Hellfire Boys: The Birth of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and the Race for the World’s Deadliest Weapons

by Theo Emery

An explosive look into the dawn of chemical warfare during World War I
"A terrifying piece of history that almost no one knows." - Hampton Sides

In 1915, when German forces executed the first successful gas attack of World War I, the world watched in horror as the boundaries of warfare were forever changed. Cries of barbarianism rang throughout Europe, yet Allied nations immediately jumped into the fray, kickstarting an arms race that would redefine a war already steeped in unimaginable horror.

Largely forgotten in the confines of history, the development of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service in 1917 left an indelible imprint on World War I. This small yet powerful division, along with the burgeoning Bureau of Mines, assembled research and military unites devoted solely to chemical weaponry, outfitting regiments with hastily made gas-resistant uniforms and recruiting scientists and engineers from around the world into the fight.

As the threat of new gases and more destructive chemicals grew stronger, the chemists' secret work in the laboratories transformed into an explosive fusion of steel, science, and gas on the battlefield. Drawing from years of research, Theo Emery brilliantly shows how World War I quickly spiraled into a chemists' war, one led by the companies of young American engineers-turned-soldiers who would soon become known as the "Hellfire Boys." As gas attacks began to mark the heaviest and most devastating battles, these brave and brilliant men were on the front lines, racing against the clock-and the Germans-to protect, develop, and unleash the latest weapons of mass destruction.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, War, Military Fiction, American History, World War I

577 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2017

About the author

I'm a journalist, writer and now author of Hellfire Boys, which Little, Brown published in November 2017. I've reported for the New York Times, Associated Press, the Tennessean, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and have written online for the New Yorker and Time. Father, angler, baker, tinker. Inveterate putterer, circus lover, kitchen fiend, garden pest.

Reviews

[Paul Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided complements of NetGalley. My thanks. Gratitude sent to Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. for making this pre-release available.

The author exposed me to the silent killer of World War 1 - poison gas. A dreadful piece of history. It was America's first introduction to a weapon of mass destruction. Many within the country protested its development - its use. Certainly, there had to be a more humane way to disable or kill. Theo Emery devoured mountains of research that enabled me to come to grips with all aspects of its intended use. Horrid. It was a painstakingly, interesting journey, yet, appalling at the same time. We had hit a new low. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had paid the ultimate price in Europe. Land of the walking dead. Look no further for the Bible of poison gas in times of warfare. This is it.

International treaties banning life threatening gases were signed in 1899 and 1907. With the advent of World War 1, they did little good. Not worth the paper they were written on. Germany took the lead in its deployment. France and Britain were not prepared to respond in kind. They rallied to establish their own poison gas programs. Not quick enough. This unfortunate delay cost them thousands of their countrymen's lives. The race was on.

Germany was behind the first gas attack of World War 1. It occurred on April 22, 1915 in the quiet town of Ypres, Belgium. Quiet no longer. Chlorine gas had made its deadly debut. That historic attack spirited the birth of chemical warfare. The allies were desperately, clamoring to establish their own chemical weapons programs. No choice. America remained neutral. For the time being.

President Wilson promised to keep America out of the war. Good intentions. America's resolve was soon tested. On May 7, 1915, a German U-Boat sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania. Of the 1198 that perished, 123 were Americans. The country outraged, moved a step closer to war. With impunity, Germany began sinking U.S. merchant ships. Many lives were lost. America could no longer stand on the sidelines. Finally, on April 6, 1917, the United States of America declared war on Germany. Tears fell.

America's peaceful standard of living changed overnight. German citizens were barred from being within a half-mile of any military or Naval installation. Enemy aliens were blatantly told: "obey the law; keep your mouth shut." A similar sequel would be repeated 24 years later.

Primarily, there had been three known types of gases used on the battlefield when the United States entered the war. Of all, the most lethal were asphyxiants or suffocating gases. Initially, the ones of choice - chlorine and phosgene. Death occurred to those unfortunate men in the most violent way imaginable.

On another front, America was consumed with gas mask design, manufacture and tests for battlefield effectiveness. Time was of the essence. Suitable masks could not be delivered to troops quick enough. The war would not wait. Little time was available for research. Some mask designs were taken from the French, some from the British. It was a daunting task.

Mustard gas became the gas of choice. It took center stage. Unlike other gases that were carried away with the wind, it lingered for days. The perfect war gas. It reigned supreme.

