Collapse at Meuse-Argonne: The Failure of the Missouri-Kansas Division

Rating:
Summary: Offers a "window-in-time" perspective
Review: Collapse At Meuse-Argonne: The Failure Of The Missouri-Kansas Division by Robert H. Ferrall (Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University), is the story of the American Thirty-Fifth Division during World War I. This military expeditionary force was composed of National Guard units from Missouri and Kansas. Engaging in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne with no previous battle experience and only a minor amount of training, as well as a few weeks of garrisoning in a quiet sector in Alsace, this division and its thousands of men quite literally fell apart in the face of enemy forces in only five days. Historian and academician Robert Ferrall does an impressive work of original scholarship to describe what the problems were (including incompetence officer leadership at the highest levels). The focus upon this single battle offers a "window-in-time" perspective that will prove invaluable for a broader understanding of the difficulties of World War I era frontline combat. Collapse At Meuse-Argonne is a superbly researched and presented body of work that is strongly recommended for both academic library collections and military history buff reading lists.