To End All War A Historical Novel by Nicholas Lambros (2014 Iuniverse) is historical fiction set in WW1. A cast of fictional characters and historical figures are at the forefront of the story. The author wrote the novel to bring attention to the historical consequences of the war. Also Lambros wish to bring to light how the conflict was the most bloody and destructive up until that time.
The central characters in the story John,Catherine,James and Michael are fictional. Through out the book the central characters interact with historical figures. In this review I will cover the historical figures as they appear in the book. The story takes place from 1916-18.
The books opens with John informing his father that he enlist in the Lafayette Escadrille. John's father Sam is a surgeon. His sister Catherine is a supporting character in the story.
John chose to become a flyer for several very good reasons. John doesn't speak a word of French. If John joined the French infantry he must take an oath to France and risk his American Citizenship. He ruled out naval service .In his mind because he didn't relish the idea of becoming a seal pup swimming on hostile seas whistle killer whales (U-boats) cruised below waiting to pull a meal under the waves.
The author was keen to voice how the medical care available hadn't progressed a great deal since the American Civil War. The surgeon in Sam voices his concern to John about this fact. I found speaking with the author that making this point was important to him.
John's outrage sinking of the Lusitania reflects the wide spread feeling on both sides of the Atlantic at that time. In the same vain how Woodrow Wilson response to the sinking amounted to little more than a diplomatic note to Kaiser Wilhelm II provided him with the motivation to enlist.
The recognition of the war about being about the future of civilisation is spurring him on. From his childhood John was raised from childhood to value and practice civilised behaviour. The death of unarmed combats at the hands of U-boats and German soldiers violated decent standards of civilisation.
IMO John's opinion about the importance of the war in France has been downplayed in some quarters. Some left wing “Historians” have seen fit to recast WW1 as a clash of empires. In their eagerness to rewrite history how the Germans sought to conquer western Europe has been ignored. In an attempted to recast the war in a light that would justify anti war sentiment in the present, historical events that opened many different paths are ignored.
John , his brother Michael and younger sister Catherine are all lovers of history as a subject matter. As a boy John dreamed of having a small role in history. As I read the opening of the book I found myself relating to the character of John. During the Canterbury Earthquakes I had an instinctive feeling that I was witnessing history.
The events of February 22 2011 which saw parts Christchurch devastated by a 6.3 earthquake. Myself and others who were either directly effected by the ground shaking or a part of the relief efforts were eye witnesses to history.
John secured a passage to the UK on the Saint Louis. Originally John planned to enter France directly. He hadn't received a reply to his application to join the Lafayette Escadrille sailing. John was counting on his enthusiasm to get him past any hurdles once he was in France.
In my mind the cold winter weather that confined John to indoors activities while at sea is symbolic of Woodrow Wilson's isolationist sentiment. I see the ghost of Wilson's cold shoulder towards joining the war against Germany in current events. The way President Obama and a fair slice of Congress refusal to use US troops in the Ukraine is reminiscent of Wilson's policy of neutrality.
In the Cafeteria John meets a man by the name of Eddie Rickenbacker (1890 – 1973). In the 1916 Rickenbacker the future ace was a race car driver. Rick as he preferred to be called is John's sporting hero. Rick struck John as an honest man with a very firm hand shake.
John travelled to London via Manchester via in the very British fashion of catching a train. John encounters a member of the RFC by the name of Richard Sloane. Sloane is a mechanic who confidentially tells John that the FE2 is no match for the Albatros. After the ice has been broken Sloane explained his scars that he had landed a Fe2 in flames.
John arrived in London three days before Christmas. Reading a newspaper article on the horrendous British causalities from the Battle of the Somme would have been enough to put anyone in a sombre mood. John harkens back to the Civil War. The causalities at the Battle of Gettysburg were considered shocking at the time. Compared to the Somme the blood spilled at Gettysburg was a drop in the ocean.
