Company Commander: The Classic Infantry Memoir of World War II, to give it its full title, is pretty much what it says on the tin - a memoir written by Captain Charles B. Macdonald, covering encounters in and around the Ardennes forest during the winter of '44.Unlike a lot of such memoirs, it was written pretty soon after the war, and has an immediacy as a result that you don't get from some of the more recent ones.
I picked this up about a year ago, on recommendation of folks on the TFL Yahoo! group. I was reminded I hadn't reviewed it when the friend I loaned it to returned it today...
So?
In summary? It's a fascinating memoir, and it does give a very definite sense of how small and local one unit's view of the front is. Read it, especially if you want an insight into what it was like actually being in charge of a company during WW2. It's not all blood, guts and glory, but it is a very frank and honest account of events. And please, please ignore the Amazon reviewers who bleat about it not having any maps. It's not that kind of book.
Mine came with a very Detailed set of maps they were just separate from the book. These reproductions of the maps the author used in combat with his own notations. They are had to read but realy cool to have.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good book. I have this one. Unfortunately it is in storage at the moment.
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