World War I (review)

Reflecting a larger trend in the historical profession, the study of American military history over the past several decades has slowly widened its field of focus from a traditional guns and trumpets approach to an examination of the wartime experience of the common soldiers. Such is the case with Jennifer Keene's latest work on the United States in the First World War. As part of the "Daily Life Through History" series from Greenwood Press, Keene offers a solid introduction to the trials and tribulations experienced by American soldiers as they took part in the World War in 1917-1918. Her goal is to explore "the daily lives of the doughboys in World War I, tracing their journey from the training camps to France and then home again" (p. ix), and she accomplishes it particularly well.

To address the multiple dimensions of the soldiers' experiences, Keene divides her work into topical chapters. In a clear and concise manner, she begins with an overview of the events leading to the American declaration of war. She then proceeds through the drafting and training of the army, the process of adjusting to fighting overseas, and the frustrations of men waiting to return home after achieving victory. These are basic and straightforward, with enough attention paid to major events and over-arching themes to put the personal experiences into perspective. Interspersed with these chronological examinations are Keene's more interesting chapters, dealing with morals and morale, the wartime experience of women and minorities, and a clear discussion of the physical and psychological effects of warfare. Keene is able to present her findings with enough detail to hold the reader's attention, without becoming overly bogged down in minutiae. The real value in Keene's work is her ability to look beyond the trenches of the Western Front, which have long dominated any discussion of the World War, and illuminate the struggles of a people and a nation engaging in their first truly international and modern war.

Though there is little new offered here, as Keene relies heavily upon secondary sources, it does not limit her work's usefulness nor detract from its primary goal. Instead, Keene's study works as an overview, drawing together numerous aspects of the daily experiences of American soldiers into a unified whole. Where other authors may offer more depth in their analysis, Keene provides the breadth from which a more detailed examination may begin. As such, her study is more useful to the general reader or scholar just beginning their study of the period. That being said, despite the volume's hefty price, it would be a welcome addition to the library of the casual reader and the serious scholar alike.