Millions of American GIs served in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War, fighting their way through Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands before pushing into Germany itself. Most were not professional soldiers, but ordinary young men drafted between 1942 and 1945 and sent overseas to confront one of the most formidable armies in history.

Christopher Hamner, associate professor of history at George Mason University, explores the experience of these ground troops—nicknamed “dogfaces”—from their stateside training and transatlantic journey to the brutal and bewildering realities of combat on the European continent. He examines the fighting as well as the daily lives of the young men at war: their fears and convictions, spiritual beliefs, and their common frustrations with food, leadership, and weather.

Using GI memoirs, official documents, and the famous “Willie and Joe” cartoons by Bill Mauldin, Hamner brings to life the experiences of American soldiers in Europe during a campaign that ultimately claimed the lives of more than a quarter-million U.S. troops.

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