"Mustard was a blister agent called a vesicant. When it came in contact with skin, pustules formed hours later, often in spots where the skin was most tender. The blisters caused agonizing pain as the skin separated from the underlying tissue. Clothing didn't provide protection: for liquid soaked through cloth and leather to the skin underneath. To make matters worse, it was still extremely toxic if inhaled, even in small quantities, and caused terrible inflammation of the throat and lungs. It caused temporary blindness if it came into contact with soldiers eyes. It could be lethal in high concentrations, but the vast majority of cases with long-lasting injuries took exposed soldiers off the battlefield for eight weeks or more. While it had a distinctive smell, it could be faint and was easily masked with other gases."

On American soil, many experiments were performed with mustard on humans and animals. Dogs, the animal of choice. Inhumane. Animal rights groups protested vociferously. Their voices fell on deaf ears. The testing went on. Volunteers were sorely needed to test the efficacy of gas masks. Still in early development. Many patriots stepped forward. All experienced permanent, debilitating illness of varying degree. All in the name of research. In the name of war. Their names, their sacrifices, not mentioned anywhere in the annals of history. Better to forget it ever happened. That, we can't.

In 1997, the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had been adopted. It contained tighter control over the manufacture of chemical weapons. Another worthless treaty. In 2013 Syrian forces attacked a suburb in Damascus with poison gas. Corpses of men, women and children were strewn everywhere about the village. They perished a savage death. Two years later another attack followed with mustard. In the early part of 2017, the half-brother of the North Korean president was killed with a poisonous agent. There's no indication that chemical warfare has ended. History has a way of repeating itself. All we can do is hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

[Jill H.]

Although this is going to appear as "read" (which I will not count toward my book challenge) I am going to put this book on hold since I can't seem to get involved in it. It is an interesting topic but it moves very slowly and has such a plethora of characters and their biographies, that it can be confusing. I will return to it at a later date.

[Steven Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

At a time when we hear about weapons of mass destruction and a possible nuclear attack from North Korea it is interesting to contemplate the origins of such weaponry. During World War I unbeknownst to most people living in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, DC the United States Army in cooperation with American University set up a chemical proving ground on campus. The area was known as “Death Valley” or “Arsenic Hill,” while soldiers referred to it as “Mustard Hill.” The area was long forgotten until January, 1993 when a cache of chemical weapons was found on a construction site nearby. Throughout the First World War this area was called the American University Experimental Station, augmented by the discoveries of January, 1993 and the overseas news dealing with the chemical attacks in Syria by the forces of Bashir Assad, and the fears raised by ISIS, government officials were prodded into action. A new book by Theo Emery entitled, HELLFIRE BOYS: THE BIRTH OF THE U.S. CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE AND THE RACE FOR THE WORLD’S DEADLIEST WEAPONS investigates the American role in developing chemical warfare and its profound repercussions.

Emery begins by describing what is believed to be the first chemical attack during World War I. It occurred on April 22, 1915 when the Germans launched their chemical canisters against British and French forces at the Battle of Ypres. The author offers a vivid description of the attack and its effect on those caught in its gaseous haze. The attack’s importance centers on the fact that it spawned a “chemical” arms race in a war that already had produced an unmeasurable amount of casualties and devastation, it soon became the “Chemist’s War.” As Emery describes the development of chemical warfare he does the reader a great service by integrating his storyline into the larger picture of the war.

America’s involvement in this arms race starts with the role of the US Bureau of Mines. Headed by Vannoy Hartog Manning its charge was safety of miners, but also researching poisonous gases seeping from rock formations. From that beginning the United States engaged in an often rocky road to research, develop, and have ready for wartime use a number of toxic gases for the battlefield. It began with a need for the production of millions of gas masks for troops and civilians. For this factories, laboratories, along with enlisting the assistance of doctors to study the effects of the gas were put in place. What emerges is a somewhat shaky partnership between the government, particularly the military, and the private sector, that eventually come to be called the “military-industrial complex” by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The productive process to meet the German “gas” challenge would involve many different geographic locales across the United States with its headquarters at American University in Washington, D.C.

Many important individuals are introduced by Emery accompanied by short biographical sketches. Men like Vannoy Hartog Manning who headed the Bureau of Mines; George Burrell, in charge of laboratory research at the American University site; George A. Hulett, a Princeton Professor who sent Manning to study the battlefield situation and the role of gas as a weapon; Major-General William Luther Sibert, who would eventually be put in charge of the army’s gas program; Lt. Colonel Amos A. Fries, an engineer that became the head of “gas services,” and made the important discovery that the United States knew little about gas warfare as it entered the war. In addition to these men General John J. Pershing plays a significant role as the American commander in Europe as does James B. Connant, in charge of developing the lethal American “mustard gas” program designed to combat what the Germans were bringing to the battlefield. A number of interesting characters also emerge that include the German spy, Walter Scheele, who to avoid imprisonment worked with the Americans by offering his knowledge of German gas research; Winford Lee Lewis, a Northwestern chemistry professor studies how metal shells corrode from toxic chemicals that led to the creation of lewisite, America’s most toxic weapon; and Richmond M. Levering, an oilman from Indiana who had many dubious business dealings with the government, but was placed in charge of the captured German spy network in the United States.

