written pages was penned by him - not from fading memory but incredibly in France and Germany while the events he describes actually unfolded around him under raw filthy field conditions.This book gives readers an authentic and powerfully moving description of the horrific sights and emotions of Americans at war with the German "Hun" in the world's first-ever global conflict. This work is of unique value to the historian or student of the period serving as an accurate and superbly detailed description of what many U.S. soldiers experienced "doing their bit" while struggling to survive yet another day ..."Somewhere in France!" In order to share Private Graham's story with the widest possible audience at the most economical rate, most of the photographic illustrations have been removed from this version. This concession does not diminish the impact of Graham's written words. However, both hardcover and ebook versions retain the full set of over 300 rare period photographs for those who appreciate a more visual experience to enhance what is already an incredible but true American war story.
