Book Description
When World War II broke out in Europe, the American army had no specialized division of mountain soldiers. But in the winter of 1939–40, after a tiny band of Finnish mountain troops brought the invading Soviet army to its knees, an amateur skier named Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole convinced the United States Army to let him recruit an extraordinary assortment of European expatriates, wealthy ski bums, mountaineers, and thrill-seekers and form them into a unique band of Alpine soldiers. These men endured nearly three years of grueling training in the Colorado Rockies and in the process set new standards for both soldiering and mountaineering. The newly forged 10th Mountain Division finally faced combat in the winter of 1945, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, against the seemingly unbreakable German fortifications north of the Gothic Line. There, they planned and executed what is still regarded as the most daring series of nighttime mountain attacks in U.S. military history, taking Mount Belvedere and the sheer, treacherous face of Riva Ridge to smash the linchpin of the German army’s lines.
Drawing on unique cooperation from veterans of the 10th Mountain Division and a vast archive of unpublished letters and documents,
The Last Ridge is written with enormous warmth, energy, and honesty. This is one of the most captivating stories of World War II, a blend of
Band
of
Brothers and
Into Thin Air. It is a story of young men asked to do the impossible, and succeeding.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
The Troops Went Over the Mountain.......2005-09-04
This is a winning piece of WWII history from McKay Jenkins, covering the unique and heroic 10th Mountain Division of the US Army. These guys were media darlings in their day, and the time is right for them to be remembered by history. Some WWII battles were taking place in snowy and mountainous areas in Europe. Allied soldiers, who had little mountain experience and no extreme-environment supplies, were being beaten badly by German soldiers who had centuries-old traditional knowledge of the terrain and conditions. A great network of outdoor sports volunteers and experienced recruits convinced the US Army of the need for a regiment of elite troops that would be victorious in the mountains if they received real skills in mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, and winter survival. Specialized training and equipment testing took place at a special base in the Colorado Rockies, and the 10th Mountain Division soldiers won decisive victories against Axis positions in the mountains of Italy, and were indispensable in contributing to the overall defeat of the Germans. Jenkins utilizes stirring eyewitness accounts from the soldiers themselves, with plenty of nail-biting battle scenes and insights into the extreme hardships faced by these elite troops in their unique circumstances, as well as all soldiers in general. Great war reporting from Jenkins fleshes out the heroic and historic deeds of the 10th Mountain boys. [~doomsdayer520~]
Very good World II story.......2005-08-08
Very good story.
It seems as soon as one finishes a World War II book there is another great one out there. This is truly one of those.
Great story line and a lot of fun to read. The 10th mountain division is one that is not as well known to the general public but should be. Having lived in Europe myself and attended Prep school in the mountains, this story brought back a lot of great memories of the Alps.
These guys were truly great, and it is interesting to read about European ski stars, instructors, famous explorers, Prep School boys and IVY Leaguers wanting to join the US mountain division to fight the Nazis.
Even though they never really got to use their Skiing and climbing talents to fight the war, as the author states at the end of the book, they were nontheless great warriors.
Their entry in the war was a late one, but their service to the cause and their country was a noble one.
The Bob Dole segment is also very interesting and the author takes great care to make us understand what war was like during the Second World War. He also takes great care in telling us what warfare does to soldiers under constant bombardement.
Good read and a great compliment to other WWII stories.
This is a story about heroes.
Soldiers never die they just fade away (General McCarthur)
A Learning Experience and An Excellent Read!.......2005-02-27
Thank you for giving me a book that was so enlightening, educational and still had a wonderful storyline.
In reading certain books you can sense when the author's heart and soul have been poured into the words, and this was my first impression of my read of this outstanding work.
It is strange that when you think you have heard just about every story told about WWII another seems to erupt, more interesting than the last. For years I listened as my father reenacted account after account of the great war, but I never heard of the "Mountain Soldiers," I stand amazed at men such as these. Through this authors words I tasted their courage, skill and became aware of the impact they had on the outcome of the time, certainly giving them a place in the achieve of our nation's history.
The Last Ridge is a true account of these fearless men, their part in the victory over the Nazi's and the challenges and sacrifices it took to achieve that.
