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Another River, Another Town: A Teenage Tank Gunner Comes of Age in Combat--1945
Many narrative accounts of men in combat during World War II have conveyed the horrors and emotions of warfare. However, not many reveal in such an intimate way the struggle of innocent youth to adapt to the primitive code of “kill or be killed,” to transform from lads into combat soldiers.
Another River, Another Town is the story of John P. Irwin, a teenage tank gunner whose idealistic desire to achieve heroism is shattered by the incredibly different view of life the world of combat demands. He comes to the realization that the realm of warfare has almost nothing in common with the civilian life from which he has come.
The interminable fighting, dirt, fatigue, and hunger make the war seem endless. In addition to the killing and destruction on the battlefield, Irwin and his crew are caught up in the unbelievable depravity they encounter at Nordhausen Camp, where slave laborers are compelled to work themselves to death manufacturing the infamous V-rockets that have been causing so much destruction in London, and that are expected one day to devastate Washington, D.C.
At the end of the war, the sense of victory is, for these men, overshadowed by the intense joy and relief they experience in knowing that the fighting is at last over.
Another River, Another Town is the story of John P. Irwin, a teenage tank gunner whose idealistic desire to achieve heroism is shattered by the incredibly different view of life the world of combat demands. He comes to the realization that the realm of warfare has almost nothing in common with the civilian life from which he has come.
The interminable fighting, dirt, fatigue, and hunger make the war seem endless. In addition to the killing and destruction on the battlefield, Irwin and his crew are caught up in the unbelievable depravity they encounter at Nordhausen Camp, where slave laborers are compelled to work themselves to death manufacturing the infamous V-rockets that have been causing so much destruction in London, and that are expected one day to devastate Washington, D.C.
At the end of the war, the sense of victory is, for these men, overshadowed by the intense joy and relief they experience in knowing that the fighting is at last over.
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 3, 2015
Over the Summer, I read "Another River, Another Town," by John P. Irwin. It is an auto-biography about his military service in World War II. It's main characters include himself, Graver, Joe, and his other tanker crew mates. His exploration takes place in Germany during 1945. The story mainly consists of Irwin and his crew mates battling their way through Germany in armored combat, with a few bumps on the way. I thought it was a great book, but it lacked deep relationships between characters and readers. I recommend this book to those who enjoy war stories or action packed adventures. This book exceeded my expectations, because had more action than other war books I have read. Overall, John P. Irwin had a great story to tell and has opened a new genre of reading for me personally.
March 23, 2024
A beautifully short window into a young man’s experience as a tank gunner in the Second World War.
September 26, 2018
John Irwin’s ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN provides a powerful autobiographical account of a teenage tanker during World War 2. It’s a gripping memoir about coming of age in war.
Irwin shows up at the front idealistic and wanting to be a hero fighting the Nazis. A series of mishaps and the brutal fighting during the Allies’ final push into Germany quickly cures him of both. In the end, there is only his desire to survive and not let his fellow tankers down. Through the process, a local misfit boy becomes a man. When the war comes to an abrupt finish after endless combat against SS diehards in one German town after another, there is far more a sense of relief than victory.
In ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN, Irwin provides an engaging memoir about what life was like in a Sherman tank fighting the final months of World War 2. Recommended for history buffs.
Irwin shows up at the front idealistic and wanting to be a hero fighting the Nazis. A series of mishaps and the brutal fighting during the Allies’ final push into Germany quickly cures him of both. In the end, there is only his desire to survive and not let his fellow tankers down. Through the process, a local misfit boy becomes a man. When the war comes to an abrupt finish after endless combat against SS diehards in one German town after another, there is far more a sense of relief than victory.
In ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN, Irwin provides an engaging memoir about what life was like in a Sherman tank fighting the final months of World War 2. Recommended for history buffs.
August 19, 2014
super need halvsies. 3.5 stars really.
Good, quick read yet still insightful without being whiny, overbearing or gory.
This is my first war bio/memoir so I have nothing to compare it to, now I need to read war bio/memoirs from troops from other countries, I'd like to compare their stories and versions.