At Saint Paul's Church John prey's for those who had been killed the Battles of the Somme and Verdun. John is a Catholic. Preying for the dead meant more to him than the denomination of the Church. As the reader I was touched by this passage in the book.
The reader now meets Albert a taxi driver. Albert encounters John when he enters a taxi. John's destination is the American embassy. Albert acts as an unofficial tour guide. This is the start of enduring friendship between the two men.
At the embassy John enquires about gaining assistance in joining the Lafayette Escadrille. The ambassadors secretary makes an appointment for John at 2PM the next day. John inadvertently leaves his passport behind. Before jumping into a taxi he returns to fetch his passport.
The taxi driver is an associate of Albert's. After a short introduction he informs John that Albert is happy to open his home to John. John gladly accepts the offer of staying the night with Albert and his family. Albert's wife Bertie welcomes John as a warm host. Albert and Bertie have two sons George and Edward.
At a local watering hole the conversation between Albert and John drifts to the topic of the war. John view is that the USA will eventually have to get involved in the war on the side of the allies. John makes the wise case for his argument. The German agents blowing up the Black Tom munitions depot in Jersey City and sinking the Lusitania all resulted in the loss of American lives and property.
I believe that when the Russians invade Western Europe in the next 5 – 10 years the USA will once again try in vain to adopt the policy of neutrality. The USA will be dragged into the war for the same reasons they entered WW1.The Russian's shutting down the Atlantic would inevitability threaten American commerce.
The sinking of merchant ships carrying goods for Walmart or exports is going to place the squeeze on the USA. In the UK the reliance on importing food to feed the population will mean server food shortages .The American agricultural sector will wish to take advantage of the food shortages the UK is facing. Shipments of American grain crossing the Atlantic will be sunk by Russian submarine and aircraft.
Albert reflects on what today we now see as effects of the industrialised warfare. The death toll and carnage on the Western Front has been well documented by historians. I myself have discussed the Western Front at length with people who share my passion for military history.
John returned to embassy for his appointment. The ambassador is unable to help John in any official capacity because of his government's policy of neutrality. John is dispatched as an unofficial courier to the American ambassador in Paris. In exchange for acting as a courier John will receive the assistance he needs.
In his role as unofficial courier John suspects that the parcel he is carrying contains sensitive diplomatic documents. I wondered why John would be entrusted to undertake such a role?
After more than his fair share of trials and tribulations John arrives in Paris. Before he arrives in Paris he meets Michelle in Saint-Nazaire. Michelle works in her fathers bakery. Michelle father speaks English and he taught his daughter the language at home. John and Michelle just click.
John is able to explain the hold ups he experienced to Ambassador Sharp and gives him the package . Sharp examines the contents of the documents and makes a phone call. John can tell from the phone call that his suspicious have been confirmed. Sharp has taken the Liberty of phoning Captain Thenault in advance.
Mrs Alice Weeks sponsors a home for servicemen who are in Paris. Weeks a resident of Boston lost a son to the war. American volunteers get special treatment in memory of her son. Sharp's receptionist gives John the address of Weeks's accommodation.
John stays overnight at the the accommodation that was arranged for him. The next day an officer named Alfred de Laage phones Johns and tells him to go to the French Ministry of war. At the Ministry of War John is to meet with Captain Rene Jacquot and enlist in the Lehion Etrangere.
The documents John couriered contained President Wilson's latest peace proposal. Ten days later Ambassador Sharp learned that the French had rejected a German counterproposal to hold peace talks in the Reichstag. The matter was dropped after the French insisted on reparations. The war would go on.
At this stage of the war no one could foresee the end of the war. Today with the benefit of hindsight we know that the Battles of the Somme and Verdun drained the allies of manpower. The Germans were also running out of food because of Labour shortages. Agricultural workers no longer occupied their peacetime jobs and were serving on the front lines.
On the last day of January Germany declared a return to unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany sought to break the deadlock on the Western Front by cutting the allies supply lines. Wilson's isolationist polices would keep America out of the war long enough for the U-boat's to win.