Well researched this work gives the reader knowledge of a group of fearless men and the vision they had and accomplished. It is a story that deserves a place in our hearts and should be passed on for generations to come.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Kliatt, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 433 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Jenkins, McKay. The Last Ridge: The Epic Story of America's first mountain Soldiers and the Assault on Hitler's Europe.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
Author: Raymond Puffer
Publication:
Kliatt (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 39
Issue: 4
Page: 42(1)
Article Type: Young Adult Review, Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
the hobo philosopher.......2007-06-27
I am building a collection of all of Mr. Foner's works. I realize that there is a controversy surrounding Mr. Foner just as there is surrounding all pro-labor historians and journalists. Mr. Foner supplies a link to the labor movement in America that I have not been able to find anywhere else. The history in this area is lacking considerably, but I find Mr. Foner to be a breath of fresh air. He is exhaustive and detailed. He gives episodes in labor history that are not mentioned anywhere that I have searched. I feel that if I am able to read all of Mr. Foner's works, I will have gotten myself an education, like nothing I could have gotten elsewhere. I am truly gratful for the efforts of men like Mr. Philip Foner. Thank you Sir.
Book Description
In this new edition of his classic study of the Industrial Workers of the World, Mr. Renshaw tells the story of how they planned to combine the American working class, and eventually wage earners all over the world, into one big labor union with an industrial basis, a syndicalist philosophy, and a revolutionary aim. A sensible and penetrating examination....Topical even today. --Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
Customer Reviews:
Sound familiar 100 years later?.......2006-08-24
A well documented book, that is slow going at the start,but gives adecent report on the IWW. I think the author was a little weak on the genesis of the union, but he gives a good feeling for the times in the blow-by-blow actions by and against the IWW. The book was written in the late 1960's,
but really has a conservative edge more like you'd read about the 1950's. A good primer on the IWW--it got me interested in finding out more!
The best of a mediocre lot.......2001-11-10
The definitive work on the IWW has yet to have been written. If you have no real knowledge of the IWW's history, this is the best available commercial overview. This isn't to say there are many flaws in it, there are. But it does mention the IWW as an international movement. It acknowledges the IWW was a going concern in the 20s and 30s and that it continues to exist today.
If you want an even better history, search out "The IWW: it's first 50 years" by Fred Thompson. It is tragically out of print, but is available in many libraries. This an official history of the IWW, but is a acknowledged labor classic for its honesty and even handedness. Its only weakness is its brevity because the IWW was too poor to print a larger volume.
Book description misleading: Wobblies still very much alive........2001-06-02
The Card Catalog Description for this book is very misleading. It treats the Wobblies as if they are a thing of the past, whereas in reality the IWW is still very much alive and working for the same ideals it has always worked for.
The definitive book on the Wobblies.......2000-07-07
A great book for readers interested in labor, social, and radical history. This book is excellent in revealing the clash between socialists, anarchists, communists, and industrial unionists. The IWW was the home of American radicals from 1905-1930. From Eugene V. Debs of the Socialist Party of America & the American Railway Union to Daniel DeLeon of the Socialist Labor Party & the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance, from John Reed of the Communist Labor Party to William Z. Foster of the Communist Party of America, from Big Bill Haywood of the Western Federation of Miners to Lucy Parsons - widow of Albert (Haymarket Square Martyr), from Mother Jones to Victor Berger, and notable sympathizers such as Hellen Keller and Margaret Sanger. Check out this great book on revolutionary unionism today.
Average customer rating:
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Labor Struggles In The Deep South and Other Writings
Covington Hall
Manufacturer: Charles H Kerr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Labor & Industrial Relations
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
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General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
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General
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
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South
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
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Labor Unions
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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ASIN: 0882862448 |
Book Description
In the half-century since it was written, Hall's Labor Struggles In The Deep South, published here for the first time, has become an underground classic among activist historians writing on the South and on working people. Hall - journalist, organizer, rebel, professor and poet - brings to life the dramatic early 20th century struggles of the waterfront workers of New Orleans and the militant timber workers of Louisiana and East Texas. Writing about events in which he played a central role and about the broader history of Southern labor, Hall describes many of the finest hours of integrated industrial unionism in the US and the role of the IWW in creating fragile unity across racial lines. The always lively narrative is heightened by dozens of rare IWW cartoons and other period illustrations. Also included is a sampling of Hall's articles on labor history and education as well as his editorial opinions, poems and 'factful fables', revealing other aspects of Hall's remarkable creativity, humor, imagination, and lifelong dedication to libertarian socialism. David Roediger's introduction expands our knowledge of Hall and his influence and assesses his legacy in the light of current-day struggles against white supremacy and wage-slavery.