Good, quick read yet still insightful without being whiny, overbearing or gory.
This is my first war bio/memoir so I have nothing to compare it to, now I need to read war bio/memoirs from troops from other countries, I'd like to compare their stories and versions.
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December 2, 2019 The book Another River Another Town by John P. Irwin is a Biography. In the book he retells his experiences as a tank gunner in the united states military towards the end of World War Two. At only 17 he dropped out of highschool and joined the armed forces. The story picks up once he arrives in Europe. Where he is assigned a tank and crew. The tank was under repair so they were forced to chase after the convoy, and in the night darkness crashed into the tank in front of them. This destroyed the drive sprocket on the tank. So they were forced to fall behind the convoy. When they were back on the road. They got lost and wound up inside a german controlled village full of troops looking to surrender. So Irwin and his crew led the surrendering force to the American camp, but come to find out the Captain had purposefully avoided them so as not to be slowed down. That one act of Irwin’s removed all fantasies of being a hero. From then on he did as was ordered and left the heroism to others. In the book I really liked how descriptive the author was. Including names of his comrades, places, and casualties. The author did an excellent job in scenes of the aftermath of a battle. He really made the destruction a reality. However one thing I disliked about the book was that it was very slow reading as it wasn’t so much entertaining like a novel. It was more of an informing book good for small chunks of 15-30 pages at a time. I would recommend this book to people who would like to more about the soldiers in WW2.
April 8, 2021
John P. Irwin was only eighteen years old when he was sent to Germany near the end of World War II as a Sherman tank gunner. His unit fought its way through SS-held towns and lost many men and tanks. As the Allies got closer to Berlin, the enemy, fiercely loyal to Hitler there, fought more ferociously than any troops they had faced in the past.
Irwin does a good job writing of the horror and fear one faces in combat and of the hunger endured during the final push to victory in Europe. But the experience he describes that affected me the most was the liberating of the Nordhausen concentration camp. The slaves there had been starved and worked to death as they were forced to help in the manufacture of the V-rockets which had killed so many in major European cities. The V-rockets, the world's first long range guided ballistic missiles, were scheduled to eventually destroy Washington, D.C. Irwin writes that he is holding back on a complete description of the camp and the tortured souls enslaved there, but he recounts enough in detail that I was truly affected.
The teenaged Irwin grows up quickly in combat, and his insights into the character of his leaders and brothers in arms were an interesting read.
Irwin does a good job writing of the horror and fear one faces in combat and of the hunger endured during the final push to victory in Europe. But the experience he describes that affected me the most was the liberating of the Nordhausen concentration camp. The slaves there had been starved and worked to death as they were forced to help in the manufacture of the V-rockets which had killed so many in major European cities. The V-rockets, the world's first long range guided ballistic missiles, were scheduled to eventually destroy Washington, D.C. Irwin writes that he is holding back on a complete description of the camp and the tortured souls enslaved there, but he recounts enough in detail that I was truly affected.
The teenaged Irwin grows up quickly in combat, and his insights into the character of his leaders and brothers in arms were an interesting read.
August 26, 2019
Extremely entertaining book and very well written. Mr. Irwin captures the essence of life in combat at the pointy end of the spear—tough living conditions, fear of what may lie ahead at the next river, town, or block, unsatisfying food. I really enjoyed the narrative. The only thing lacking was maps and pictures. I filled the void by referencing Google Earth and internet searches. It would also have been helpful to have a graphic of a cut-away of the Sherman and Pershing tanks with each position shown. But still, it was a great read and I’m grateful that Mr. Irwin captured his experiences for our benefit.
March 2, 2018
Best wartime book ever
This book pulled me right into what it was like to be in combat during WWII. The writer was there and talks about learning about combat. You feel like you are there. My father was in the war from the beginning to the end and this helped me to understand what he and the rest of our soldiers went through. Don't expect a story about how great our army was but rather how terrible war is and how each solder deals with it. The author talks about the different battles and how he and the rest of his tank crew deal with combat. I highly recommend this book.
