| The Battle Is the Pay-Off
(1943)
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| Front Cover |
Book Details |
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| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
World War, 1939-1945 - Personal narratives, American; World War, 1939-1945 - Tunisia - Tunis |
| Publication Date |
1943 |
| Format |
Hardcover |
| Publisher |
HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY |
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| Personal Details |
| Acquire Date |
6/10/2010 |
| Condition |
Very Good/-- |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
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| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
D811 .I52 |
| Dewey |
940.547 |
| No. of Pages |
217 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
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| Notes/Review |
Ralph Ingersoll was a journalist who visited China, Russia, and England in the early days of the war as a correspondent. After Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the US Army. By the time he was shipped to Tunisia he was 42 years old.
There, he was attached to an Engineers company that provided support to a Ranger battalion that kicked off the battle of El Guettar. The engagement he describes here took less than a day and involved fewer than 2,000 men (500 Americans against 1,400 Italians). The book is divided into four parts. First, Ingersoll tells us how he arrived in Gafsa in the days before the battle. The second part is an excellent description of the army and its organization. The third part describes the battle and the short final part is essentially a sales pitch directed at American civilians.
I've read a number of personal narratives of the war, both from journalists and combatants. Generally, the journalists move from place to place collecting vignettes from the folks they meet. In between battles, they drink and party heavily. The language tends toward jingoism and propaganda. This one is not at all like that, except for a slight flavor of it in the final part.
Ingersoll is a keen observer and ably describes for us his surroundings, actions, and feelings.
Highly recommended. |
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