Scarlet Fields: The Combat Memoir of a World War I Medal of Honor Hero

by John Lewis Barkley Narrated by Bob Souer

Overview

A reconnaissance man and sniper, John Lewis Barkley served in Company K of the 4th Infantry Regiment, a unit that participated in almost every major American battle. The York-like episode that earned Barkley his Congressional Medal of Honor occurred on October 7, 1918, when he climbed into an abandoned French tank and singlehandedly held off an advancing German force, killing hundreds of enemy soldiers. But Barkley's memoir abounds with other memorable moments and vignettes, all in the words of a soldier who witnessed war's dangers and degradations but was not at all fazed by them.



Unlike other writers identified with the "Lost Generation," he relished combat and made no apology for having dispatched scores of enemy soldiers; yet he was as much an innocent abroad as a killing machine, as witnessed by second thoughts over his sniper's role, or by his determination to protect a youthful German prisoner from American soldiers eager for retribution. This Missouri backwoodsman and sharpshooter was also a bit of a troublemaker who smuggled liquor into camp, avoided promotions like the plague, and had a soft heart for mademoiselles and fräuleins alike.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Life in the trenches in all its gritty gore and surreality, revisited by a laconic Missouri infantryman whose record rivaled Sergeant Alvin York’s.”—American History Magazine

"A most worthwhile read."—Stand To!

“Barkley’s autobiographical work does an exceptional job of conveying his story to readers, using early twentieth-century American language with no holds barred. . . . The greatest benefit this book provides, aside from the firsthand account of Barkley’s Congressional Medal of Honor actions is its insight into the First World War from the vantage of a frontline soldier and the camaraderie that existed in small units. . . . Scarlet Fields is worth reading for both general historians interested in World War I as well as those looking for specific insight into the combat psyche of the U.S. frontline soldier on the western front in 1918.”—H-Net Reviews

“An absorbing and exciting account of World War I combat and one of the most important American war narratives . . . receives a superb new treatment in this edition, with an enlightening introduction and notes by Steven Trout. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in soldiers’ experiences of warfare.”—Edward G. Lengel, author of To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918

“Barkley was one of the war’s outstanding heroes and his memoir is one of the most readable and detailed accounts of an American soldier’s experiences to emerge from it.”—Edward M. Coffman, author of The War to End All Wars

“A laconic, uncompromising combat memoir by a young Missourian who took quiet pride in his brutal skills.”—David D. Lee, author of Sergeant York: An American Hero

“A gripping combat narrative that portrays the war as both horrific slaughter and rite of passage.”—Jennifer D. Keene, author of World War I: The American Soldier Experience

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"Barkley was one of the war's outstanding heroes and his memoir is one of the most readable and detailed accounts of an American soldier's experiences to emerge from it." —Edward M. Coffman, author of The War to End All Wars

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171155575
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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