Official History of 5th Army

[peabody]

Is anyone interested in purchasing an official history of 5th Army? A used bookstore in Knoxville, Tennessee, has a copy. I think the price is about $30.00. The name of the bookstore is Book Eddy. You can Google for the address and phone number.

 

Stewart Crane

[Walt's Daughter]

Oh I would love to have that. Would be perfect for my collection. Thanks for the heads-up and BTW, welcome to our forum. Nice talking with you over at WBG.

 

How did you become interested in the 291st?

[Walt's Daughter]

Went to their site and am perusing through their selections. Do you know the exact title? One book I see is around 40.00 and it's titled:

 

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

[smcrane]

Oh I would love to have that. Would be perfect for my collection. Thanks for the heads-up and BTW, welcome to our forum. Nice talking with you over at WBG.

 

How did you become interested in the 291st?

I became interested in the 291st after reading "The Damned Engineers." It amazed me that blowing up that one little bridge over Lienne Creek had such a great influence on the Battle of the Bulge.

[smcrane]

Went to their site and am perusing through their selections. Do you know the exact title? One book I see is around 40.00 and it's titled:

 

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

That's it. That copy was owned by an officer in the 504th PIR, and it has some of his personal notations in the margins.

[Walt's Daughter]

Excellent. Will try and grab that one for myself. Hey I can use some of my Christmas money.

[Custermen]

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

I can't find it. Who wrote that?

There is a book by a similiar name that is part of the US Army history series. It is the 2nd volume that covers the campaign in Italy. I thought the same author wrote both books; the one for the US Army and published by the GPO and the one he published for himself.

Martin Blumenson wrote the first volume: Salerno to Cassino (United States Army in World War II - The Mediterranean Theater of Operations)

Ernest F. Fisher Jr. wrote CASSINO TO THE ALPS / THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS / UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II .

 

I thought it was Fisher who wrote the History of the 5th Army. Some day I would like to get a copy of it but not right now.

 

Yesterday at the mall, the book store had a copy of "An Army At Dawn". The softbound copy was $16, but the hardbound copy was on sale at $8. Duh. I'm no dummy. I may go back and get a copy for my brother. This book is 750 pages on the Americans in North Africa. Can't wait to read it.

 

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

Several of the guys from the 36h CE recommended that I read An Army at Dawn, so I bought myself a copy last month. Haven't had a chance to read it yet. Looking forward to sometime during the holidays.

 

I will have to get back with you about the author below:

 

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

[Walt's Daughter]

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

Starr, Liutenant Colonel Chester G.

 

This IS listed on the book store site. I just did a search for Fifth Army WWII.

[Custermen]

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

Starr, Liutenant Colonel Chester G.

Yes. Thanks for joggin my memory. That is the book that I would like to add to my library. I don't expect it to be as good as the US Army history but it will fill in a hole in my collection.

 

I've been interested in "An Army at Dawn" but since it was a new release, I knew I could wait. But now that I've read it, I really like it. It has details like I like. No Organization Table--bummer. The reason I wanted it was to learn about the leaders who would later be involved in the Italian Campaign.

 

I was scanning thru the many photos and saw one of Lt. Col. Wm. Darby. I've read about him as a Geneal but I know nothing about his experiences in N. Africa.

Then there was one of Ted Roosevelt. Hey! I've stood at his grave marker at Normandy. Ted Roosevelt was on staff with 1st Infantry Division and then in II Corps(it seems) but he didn't sever in Italy to my knowledge. Next to General Roosevelt was buried Quentin Roosevelt. The book's index also had listed the name Quetin. But Quentin was a WW1 pilot that was shot down over France. Why would the book mention him? Well, it seems that Ted Roosevelt named his son after his brother. It was Ted's son that is in this book, as he was severly wounded in N. Africa(not sure yet if he died). The book describes how General Roosevelt was a real gung-ho guy. He walked on the beach at N. Africa with initial landing. He also landed at Normandy on D-Day, only to die 2 weeks later of a heart condition.

 

Steve