Pogue's War

Diaries of a WWII Combat Historian

by Forrest C. Pogue

Published by: The University Press of Kentucky

Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky

Sales Date: 03/03/2006

432 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in

Paperback
9780813191607
Published: March 2006

$30.00 SR

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Description
Praise

" With a foreword by Stephen Ambrose and a preface by Franklin D. Anderson Forrest Pogue (1912-1996) was undoubtedly one of the greatest World War II combat historians. Born and educated in Kentucky, he is perhaps best known for his definitive four-volume biography of General George C. Marshall. But, as Pogue's War makes clear, he was also a pioneer in the development of oral history in the twentieth century, as well as an impressive interviewer with an ability to relate to people at all levels, from the private in the trenches to the general carrying four stars. Pogue's War is drawn from Forrest Pogue's handwritten pocket notebooks, carried with him throughout the war, long regarded as unreadable because of his often atrocious handwriting. Pogue himself began expanding the diaries a few short years after the war, with the intent of eventual publication. At last this work is being published. Supplemented with carefully deciphered and transcribed selections from his diaries, the heart of the book is straight from the field. Much of the material has never before seen print. From D-Day to VE-Day, Pogue experienced and documented combat on the front lines, describing action on Omaha Beach, in the Huertgen Forest, and on other infamous fields of conflict. He not only graphically—yet also often poetically—recounts the extreme circumstances of battle, but he also notes his fellow soldiers' innermost thoughts, feelings, opinions, and attitudes about the cruelty of war. As a trained historian, Pogue describes how he went about his work and how the Army's history program functioned in the European Theater of Operations. His entries from his time at the history headquarters in Paris show the city in the early days after the liberation in a unique light. Pogue's War has an immediacy that much official history lacks, and is a remarkable addition to any World War II bookshelf. Franklin D. Anderson, Forrest Pogue's nephew by marriage, is a longtime educator. He lives in Princeton, Kentucky.

Pogue and Anderson's historical achievement in completing this work will serve future generations as a most valuable resource.
~Air Power History

Forrest's honest thoughts and remarks made at the time give insight into the circumstances of an age long gone.
~Army

Both a primer for would-be wartime field historians and a revealing description of the activities and observations of the then-32-year-old historian.
~Army History

A glimpse into the daily life of the American soldier and the apprenticeship of a military historian.
~Canadian Journal of History

Pogue was the first and among the best historians of WWII.
~Choice

A valuable addition to firsthand accounts of the war, and it covers a formative period in the personal development of a distinguished Kentuckian.
~Filson History Quarterly

Written with the keen eye of a trained historian and the experience of a seasoned soldier, Pogue's account gets at the heart of war through the thoughts and attitudes of the men who fought.
~Giustificativo

A vivid account by an extremely intelligent and observant participant. It makes good reading no matter the place, the subject, or the circumstances.
~Journal of Military History

One of the most vital first-hand accounts of the war to date.
~Kentucky Monthly

The first historian of D-Day, Pogue went on to document up-close the most gristly and significant clashes of World War II.
~McCormick (SC) Messenger

A memorable tribute to a combat historian who pioneered in recording history while it was hot.
~Military History of the West

A story that recaptures a pivotal period along with its dirt, grime, confusion, heroics, and hysterics.
~Military Review

As good as it gets: an honest, brave account of the war that set the stage for everything—foreign and domestic—that has come our way since.
~Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pogue turned out to be a superb interviewer.
~Proceedings

Reveals the dark heart of armed conflict and the vision of a master observer. One of the most valuable personal accounts of the Second World War, it merits wide acclaim.
~Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

Traces the march of Allied troops across France and Germany from the invasion beaches of D-Day to the Rhine River and the May 1945 surrender.
~Scripps Howard News Service

Pogue was certainly one of the smartest sergeants in the U.S. Army, indeed one of the smartest individuals. Here is his wartime diary, sometimes expanded, never cut. It is priceless. He was in a unique position and wrote in his own way. Throughout, one can hear him speaking. The book as a whole is so superior that I can't think of words of praise that could express how good it is.
~Stephen E. Ambrose