The story now moves forward to 1917 and the USA declaration of war against Germany. James Jefferson nicknamed JJ had quit Harvard University over the Summer break. Monroe is like a second father to JJ. JJ had planned to enlist as a medical officer in the navy. The outbreak of war and the knowledge that his brothers are going to war changed JJ plans.
JJ enlists in the Fifteenth Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard. James writes to Monroe and tells him of his enlistment in the regiment. The Fifteenth Heavy Foot , the name the gave themselves was mustered into the US Army in July by President Wilson. The regiment received orders to go to Camp Whitman. Subsequently the regiment was broken up for many weeks. Units were sent to whatever Headquarters needed guarding. JJ went to Ellis Island with a small group of men. The group guarded German POW's.
In October the regiment was called together, with orders to go to Spartanburg, South Carolina. The move was made public. Spartanburg's Mayor Floyd wrote to military authorities warning them against posting black men in his town. He made it clear that Spartanburg would not welcome a black regiment and their arrival would not change the way the town treated blacks. No special Jim Crow shops would be opened for the troops. Local Negroes had shops that supplied their needs.
Mayor Floyd called on General O'Ryan to warn his high-minded Northern Negroes to behave. If they understood the customs they'd get along. If not the customs would still be observed. Mayor Floyd wrote a letter that was published in the New York times. The regiment arrived in Spartanburg via rail. After their arrival Colonel Hayward addressed the officers from the top of a bathhouse.
My feeling is that Hayward spoke with a dignity that the Jim Crow south didn't deserve in the slightest. Hayward called for restraint , the regiment shouldn't lower its standard of behaviour to match local customs. He asked them to avoid any places they wouldn't be welcome. Would they take an oath to avoid to refrain from violence no matter who or what provokes you? The entire regiment took the oath regardless of rank and skin colour.
The seventh a white regiment hadn't taken an a oath. This became apparent when two of their soldiers saw a black man from the fifteenth thrown from a pavement into the gutter. Not contend with the original abuse the townsmen involved began to beat him even after the solider told them he had sworn not to fight. The two whites intervened. They beat the bullies into the street. The incident made the men of the fifteenth proud and equals in the eyes of the seventh.
The potential for trouble helped Haywood convince his superiors that the unit should be in France. On October 24 the regiment entrained for New York and immediate embarkation to France. The unit was delayed sailing on Pocahontas because the vessel was under going repairs. On January 31 the regiment landed in Saint-Nazaire.
In March the regiment left Saint-Nazaire for training behind the lines near Givry-en-Argonne. The French equipped the regiment. I have always found it interesting how in WW1 American forces were equipped by the French. In WW2 the USA was the industrial powerhouse that supplied the winning quantity of war material to the allies , including Free French Forces.
The story now to the character of Catherine and the month of June. At only 22 Catherine's father was dead and her mother lived in Arizona. As Monroe the family chauffeur called out to her that it was time to leave for the trip to New York. Catherine is reflecting on her fathers death and how Michael is the latest member of the family is heading to the war in France. Michael is due to report at the Brooklyn Naval Yard by the third of the month.
Michael had volunteered to serve fresh from John Hopkins School of Medicine. The USN promised to appoint him to the medical service. Catherine was closer to John in spirit and in age. She was proud of John as a flyer. Fighter pilots took lives and surgeons saved them. Catherine blamed the war for making her judger her brothers.
At the Brooklyn Naval Yard Michael finds a sergeant who isn't expecting his arrival. Captain John Turnbull greets him. Commander Fields is absent. Fields expresses a desire to take Michael and Catherine out to dinner. Even through she is worn out Catherine agrees to go along because she hopes to get an idea when Michael will ship out. At dinner Fields asks Catherine if she intents to teach French. He displays support for the role women have taken on in the workforce due to men serving at the front. Catherine is impressed by Fields show of support.
The next day Fields takes Catherine tiki touring around New York City. His attraction to Catherine is cemented when he knocked on her front door. Catherine's striking beauty and keen intellect all strike a cord with him. Catherine also takes a fancy to Fields.