This book pulled me right into what it was like to be in combat during WWII. The writer was there and talks about learning about combat. You feel like you are there. My father was in the war from the beginning to the end and this helped me to understand what he and the rest of our soldiers went through. Don't expect a story about how great our army was but rather how terrible war is and how each solder deals with it. The author talks about the different battles and how he and the rest of his tank crew deal with combat. I highly recommend this book.
August 2, 2021
This is a good read about a young tank gunner thrown into the ending days of the Third Armored Divisions thrust into Germany . It doesn’t have a lot of detail about weapons or strategy, however is more about the authors wartime journey . Although , it does feature the Sherman 76mm and M26 Super Pershing for those armor enthusiast. It’s akin to an American version of Ken Tout’s Tank in the way the story is mostly about a tank crew and not so much about a campaign .
August 13, 2022
A nice (albeit brief) memoir of a tank gunner who was a late war replacement in the 3rd Armored Division in WW2. This memoir clocks in at 176 pages in the paperback. Irwin joined the 3rd Armored after it was across the Rhine, so his experiences are centered on that time. He had the opportunity to fight in both a Sherman and Pershing tank. He's very open about his experiences, thoughts, and feelings as a teenager serving in a tank.
February 27, 2018
An Simple Story Well Told
Very simply, this is a story told from the perspective of one soldier. There is to real broad vision of the war - just the world as seen by one tanker. It is raw and beautiful in its simplicity. A great book to read if you want to see the war through the dryer of teenager who is transformed by the war. Recommended!!!
Very simply, this is a story told from the perspective of one soldier. There is to real broad vision of the war - just the world as seen by one tanker. It is raw and beautiful in its simplicity. A great book to read if you want to see the war through the dryer of teenager who is transformed by the war. Recommended!!!
December 18, 2023
I found the book, Another river, Another town by John Irwin to be a very good first hand account of the life of a tank gunner in World War II. I found it very interesting to see his viewpoint of the day to day life of a teenager who put his life on hold to fight the Germans in World War Two. Overall a great story by Mr. Erwin, Highly recommend this book!
March 3, 2018
Great book
Very well written by an eighteen year old who was drafted, trained as a tank gunner and shipped off to Europe. He leads the reader through his adjustment to becoming a combat soldier. A great story about the transition he goes through.
Very well written by an eighteen year old who was drafted, trained as a tank gunner and shipped off to Europe. He leads the reader through his adjustment to becoming a combat soldier. A great story about the transition he goes through.
June 17, 2018
A well written view inside the life of a tank soldier.
Movies do not provide the day-to-day life. Only the highlights. This book filled in the blanks. Well written. It was a great read.
Movies do not provide the day-to-day life. Only the highlights. This book filled in the blanks. Well written. It was a great read.
September 17, 2018
This was the story of a young man on a tank after the battle of the bulge. It was very graphically written and interesting because I have never read anything about someone in a tank. It was also his coming of age story.
January 12, 2019
An interesting soldiers experience
Very matter of fact account of a young replacement tank soldier in the closing months of the European theater of war . A better ending would have been good
Very matter of fact account of a young replacement tank soldier in the closing months of the European theater of war . A better ending would have been good
July 13, 2022
There's nothing more interesting than a book written by an individual soldier that relates nothing but his war experiences. No big picture. No battle plans. No roster of divisions of soldiers. Just one grunt and what he saw and heard and felt. Quick and easy read, and well worth the time.
March 2, 2018
Not your typical war story. This is a fascinating down to earth conical of daily life in combat without the sensational drama.
June 12, 2018
a very easy book to read. It is written from his combat experience in WW2. Not a history book about WW2.
July 13, 2018
This was an excellent and well-written war memoir. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit.
July 15, 2019
good book about tankisti, but for some reason it didn't come alive for me.
July 6, 2021
Great read
Well written. I really enjoyed the details of the author’s experience in a Sherman and Pershing tank.
It’s refreshing to read a book good about tankers.
Well written. I really enjoyed the details of the author’s experience in a Sherman and Pershing tank.
It’s refreshing to read a book good about tankers.
November 14, 2021
An excellent wartime memoir, refreshingly written without hyperbole, braggadocio, or false modesty.