Average customer rating:
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Workers, Bosses, and Bureaucrats: A Socialist View of the Labor Movement in the 1930's
Tom Kerry
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Workplace
| Organizational Behavior
| Business & Investing
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Labor & Industrial Relations
| Economics
| Business & Investing
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General
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| Nonfiction
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General
| Social Sciences
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Socialism
| Political Doctrines
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| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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ASIN: 0873486048 |
Average customer rating:
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American Labour, France and the Politics of Intervention, 1945-1952: Workers and the Cold War
Stephen Burwood
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Job Hunting & Careers
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| General
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| Job Hunting
| Job Markets & Advice
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| Vocational Guidance
| Volunteer Work
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
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Labor & Industrial Relations
| Economics
| Business & Investing
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1945 - Present
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
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| Europe
| History
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Marxism
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ASIN: 0773482326 |
Book Description
A unique journey through the free-energy research underground and the secret traditions of Occult Technology, focusing on the inventions of John Worrell Keely, the world's free-energy pioneer. Over a century ago, a Philadelphia man made the most important discovery of all time: the mysterious source of free, unlimited energy: * Keely built 2,000+ free-energy machines to run his esoteric force * he experimented with anti-gravity and the disintegration of solid matter * Nikola Tesla, Jules Verne and Thomas Edison all admired Keely's work * much early science fiction was based upon Keely's theories With many illustrations of Keely's inventions and diagrams of his theories, Free Energy Pioneer also explores secret societies and occult orders, examines the influence of these mysterious techno-occultists and their incredible ideas and discusses Keely's final idea: the ultimate evolution of humans through free-energy.
Customer Reviews:
A well researched work.......2006-07-26
Theo Paijmans has authored a brilliant page-turner. My copy has highlighted, underlined, dogeared pages throughout and is nearly worn out. I use it often as a reference.
Betsy Sinkey
Long Biography investigation work........2005-06-13
A really interesting compilation work of strange photos, work and tales ( I don't know if weren't)of weird machines and curious peoples who supported Kelly's theories and work( no real evidence of it exist at public dominion today).
You will not lost your time by reading it and, there were exposed some new point of wiew about no traditional sciences.
Epilogue:Nice book, but no Keely secret were Exposed.
Brilliant book by a brilliant author.......2004-09-17
One has to start with an author as much as the subject of a book, and there is no doubt that Theo Paijmans ranks as one of the brightest ones around. John Keely is a fascinating person around whom to construct a biography, but the craftsman in this work is Paijmans who guides us through the mysterious alleys and side trips of Keely's life with a steady hand. A great book!
This book led me to another great Keely book........2002-11-03
Throughout this book I found references and footnotes to Keely and His Discoveries by Clara Bloomfield-Moore - the only book by a contemporary who was a close personal friend and financial supporter of Keely. Originally published in the late 1800s, her book - ISBN 1589636139 - is back in print and makes a wonderful companion to this book.
keely still a mystery.......1999-07-11
sadly the author despite alot of indirect speculation does not reveal the mystery as the introduction claims,though he does cover the overall history very well.Anyone who has read the SVP stuff will be dissapointed with the lack of interesting scientific analysis ,so JW Keely remains an enigma, nevertheless worth the effort.
Book Description
Two prehistoric cave sites in western New Guinea provide a detailed narrative of 26,000 years of human occupation of this area. During this period, a climate change forced inhabitants to switch their hunting focus to a forest wallaby, known locally as Djief. However, despite prolonged hunting this species did not become extinct. This volume offers a unique perspective on sustainable hunting in prehistory and provides intriguing insights into hunter-gatherer subsistence, tool manufacturing and use. It forms an important contribution to the current debate on the possibilities of human occupation of tropical rainforest before the advent of agriculture.
Books:
- The Marine Officer's Guide
- The Mask of Command
- The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea
- The Passing of Armies: An Account Of The Final Campaign Of The Army Of The Potomac
- The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage, and the Struggle for the Mediterranean
- The Red Horseman
- The Rommel Papers (Da Capo Paperback)
- The Spartan Army (Elite)
- The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy
- The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East
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Climb to Conquer: The Untold Story of WWII's 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops
Fire on the Mountain
Soldiers On Skis: A Pictorial Memoir Of The 10th Mountain Division
Packs On!: Memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series)
The Boys of Winter: Life And Death in the U.S. Ski Troops During the Second World War
