Bringing Up the Rear: A Memoir

Brigadier Gen. S. L. A. Marshall may have been the only man to come under fire in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He served as an enlisted man in the First World War, but after that he was either an official historian or an observer and advisor to senior officers in country. "Bringing Up the Rear" is the story of Marshall's work, not his life. His three wives, he was once divorced and once widowed, are rarely mentioned. His main focus is to show how he became, in this reviewer's opinion, the most influential military historian and critic of the past century.He began his writing career as a newspaper reporter after returning from World War I. He felt that there was a need for expert military critics and he endeavored to fill that role. After extensive reading he felt up to the challenge to write about military matters. After Germany introduced Blitzkrieg into the military lexicon, Marshall penned a book on what this new mode of warfare would mean to America and its allies. Many people thought that his conclusions were farcical, but they all came true. After the beginning of the Second World War and until he went to work for the historical branch of the army, Marshall was asked to give his opinions on military matter in both print and in radio interviews. Despite most of his predictions coming true, people always questioned his opinions. He was seen as dour and at that time people did not want to believe that his predictions on the war would come true. Although I would like to give specific examples, it would take up too much room and will probably not give credit to the subject.Although Marshall was a brilliant and talented analyst and writer, he was somewhat gruff and never let anything or anyone get in the way of his mission. If he did not get what he needed, Marshall had no compunction about going over men's heads to friends in high places, and he had many such friends. Because of his devotion to duty, he went from being a historian in the Pacific Theater to the Chief Historian for the army. His program of interviewing soldiers who had just gotten back from a fight became the official doctrine for the accumulation of historical information. Marshal was recalled to duty for the Korean and the Vietnam War. He had free reign to go where he wanted and talk to whomever he desired. His purpose was to analyze operations and tactic so that errors could be eliminated and triumphs passed on to other so that they may learn from other people's experiences. In fact, this was the major goal of all his written work. Aside from his books, Marshall wrote a slew of papers and reports for high ranking military and civilian chiefs. Although most of the books concerns his military work, he does go off on some very intriguing and entertaining asides. The best example is when he, some correspondents, and Ernest Hemingway, Papa himself, lead the column that liberated Paris. No one, not even Marshall, can do this episode justice so you will have to read