WWI

American troops arrive in France, learn to fight in the trenches and take part in the offensives of 1918. Behind them, shipyards, factories, training camps and supply depots work to put an army across the Atlantic. WWI: America at War follows the people and operations behind America's entry into the First World War.

Jack Maddox brings together 321 archival photographs and documents across 52 illustrated chapters. Period images, campaign graphics, maps and readable accounts follow the story from American neutrality to the armistice, occupation and return home. The book is part of the America at War series.

THE ROAD TO WAR
Begin with the outbreak of fighting in Europe in 1914 and the American debate over involvement. Explore the sinking of the Lusitania, Americans who volunteered before their country entered the war, the preparedness movement, submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram. Follow the decision in Washington in April 1917 and the practical task of turning civilians into soldiers.

BUILDING AN ARMY OVERSEAS
See what a doughboy carried, how troops trained and how convoys transported them to Europe. Follow Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces into French ports, training areas and front line sectors. Photographs show artillery crews, engineers, dispatch riders, railway workers and supply teams whose jobs connected the battlefield to the bases behind it.

AMERICANS ENTER THE FIGHTING
The spring of 1918 brought a German offensive and mounting pressure on the Allies. Chapters trace the fighting at Seicheprey, Cantigny, Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood, then the attack on Vaux and American participation at Hamel. Continue through the defense of the Marne, the counterattack at Soissons and the pursuit across the Ourcq.

THE OFFENSIVES OF 1918
Follow the formation of the American First Army, the attack at Saint Mihiel and the larger struggle in the Meuse Argonne. Maps and explanatory graphics help place the photographs within the operations. Learn how forests, ravines, damaged roads and communications affected the advance, and how infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft had to work together.

SERVICE BEYOND THE INFANTRY
The account includes women serving overseas, African American troops in a segregated military, nurses, ambulance crews and the growing American Air Service. Observation balloons and aircraft watched the battlefield while pursuit squadrons fought above it. Photographs of everyday work give space to the people who carried messages, delivered supplies and treated the wounded.

THE ARMISTICE AND THE JOURNEY HOME
The closing chapters follow the last advance, the ceasefire on November 11, 1918, the army of occupation across the Rhine and the return to America. Remembrance belongs alongside the military chronology, with attention to the people whose service continued to shape families and communities after the fighting stopped.

The photographs show equipment, uniforms, ships, camps, aircraft and battlefield terrain. Captions distinguish supporting context from images of a particular operation. The grain and limitations of period cameras remain visible.

Read in order or turn to a particular campaign or branch of service. Short chapters suit adult general readers and students, while the photographs offer familiar subjects for enthusiasts to examine closely. No previous knowledge of military terminology is assumed.

For someone interested in American history, military photography or the First World War, this is a substantial gift for a birthday, Christmas or graduation. It also gives families researching a relative's period of service an accessible introduction to the wider campaigns and conditions.

The 132 page paperback measures 8.25 by 11 inches, with full color printing and large photographic layouts. A volume for a coffee table or a military history collection.