First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny; America's First Battle of World War I

First-time author Davenport (former prosecutor, U.S. Army Reserve) presents a spectacularly well-written and researched work on the Battle of Cantigny (1918) in northern France, the first fight in World War I for U.S. forces. The account starts the day before the conflict, during a surprise German attack that resulted in heavy casualties to the American Army's 1st Division. Then, moving backwards toward the involvement of the United States in the Great War, Davenport relays the quick development of a fighting force, the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), and the training for trench warfare. The action at Cantigny is then covered in terrific detail. Using primary documents, diaries, interviews, and other sources, the author astutely narrates every step of the attack. He views the battle from every military rank, from general to private; each perspective and experience is thoroughly examined.