TO THE LAST MAN by Jeff Shaara

Note: I am not a paid reviewer, and I have purchased this title to read for my personal enjoyment.

A sprawling WW1 epic which follows the war experiences of Germany’s ace pilot the Red Baron and General “Black Jack” Pershing, as well those of two lesser-knowns who represent American flyers in the Lafayette Escadrille and American Marines in the trenches. One aim of the story is to fictionalize the conflict and its campaigns at the highest levels, so along the way we meet the Kaiser, King George and Wilson, Ludendorff and Von Hindenburg, Foch, Joffre and Petain, and Haig. While the narrative and dialogue is mostly convincing, to me this book’s portrayals of historical figures tread on material better presented in the many well-researched non-fiction studies of the Great War. Mr. Shaara’s strength is his fighting men and battle scenes which, at times, bring to mind the immediacy of Bernard Cornwell’s fight scenes. The story immerses us in WW1 aviation and dog-fighting tactics of aces like Richthofen and Rickenbacker. In particular, rich detail of the making of the Red Baron, and of his legend, make Richthofen a memorable character. American Marines slog through Belleau Wood and on to the Meuse as George Patton cuts his teeth on new tank warfare. We are with the fighting men as they fear the enemy, feel the exhilaration of victory, grieve their dead, and sometimes meet their end.