Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 117

BOOK REVIEWS At that point, the narrative takes on its most fascinating dimensions. Stout weaves together the recollections of scores of pilots, enlisted men, and support crews into a multifaceted recounting of the daily life on the base and in the air. This color provides a counterpoint to the serious events that drive the narrative, the recounting of the 303rd’s missions over France and Germany. Stout captures the clichéd truth about the hours of monotony—and the moments of terror—that composed the bombing runs and the return home. He does not romanticize the hardships—shrapnel wounds, vomit, cowardice, and exploding fireballs occur in equal measure with dogged determination and quick-thinking heroics. As the reader follows these young crews along missions, through their disappointments and triumphs, a sort of kinship develops as the reader pulls for the men to make it back across the English Channel one more time. All too often, however, the wrenching realities of death in the sky jar the reader into the realization that air combat was a very personal and deeply tragic assignment. Though seventy years have passed, the reader can still feel some hint of the emotional devastation that was all too often part of the wartime experience. Stout’s work is a significant accomplishment in that the author manages to tell the story of an entire bomber group in a way that is both comprehensive and intimate. Operations, tactics, arms, equipment, and personnel are all covered in detail, yet without obscuring the larger story. This work will introduce the 303rd’s story to a new generation, telling afresh the sacrifices and duties that thousands of young men faced and, perhaps most importantly, reminding us that wars, even in just causes, can require a high cost. Jonathan E. Newell, Hill, New Hampshire BAND OF GIANTS: The Amateur Soldiers Who Won America’s Independence Jack Kelly, Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2014, 288 pages T he book TheBand of Giants is an enjoyable, concise coverage of the American War for Independence. At 288 pages, it may seem too concise, but that is not the case. Through Kelly’s coverage, a novice on the American War for Independence MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2015 becomes well educated. Those knowledgeable on the topic are well reminded of how in doubt the outcome of the war actually was—and the extraordinary personalities that eventually achieved an American victory. The book covers two main themes rather well. First, it depicts major actions with just enough detail to convey the main idea of how they were joined and why the outcomes evolved as they did. Here, the reader needs a warning: although the main title, Band of Giants, hints of glowing accounts of American successes, the book’s content is at odds with the title. Kelly explains the battles well while making it clear that all ranks of the American forces were, for the most part, pure novices in the art of war. That leads to the author’s second theme; he shows Americans as something of a bumbling lot. Kelly does not ridicule the Americans but highlights their overall dearth of military experience. For instance, he begins with a rather ghastly account of how George Washington clumsily starts, it seems, the French and Indian War. He also discusses how Gen. Henry Knox learned about artillery from books in his Boston bookstore; Nathaniel Greene hailed from a Quaker family that ran a foundry; and sharpshooting Daniel Morgan was, in reality, a simple backwoods wagoner. The personal anecdotes and excerpts of letters to family and fellow officers illuminate the very human side of these men–so much so that readers will squirm a little. Kelly also repeatedly shows British strategists dealing significant blows to the Americans. More squirming will ensue; there are many significant blows. And yet, it is American critical and creative thinking that happily carry the day in some cases. The classic example is Washington’s bold gamble at Trenton. The episode, probably familiar to most readers to some degree, is still a delight to read. The book is indeed a broad sweep. Details of some major engagements, and the people involved, are condensed or abridged, if not altogether eliminated. For example, Gen. Lee is present during the Battle of Charleston, but little is provided as to what he does there. This writing style results in the book being kept short, interesting, and punchy. The level of detail of both the people and the battles is just about right. Regarding the title, the word “band” may seem as a play on the recent Band of Brothers series. Toss 115