{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"\u201cSerpents of War:\u201d A Discussion with Drs. Steven Trout & Ian Isherwood","description":"From University Press of Kansas: \u201cSerpents of War\u201d is the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army\u2014a rare experience among American soldiers in 1918. In addition, Parkin provides a detailed account of the 79th Division\u2019s attack on Mountfaucon, a military action that remains controversial to this day. This is a book by a brave soldier, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on the battlefield, and a gifted writer.   \u201cSerpents of War" is an abridged edition of a nearly 200,000-word World War I memoir that resides in Gettysburg College\u2019s Musselman Library, enhanced by the contributions of two scholars of World War I and memory. Written in an unassuming but eloquent style, Parkin\u2019s narrative seldom strains for effect. It possesses a strong sense of setting, a knack for capturing the chaos and strange exhilaration of battle, and a sharp eye for the interpersonal, social dynamics of military life\u2014the personality clashes and simmering feuds, as well as the moments of comradeship and accord. \u201cSerpents of War\u201d is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader\u2019s attention from beginning to end.   Dr. Trout\u2019s Travels in Harry Parkin\u2019s footsteps -   https:\/\/kansaspress.ku.edu\/blog\/2024\/09\/26\/on-the-serpents-trail-following-the-footsteps-of-harry-dravo-parkin\/ Where to buy \u201cSerpents of War: An American Officer's Story of World War I Combat and Captivity\u201d -   https:\/\/kansaspress.ku.edu\/9780700635054\/serpents-of-war\/ The BFWWP is on Patreon: https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.   ","author_name":"Battles of the First World War Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/www.firstworldwarpodcast.com\/","html":"