January 24, 2023
i think it was a very good insight on the emotional and physical toll war takes on young kids at war. I also liked how it showed his growth and how much he had to mature to be able to stay alive.
March 19, 2023
An interesting WWII memoir.
December 22, 2025
This book is exactly what it says it is. It was interesting to get a first-hand account of some of what John Irwin went through. Entertaining sometimes, Heartbreaking at others, a quick, solid read.
December 8, 2014
Growing Up in Combat …
With so many personal accounts of World War II being published, it’s hard to pick and choose which one to read; so, I try to read any that I come across. While I find most all of these books good, some stand out more than others … ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is one that stands out.
John Irwin admitted he was nothing more than a naïve, self-absorbed teenager upon entering the army … in other words, a typical American kid. After proving he was best-qualified to be a tank-gunner, he is shipped out to Europe following the Battle of the Bulge as a gunner in a M4 Sherman. From the book’s beginning, Irwin reveals himself to be self-deprecating, honest and quite detailed in his recollection of his service. Baptized by a lesson in humility from the very start of his foray into the front lines, Irwin gradually finds a comfortable niche with his fellow M4 crewmates and proves himself as being an able gunner and comrade.
ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is a short, but riveting read. Irwin’s combat tour may have been brief (5 months), but it was full of action. There are no lulls in his story-telling, even when resting between incidents of contact with the enemy. What readers will get is a teenager’s view of World War II, not just what he sees, but what he thinks as well. Some of the best excerpts of the book are Irwin’s interactions with his crewmates (a hodge-podge of veterans and replacements each with his own quirks). With visions of heroic duty erased on his first days in Europe, Irwin gradually matures under the guidance of two grizzled combat vets whose trust he manages to earn and value more than anything.
The combat described in the book is straight-forward, exciting and quick … a series of brief skirmishes with German tanks, infantry and even German kids with Panzerfausts (disposable, but deadly hand-held anti-tank guns). Some of Irwin’s crewmates become casualties, as does the M4 (which is replaced with the more-able and rare Super-Pershing). His straight-forward and vivid recollection of events are what makes the book such an enjoyable read. There are moments throughout where Irwin experiences coming-of-age incidents (one being the moment he knows he’s killed someone and another being the opportunity of his first sexual experience). The five months that elapse between joining the Army and the war’s end reveal a maturation process that has one forgetting the author is only eighteen years old (until he divulges in thoughts or actions typical of teenagers). In many ways, the entire book is presented as a scary adventure on a grand scale, similar to how most youngsters view defining moments in their lives. There is an element of sadness knowing that Irwin was but one of many who were forced to grow up under such dire circumstances; he survived the experience, but a good many did not.
ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is an exciting and enjoyable read. Seeing how the war was fought through the eyes of a teenager proved to be a unique perspective for me.
With so many personal accounts of World War II being published, it’s hard to pick and choose which one to read; so, I try to read any that I come across. While I find most all of these books good, some stand out more than others … ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is one that stands out.
John Irwin admitted he was nothing more than a naïve, self-absorbed teenager upon entering the army … in other words, a typical American kid. After proving he was best-qualified to be a tank-gunner, he is shipped out to Europe following the Battle of the Bulge as a gunner in a M4 Sherman. From the book’s beginning, Irwin reveals himself to be self-deprecating, honest and quite detailed in his recollection of his service. Baptized by a lesson in humility from the very start of his foray into the front lines, Irwin gradually finds a comfortable niche with his fellow M4 crewmates and proves himself as being an able gunner and comrade.
ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is a short, but riveting read. Irwin’s combat tour may have been brief (5 months), but it was full of action. There are no lulls in his story-telling, even when resting between incidents of contact with the enemy. What readers will get is a teenager’s view of World War II, not just what he sees, but what he thinks as well. Some of the best excerpts of the book are Irwin’s interactions with his crewmates (a hodge-podge of veterans and replacements each with his own quirks). With visions of heroic duty erased on his first days in Europe, Irwin gradually matures under the guidance of two grizzled combat vets whose trust he manages to earn and value more than anything.
