{"product_id":"serpents-of-war-an-american-officers-story-of-world-war-i-combat-and-captivity-9780700635054","title":"Serpents of War: An American Officer's Story of World War I Combat and Captivity","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader's attention from beginning to end.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University Press of Kansas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50509550158098,"sku":"9780700635054","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1dce5ac0-2d00-44fe-b44a-1b946f9f91a8.jpg?v=1730901622","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/serpents-of-war-an-american-officers-story-of-world-war-i-combat-and-captivity-9780700635054","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}