Central Park is their first stop off. Catherine and William settle on on addressing each other by their first names. The significance of this may not be understood by the contemporary reader. In the very formal post Edwardian society Catherine and William are taking a step to cement a budding relationship.
William was bold enough to speak with Captain Turnbull about asking one of his friends at the State Department about a job for Catherine if she is interested in taking up the role. The State Department currently has a vacancy for a women who speaks French. Catherine is stunned when William mentions this offer as they are riding in a horse drawn cart. By accepting the offer her fear of being left alone as her brothers went off to war vanished.
At dinner Michael and Catherine neared the end of their meal. Michael was beaming about Catherine's chance to become a interpreter. He notices the change in Catherine. He liked the change. As the reader I feel this is the start of a long journey whose destination is the character of Catherine's role in the story.
On June 7 1918, Michael received his orders to ship out to France. Directly reporting to Colonel George C Marshall JR (GHQ ,AEF); LT.Morris will be temporarily assigned to the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF) as directed.
Michael technically violates his orders by informing Catherine of his pending departures. For security reasons he doesn't reveal to her what ship he is sailing on. Catherine is naturally upset about the Turn of events. Monroe is taking on board the turn of events.
Fields escorts Catherine to her job interview. The interview was conducted by Counsellor Frank L. Polk the assistant secretary, acting on behalf of Secretary Robert Lansing. It was over in an hour and a half. The Counsellor had hired her contingent on a background check.
William took Catherine out to dinner to celebrate. At dinner he asks her permission if he can write to her ( think of it like a guy getting the email address or phone number in the present day) . Catherine reply is “Oh, William men are so thick where women are concerned! Really! Don't you know how I feel about you? Of course you should write. I'd be miserable if you didn't.
As ordered Michael arrived in France. On arrival he reported to General James McAndrew , Perishing's Chief of Staff. After a brief meeting he was directed to the office of the assistant Chief of Staff for Operations for assignment , one George C Marshall.
The author's portray of Marshall was of great interest to me. Since I first read about Marshall's contribution to the American and allied war effort in WW2 as a 8 or 10 year old. When I look at the relationship's that Presidents Barack Obama and George Walker Bush had with their military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan , Marshall always springs to mind.
The corrosive influence of Donald Rumsfled over the handling of the Iraq War has been well documented elsewhere. The same goes for the sway Rumsfeld had over the decisions Bush made concerning Iraq. Obama's sour relationships with the Joint Chiefs and senior military commanders have emerged from the tell tale memoirs of Robert Gates and Leon Panetta . The circumstances behind General McChrystal's dismissal as Commander of International Military Assistance Force are also present the reader with a telling incident.
Successive US presidents have never taken into account the historical importance/lessons from the role Marshall played in the allied war effort during WW2. Marshall was FDR's trusted advisor. Marshall was the key backer of the Germany First policy. How different would the post 9-11 world been if Bush and Obama had trusted the knowledge and professionalism of the US military instead of what has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Marshall informs Michael that he will be used as a test bed for a new experiment in preliminary care. At the time Aid Stations near the front lines only offered very basic care to wounded soldiers. This level of care was the same if a soldier suffered from life threatening or non life threatening injuries. The injured were transported to hospitals located behind the lines. Performing surgical procedures on the wounded at first aid stations would save lives.
The topic of battlefield medicine struck a cord with me. My own father was seriously injured while serving with the Australian contingent in Vietnam. Subsequently the seriousness and the nature of his injures saw return to Australia. In between being evacuated from the battlefield and his return to Australia he would have gone through what today is known as triage. His most immediate medical/surgical needs would been meet at a Field Hospital.
Real life doctors performed surgery on my father and countless other wounded Diggers. When I recently attended a local Anzac Day service the doctors and nurses who looked after my father were in my thoughts.