The combat described in the book is straight-forward, exciting and quick … a series of brief skirmishes with German tanks, infantry and even German kids with Panzerfausts (disposable, but deadly hand-held anti-tank guns). Some of Irwin’s crewmates become casualties, as does the M4 (which is replaced with the more-able and rare Super-Pershing). His straight-forward and vivid recollection of events are what makes the book such an enjoyable read. There are moments throughout where Irwin experiences coming-of-age incidents (one being the moment he knows he’s killed someone and another being the opportunity of his first sexual experience). The five months that elapse between joining the Army and the war’s end reveal a maturation process that has one forgetting the author is only eighteen years old (until he divulges in thoughts or actions typical of teenagers). In many ways, the entire book is presented as a scary adventure on a grand scale, similar to how most youngsters view defining moments in their lives. There is an element of sadness knowing that Irwin was but one of many who were forced to grow up under such dire circumstances; he survived the experience, but a good many did not.
ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN is an exciting and enjoyable read. Seeing how the war was fought through the eyes of a teenager proved to be a unique perspective for me.
October 30, 2015
Another River, Another Town, by John P. Irwin, is a book about a teenage tank gunner in the end years of WW2. He, at 17 years old, learns to grow up real quick during his first experience with war. He went in wanting to be a hero, he left happy to be alive. He battled regular teenage problems like girls, while also fighting a war and just trying to stay alive. After many brushes with death, he learns how lucky he is to be alive. I would definitely recommend Another River, Another Town. First, it has many action packed scenes that make you want to read on. There are very few dull moments. Also, this book makes you get attached to characters like Jack, the Protagonist, the alcoholic tank driver, and the veteran tank commander. Finally, this book has very good description. It gets you right into the action in tense moments of danger. You feel like you’re right in the tank with him. Something I didn’t like about the book was the ending. It was very sudden and didn’t feel like a proper ending. On the other hand, the ending was also in the style of the book and felt right. It was also a somewhat humorous ending. This book was an action packed journey to the end of the war, and made you feel like you were part of the journey. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the genre.
May 26, 2012
I've read quite a bit of WW2 history and memoirs and was somewhat disappointed in this one. I feel like he left out so much that could have added to his account in this short book. Is that all the publisher would do, or was that solely the author's choice? For example, he didn't recount at all his experience of going through Army basic training. As a kid of 17 or 18, that would seem to be a major transition, going from being in high school to the army, especially when you know you're training for wartime service. Also, on the other end, he didn't talk about making the transition back to civilian life at the end of his service. When the title says "comes of age" it makes me expect more of a discussion of the impact of his war experience. As it is, it is a sparse and unreflective account of his time in combat in the ending months of the European campaign. I felt he could have put much more into it and made it a more worthy book. As a history, it tells something about the experiences of a tank crewman, but as a personal memoir it doesn't have much to say about what it meant to him.
September 1, 2012
I enjoyed this first-hand account of a tank gunner in the U.S. 3rd Armored Division. The book is written in a very accessible style. It is very much a soldier's point of view, with little strategic or tactical information on the battles or fronts on which the author, John Irwin, was involved.
The writer does not expose the reader to much in the way of a first person description of the horrors of war. While they are mentioned, it is often more in passing than described in a first person perspective. While not particularly seeking this, at the end its absence I feel separates the reader from the emotional impact of war.
I would also have appreciated photographs. As it turns out, some are available at the following website, which also describes the more-than-ordinary tank in which the author was the gunner (http://www.3ad.com/history/news/super...). An epilogue describing the repatriation of the author to America and what happened to him and the rest of his tank crew later in their lives would have been of great interest.
The writer does not expose the reader to much in the way of a first person description of the horrors of war. While they are mentioned, it is often more in passing than described in a first person perspective. While not particularly seeking this, at the end its absence I feel separates the reader from the emotional impact of war.
I would also have appreciated photographs. As it turns out, some are available at the following website, which also describes the more-than-ordinary tank in which the author was the gunner (http://www.3ad.com/history/news/super...). An epilogue describing the repatriation of the author to America and what happened to him and the rest of his tank crew later in their lives would have been of great interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews