Rating: 
Summary: Fine writing documenting experience of armored in Germany
Review: "Another River, Another Town" by John P. Irwin, sub-titled "A Teenage Tank gunner Come of Age in Combat-1945." Random House, New York, 2002.With the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944, there was a great demand on the United States Army for replacements in the European Theater of Operations. Pennsylvanian John P. Irwin had just completed tank gunner training in Fort Knox and was shipped to France. He was immediately put in charge, as ranking soldier, of a Sherman tank, and, after completing repairs, instructed to join up with the 3rd Armored Division. Running as a single tank, trying to catch the main column, Irwin and his crew promptly get lost. They end up in a German occupied town, and, happily for them, the Germans want to surrender. Corporal Irwin leads the German column back to American lines, where he is chewed out by Captain Harker for delivering unwanted prisoners! Thus begins Irwin's tour of duty in the closing period of World War II in Europe. His book describes the relations among the five-man crew, the agony of having a tank shot out from underneath them, and the daily drudgery in going from town to town, river to river, bridge to bridge. Their replacement tank is one of the new Pershing Tanks, and Irwin describes how the Pershing's extra armor, its ability to fire while still moving and the Pershing's rapid gun turret movement saved them in many situations. (For a complete comparison of Sherman and Pershing, see, "Death Traps" by Belton Y. Cooper.) This book is well written and easy to read.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!
Review: A great short read about an American soldier's experience in the last few weeks of the war in Europe in WWII. Irwin relates his experiences of capturing a large group of German soldiers, along with the monotony of endless hours spent riding in a tank. Even though this is a first book for Irwin, it is highly entertaining and will keep you interested. Just wish he had more experiences to relate in this short book. Also was disappointed that there was no aftermath on what happened to his tank team mates. It would have been interesting to find out what happened to them. However if quality of writing is everything, this book should keep you interested.
Rating:
Summary: The not so glamourous side of war.
Review: A great short read about an American soldier's experience in the last few weeks of the war in Europe in WWII. Irwin relates his experiences of capturing a large group of German soldiers, along with the monotony of endless hours spent riding in a tank. Even though this is a first book for Irwin, it is highly entertaining and will keep you interested. Just wish he had more experiences to relate in this short book. Also was disappointed that there was no aftermath on what happened to his tank team mates. It would have been interesting to find out what happened to them. However if quality of writing is everything, this book should keep you interested.
Rating:
Summary: France, Belgium, what's the difference?
Review: Another River, Another Town, is the best World War II battle front account I have ever read. John P. Irwin has provided a wonderful memoir that allows the reader to feel the emotions and bewilderment of a typical teenager who found himself in furious combat for months. Knowing that the war was fought by young men who are experiencing life and the world for the first time under horrendous, confusing condidtions truly added to my understanding of this important period in history. This book is a fabulous addition to the literature of World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best!
Review: Another River, Another Town, is the best World War II battle front account I have ever read. John P. Irwin has provided a wonderful memoir that allows the reader to feel the emotions and bewilderment of a typical teenager who found himself in furious combat for months. Knowing that the war was fought by young men who are experiencing life and the world for the first time under horrendous, confusing condidtions truly added to my understanding of this important period in history. This book is a fabulous addition to the literature of World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Great Short Read- Very Intence
Review: I do not read a lot, but I have to admit that this was a well written, and very interesting book. For not finishing High School, John P. Irwin does a fantastic job telling his story. He leads you through his experiences and tries to let the reader know how horrible war really is. A story that everyone should know about!
Rating:
Summary: Hard to beleive they were just kids!
Review: I have to go with 5 stars too. This is a great first person account of the way it was. I found the book riviting and well written. A compelling, well written story of what it was like being a tanker in WWII. I thank and salute the author for having taken the time to get his story told, you will enjoy it start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: Mr. John P. Irwin is a fantastic writer, despite the fact that he flunked eleventh grade. I never thought I'd catch myself reading a memoir, let alone liking it, and yet this book caught my attention from page one. Mr. Irwin utilizes excellent diction and displays clarity of thought in this book, as he tells the reader of his part in WWII. I loved reading this book as I believe many others will too.
Rating:
Summary: France, Belgium, what's the difference?
Review: The first sentence of chapter one indicates that the Battle of the Bulge was fought in France. This will be a great surprise to the many French-speaking residents of the Ardennes region of Belgium, a sovereign nation quite distinct from France. If you check a map, Bastogne, one of the main battle sites, is indeed in Belgium. I hope this major factual error was corrected in subsequent editions of this otherwise wonderful book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the typical polished war book, but a good fast read.
Review: The writing style isn't that of a polished author, so at first you aren't sure if you will want to read a whole book written like that, but then you find yourself hooked on the author's thoughtful discussion of the day to day battles of his tank group. Interesting insight into the last months of the war. Skeptical at first, i ended up really enjoying this fast read of a WWII book.
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