Hours later Michael reported to General Dickman's Headquarters and was told to report to Brigadier General Ulysses Grant McAlexander's Thirty Eighth Infantry Regiment. The aid station was directly behind the main defensive lines above Condre-en-Brie, the name given to the water that ran through the valley.
The winter of 1916 was the most server in Parisian memory. John drifted in and out of sleep on the train to Pau. At Pau John was issued with his mess kit , leather boots , and a jacket. John is quartered in a drafty barrack . Wood and coal burning stoves bellowed smoke into the barracks.
At 5.30am the next day , John was awakened by the blare of a French bugle. Later on John meets his flight instructor Captain Mallory. A modified Blériot serves as the introductory flying machine for the would be pilots. The Blériot's wings were shortened to prevent the trainees from getting off the ground.
Mallory informs the trainees that their very survival in air combat depends on how well they adsorb the training they are given. The current gen French fighters are no match for the German Albatros D.III and the new Fokker. The Albatros can out turn its French counterparts.
Out of the trainees , John is the first to have a go at taxing the Blériot down the field and back to the hanger. John would commit two errors. After the machine started John forgot to reset the throttle. The machine gathered speed quickly. His foot instinctively pressed the right pedal where the brake pedal is in his auto mobile. The plane began to turn to the right and John started to sweat.
John compounded his error. By hitting the left rudder the aircraft spun to the left. John was angry with himself. John was able to steady the plane in about 10 seconds. The 10 seconds seemed like an eternity. John was able to bring the machine back into the hanger without future hiccups.
Mallory passed on his hard won Tactical knowledge to the trainees. Mallory stressed that a man was only as good as his machine. The same went for understanding the performance characteristics of the aeroplanes of the day. Mallory bore an artificial leg from his time in the air.
Mallory had flown an BE2 in aerial combat. In the action he shot down two enemy observation planes. A single winged Fokker out climbed Mallory's BE2 and nearly shot him down. The enemy pilot was either low on fuel or thought he was finished. What the trainees didn't know is that the action had earned Mallory a DFC.
The next incarnation of the Blériot sprouted wings. Once the trainees had archived the attitude of take off, they were to ease back on the stick, briefly lift off and then land and repeat the exercise down the field. John's pilot training continued when he nearly misjudged the length of the field. Mallory made it clear that he would ground any pilot who made the same mistake.
The author uses the character of Eugene Falman to demonstrate the dangers of aviation in its infancy. Falman is a boisterous Texan. On his return trip his hops off were to low or to short. On his last hop he pulled the stick back to quick and stalls the machine. The aircraft flips and crashes. A fire ignites a broken fuel line leading the plane to explode. Falman is killed.
John earned his wings. He only lost his lunch when airborne once. Before this in 80 hours of solo flight , John is a natural at Circling turns , figures eights,roll and dives. Entering and leaving a spin required the most nerve. From 4000 feet the trainees were to initiate a dive , spin no more than four times and pull out no higher than 1000 feet. Mallory invited John to have lunch in his office as a farewell.
John meets Captain Georges Thenault (1887-1948) the commander of the Lafayette Escadrille in Paris. The Lafayette Escadrille was based at Ravenel near Saint Just en Chaussée. Thenault drives John to the airfield. He meets the American ace Gervais Raoul Lufbery (1885-1918) in the most ungracious manner. Lufbery trips over John's bag. He left his bag in the door way of his hut.
John meets his fellow flyers. He discovers that they are on a first name basis. At first John is unaccustomed to this as he has become adjusted to military life. More importantly John meets the squadron's mascots Whiskey and Soda. Whisky and Soda are lions. Whisky has taken a fancy to lying at John's feet not unlike your domesticated feline would happily do.
John is called into Thenault's office. Thenault explains what is expected of John. He also welcomes John to the squadron. Thenault informs John that he expects him to uphold the standards of the unit by avoiding the world's oldest profession. Thenault promotes John to sergeant on the basis of his performance in training.
