{"product_id":"9780700635054-serpents-of-war","title":"Serpents of War","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn American Officer's Story of World War I Combat and Captivity\u003cbr\u003eThe memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, \u003cem\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/em\u003e is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. This is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e, the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army—a rare experience among American soldiers in 1918. In addition, Parkin provides a detailed account of the 79th Division’s attack on Mountfaucon, a military action that remains controversial to this day. This is a book by a brave soldier, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on the battlefield, and a gifted writer.\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e is an abridged edition of a nearly 200,000-word World War I memoir that resides in Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library, enhanced by the contributions of two scholars of World War I and memory. Written in an unassuming but eloquent style, Parkin’s narrative seldom strains for effect. It possesses a strong sense of setting, a knack for capturing the chaos and strange exhilaration of battle, and a sharp eye for the interpersonal, social dynamics of military life—the personality clashes and simmering feuds, as well as the moments of comradeship and accord. \u003ci\u003eSerpents of War\u003c\/i\u003e is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55091475349878,"sku":"9780700635054","price":34.23,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_36040267_2c7d8faf-b163-47e1-83c5-209393c1c6df.jpg?v=1757580387","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780700635054-serpents-of-war","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}