Many narrative accounts of men in combat during World War II have conveyed the horrors and emotions of warfare. However, not many reveal in such an intimate way the struggle of innocent youth to adapt to the primitive code of “kill or be killed,” to transform from lads into combat soldiers. Another River, Another Town is the story of John P. Irwin, a teenage tank gunner whose idealistic … whose idealistic desire to achieve heroism is shattered by the incredibly different view of life the world of combat demands. He comes to the realization that the realm of warfare has almost nothing in common with the civilian life from which he has come.
The interminable fighting, dirt, fatigue, and hunger make the war seem endless. In addition to the killing and destruction on the battlefield, Irwin and his crew are caught up in the unbelievable depravity they encounter at Nordhausen Camp, where slave laborers are compelled to work themselves to death manufacturing the infamous V-rockets that have been causing so much destruction in London, and that are expected one day to devastate Washington, D.C.
At the end of the war, the sense of victory is, for these men, overshadowed by the intense joy and relief they experience in knowing that the fighting is at last over.
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Very well written story of a teenager joining the tank corps at the end of the war. The author became a philosophy professor. Good for tank and Hx buffs
All accounts by those who were actually there are interesting, and this is no exception. A war isn’t over until it’s over, and this is brought home by a young soldier in the last couple of months of WWII. You can be killed or injured up to the last day, and even beyond war’s end. It also brings home how young are the men who fight wars. I’ve always been intersted in armoured warfare, and this book gives an insight into the everyday workings of an American tank crew of the time.
The author did a fine job describing what can never really be understood by those not in combat at that time. The latter part of WW II in Germany was both frustrating and dangerous , despite the fact, obvious to most German Wehrmacht officers, that Getmany was defeated.
First hand account of the final few months of World War Two in Germany. Very well written. Full of interesting stories about ordinary soldiers in combat.
Well written!
Well written story of a 19 year old assigned to a tank crew in the waning months of WWll. Very good insight of war from a young tankers perspective. Good book.
This was a great memoir by John Irwin. Although he was only 18 and entered combat in the last 6 weeks of the war, it shows how draining that time was and how hard and continuous the fighting was, and how many Americans were still dying even though the German army was collapsing. It also gave great insight into life as a “tanker” in WWII, especially since he was not the tank commander, but the main gunner and spent his time in combat looking through the gun-sites seeking out German targets. Also some additional historical insight given due to the fact his Sherman was knocked out in the last few weeks of the war and his crew was reassigned to one of the few new Pershing tanks that made it into action before the war ended. The book is very well suited for folks that aren’t “tank geeks” or well versed in WWII history, but also has plenty for folks that are familiar with tanks and that era. It should go right up on the shelf with Robert Crisp’s “Brazen Chariots”.
Quite a remarkable perspective on WWII. One man’s experience told without Hollywood drama or romance,
This was written by a one who was there, at a young age, seeing the horrors of World War II as a tanker crew member. He grew up over there and then came back home to a life as an educator. I suspect his students, if they were intuitive enough at their age, felt fortunate having him as their instructor.
The author began his military career late in WW2, reaching the German front shortly after the Battle of the Bulge. He served as gunner on a tank crew in a column racing to Berlin. A great page-turner!
Nice new perspective on WWII
Wonderful to read a first hand account of the end of the war. Well done!
Forget the smooth and easy movie characterizations of war in Europe…rather like “Fury” this is an account of the grimy, fear-inducing moments that caught up with the “grunts” day in and day out. The German accounts of tank warfare are clean and antiseptic by comparison, and rarely offer as clearly defined viewpoint of the terrors of being caught by the enemy, gun to gun. A fine read, one that left me thinking long after the last page.
Good read about the life of tanker in WWII
Written by an 18 year old high school dropout who became a gunner on a tank. This is not about divisions and battalions. This is about the crew of one tank during the last months of the war. Several people around him are killed or wounded as they advance. The author soon sees that it is not about heroism, but about staying alive. We learn that hot meals, clean clothes, and sleep didn’t happen very often. And we learned that while some Germans gave up easily, others fought fanatically. His relationship with his crew members is the best part of the book.
What war is really like and seen through the eyes of a young soldier.
Enjoyed, not a skilled Author, but I felt “with him” ??perhaps that is a skilled author?
Interesting first hand view of WWII tank combat. Unfortunately, the author had very limited experience.
It was a different day to day insight into the soldiers point of view.
Such young men who fought and won ….