John' first combat patrol is delayed by bad weather. When he did take to the air he was very jittery. His inexperience in aerial combat was soon shown. Lufbery joins the patrol later on so he can check on the newbie. John committed the cardinal error of not keeping an eye on his 6 o'clock. Lufbery shakes a Albatross off John's tail.
In April 1917 the United States took the plunge from the kids to the adult pool by declaring war on Germany. In the time before American Doughboys arrived in France the squadron performed its customary duties.
Come the middle of the Month , John recorded his first kill. In the moment John contemplated the morality of killing his fellow man. In this moment which most have seemed like an eternity he reminded himself of the words of Lufbery “never forget why you are here.” From that day onwards John's cold passion became the destruction of the enemy.
Now the story shifts to July 1918 and General Ludendorff making a last ditch attempt to restart a war winning offensive.
Michael’s aid station sat at a creek running North north along the Bois de Conde to the Marne. Michael and Captain McKay were overwhelmed by the number of oncoming casualties. The walking wounded became orderlies after they had been bandaged.
A solider with a seriously wounded leg arrived at the aid station. A fellow private and friend of the solider brought him to the aid station. The wounds required that Michael amputate the injured leg. Michael was shocked when he recognised the patient as being James Jefferson. James is serving with the French Army. Michael writes a letter to Monroe informing him of his son's injuries.
While reading Michael's letter Monroe breaks into tears. He is relived that his son will be coming home. At the same time the nature of his son's injury disturbs him. While the tears flow he is viewing a map of France in an atlas in relation to where his son is serving.
Catherine now returns to the narrative. She has a meeting in Frank Polk office. Frank offers her an usual assignment. The assignment is unusual because of it's secretive nature. General Perishing sent an urgent memorandum requesting a special assistant. The role is for a civilian who isn't well known around the tracks. Catherine accepts the offer.
Catherine's cover story is that she is being assigned to the US embassy in France. As a part of her cover she is meeting with Ambassador Sharp. In the days before she sails to France she informs William and Monroe of her departure. Monroe shows Catherine the letter from Michael. Before she leaves for France she spends the night with William.
Back in 1917 , John's squadron is receiving new flying machine the Spad VII. The Spad VII was more durable then the Niueuport17. The engine had an extra 40 horsepower. Less manoeuvrable then the Niueuport17 the Spad VII the advantage lay in its faster speed and climb. When scheduled missions were completed John took to the air to familiarise himself with the controls.
One of the many Americans arriving in France is Sergeant First Class Edward Rickenbacker. Before embarking on a weeks leave he receives a letter from Catherine. The letter informs John that his father had past away. John feels a pang of guilt for not being at home when his dad died. While on leave he runs into Michaelle. He first meet her when he was in Saint-Nazaire transiting through France after his first arrival.
Love blooms between the pair. While bike riding John reveals everything about himself expect for his combat experiences. He is guarded about his combat experiences and refuses to answer her question about them. Before the week is out Michaelle proposals Marriage to John. Even through she went against tradition John's accepts.
For the first time since he first enter combat John feels that he has a compelling reason to survive the war. John had been fatalist because of the high death toll amongst his fellow flies. In the months to come James was bearing the mental scars from his injuries. Dr Burns is unable to get James to accept a artificial leg. The nurses had no more luck then Dr Burns.
Michael visits James in the hospital without knowing about his depression. Michael does his rounds in the wards.
Michael drops formality by addressing James on a first names basis. Michael inform him that was the surgeon who took his leg. He explains that amputation was necessary to save his life. James begins to accept life with a artificial limb. Michael finds a nurse who James can relate to as a introvert.
In his absence John's squadron had moved aerodromes. John from his old aerodrome to Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer near the Belgian border , adjacent to the English Channel. John learns from Thenault how Jagdge-schwader 1 is stationed at a near by field. The British call them the “flying circus.” Their commander is Manfred Von Richthofen, the Red Baron. John bit his teeth as Von Richthofen reputation preceded him.
John is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. The Battle of Passchendaele is under way. Bad weather is keeping John and his fellow flyers grounded. John uses the time to put his combat experiences to good use by developing a new ploy. John wishes to mount a variation of the tactic used commonly by the enemy.
John plans to lure the flying circus into ambushing aircraft flying below them. John wants to split a formation of aircraft in cloud cover and 500 feet below. Discussion ironed out the wrinkles with the concept. The below formation would fire a flare to signal when the top formation was needed. The flare would be used because the two formations were beyond visual range. Flying over the channel allows John and a few of his squadron mates to practice the ploy.
In the vicinity of Ypres the trap was sprung successfully on the Flying Circus. John accounts for a Albatros. In mid August the squadron moves to Senard below the Argonne Forest, twenty miles of South West of Verdun. At Senard John takes a phone call from Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker tells John that he is in pilot training.
Concurrently General Pershing was dealing with the enormous logistical task of equipping US forces that are arriving in France. Thenault briefs his men that their new mission is to escort observer aircraft. The mission is to be commanded by the commandant of the bomber group. They would adopt the tactic of close escort as it later become known, in the next world war. John isn't selected for what proves to be a frustrating sortie.
John's next sortie is solo. He opts to use one of the older Nieuport's. The older model flying machine has better characteristics for gliding. John pilots the machine over the enemy aerodrome. Using the advantage of altitude John cuts off his engine and circles over the aerodrome. By doing so the enemy cannot hear his presence. He is awaiting the German observer planes. At take off they will be most vulnerable.
John lets the enemy fighters take off unmolested. When the two DFW CV rolled down the field to take off John restarted his engine. At 9,000 feet he gently enters a dive. Caught unawares the first DFW CV goes down in flames. In the second DFW CV the Pilot and the rear gunner are dead before the first one hits the ground. The Albatrosses soon broke off their pursuit of John.
Upon his return Lufbery compliments him on his fine tactical mind. Lufbery was aware of John's actions in before he spoke with him. Lufbery had done the same thing over Flanders. He didn't tell John this as he didn't want to spoil the originality of the idea.
Before travelling to Pairs Catherine receives a letter from her Mum. She writes a reply to her mother Elizabeth . Her mother never gets to read the letter. Ill health had caught with her. Elizabeth’s last words were expressing her love of her kids. As per her wishes she is buried next to her husband.
Michael and Catherine are unaware that they are on the same train to Paris. Michael's destination is AEF HQ 136 miles South East of Paris. While locating his driver at Chaumont Michael spots Catherine. Catherine is overjoyed to see her brother and have a brief reunion with him.
Michael reports to Marshall who is now a full bird Colonel. His new assignment is to take responsibility for preparing and coordinating advanced medical collaboration for three divisions. Michael is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. His work as a doctor had come to the attention of General Pershing.
Catherine's mission turns out to be confirming the guilt of a suspected spy. The details are best left to the reader. I will say that her French language skills and ability to remain cool are the key to her success.
Around this time a sergeant is driving Michael to new assignment at Saint -Ouen about 25KM south of Virty-le-Francois. They become hopelessly lost. They end near the front line and come under fire from German artillery. The car is upturned by a shell hole in the middle of the road. The NCO turns the car upright and sets off to drive Michael to medical attention.
Rickenbacker informs John that he has received a dispatch concerning how Michael had died having suffered from a serious brain injury. John has been in France for a year and nine months only to hear of Michael's death. On that same day he is ordered stateside. His next role is to become a flight and combat instructor. The timing allows him to escort Catherine on voyage back across the Atlantic.
Before there departure John marries Michelle. Weeks later the war ends. The author rightfully concludes the story with a brief chapter on the doomed peace (The Treaty of Versailles) and how it lead's to WW2.
The author is successful captures the horror and consequences of the first world war. People who are familiar with the historical figures like Marshal who went on to a more famous role in the next war will enjoy the book. I have the utmost respect for the author's motivation's in writing the book. In the event just one reader who has a mild interest in WW1 takes up the torch, I believe the author's endeavor will have been successful.
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