Emery also devotes a great deal of coverage to the role of regular American troops. Emery takes us to the trenches of Europe and the research facilities that were created. In so doing the reader is exposed to an intricate description of what it was like to be caught in a chemical war. One of the most interesting characters is Harold J. Higgenbottom, an early recruit to the First Gas Regiment and through his eyes we see the battlefield in addition to the effects of gas warfare in the field. Higgenbottom’s buddy, Thomas Jabine is also discussed as he too was one of the first to join the Gas Regiment, and as a chemist he was sent to Europe, but he was gassed near Charpentry in October, 1918 and spent the remainder of the war recovering.

What is important to realize is how unprepared the United States was to engage in a chemical war in Europe. As “gases” became to be seen as offensive weapons and a major part of the military arsenal, Washington had to catch up, quickly. In a rather haphazard way, Emery is very effective in analyzing the American approach to chemical warfare. He offers an effective summation of the allied use of phosgene and chloropicrin gases that were used at the Battle of Arras by the British as the United States declared war on Germany in April, 1917. Emery offers a vivid description of “Camp” American University from its building expansion, recruitment of chemists, organization, and constant growth. Further, Emery explains how the government grew frustrated with the private sector and developed its own production facilities, i.e., production of gas masks and later mustard gas. To the authors credit he explains each chemical and how it was developed, and applied in such a way that a chemistry novice like myself could understand.

One of the most vivid chapters in the book is entitled “Science and Horror,” where Emery describes the first encounters of US troops with German chemical attacks. Again, through the eyes of Harold Higgenbottom we learn that part of the problem was the poor training and equipment that did little to offset German attacks. American soldiers suffered ghastly attacks and in many cases they were left to suffer horrible deaths as they lay in the trenches.

There was a great deal of bureaucratic infighting throughout the war between the Corps of Engineers, the US Army, and the Bureau of Mines. Fries argued for a separate gas service as did General Pershing. Numerous examples are offered as production was deemed to be unacceptable. Finally on June 25, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson settled the matter by issuing an executive order placing the Research Division and the American University Experimental Station under the War Department. All in all, some 2000 chemists were at work across the United States. To justify this radical change in military strategy the US Army launched a massive publicity campaign to educate Americans on the importance of interjecting chemicals into warfare. The Germans may have had a head start in chemical warfare but by June, 28, 1918 when President Wilson signed General Order 62 creating the Army Chemical Warfare Service on par with the Corps of Engineers the US stockpile had caught up, and would soon surpass the Germans. It is interesting to note that by the summer of 1918 American commanders were recommending that 50% of all shells employed in combat have a chemical component.

The final section of the book is devoted to the immediate post-war period that focused on what government policy would be toward the use of chemical weapons, and educating the public that was kept in the dark during the war. First, was the issue of disposal that led to sinking a great deal of the US stockpile in the Atlantic Ocean. Environmental concerns really were not even imagined. Along those lines many corporations vied for parts of the stockpile for their own industries and bidding and the transfer of chemicals to the private sector did take place. Second, was the the debate led by Secretary of War Newton Baker who opposed the continuation of the Chemical Warfare Service. The opposition was led by Lt. Colonel Fries who felt it was imperative to maintain stockpiles and continue production as a matter of national security. Interestingly in 1925 the Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous, or Other Gases, and Bacteriological Methods of Warfare was agreed to under the auspices of the League of Nations. Even General Pershing favored it, but he was unable to convince the US Senate to ratify the treaty. It took until January, 1975 for President Ford to sign the treaty that the Senate finally ratified almost fifty years later.

Emery’s monograph is an important contribution to the field of WWI weaponry as it explains how and why the US integrated chemicals into its arsenal. This change led the US and many other countries on the road to incorporating new chemical discoveries and their application to war. All one has to do is listen to the news almost on a daily basis to understand how relevant Emery’s research is to today’s world, particularly when the work of chemists and other scientists that began in 1915 set the US and the world on a path that today is laden with chemical weapons.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this book as part of Goodreads' FirstReads giveaway.**

This was excellent account of the United States role in chemical warfare during World War I. While the book primarily focuses on the history and politics of the formation and progression of Chemical Warfare Service (aka the 1st Gas Regiment aka the "Hellfire Boys"), the author also covers various important moments of World War I. The initial chapters discussing the United States' entry into the war as well as the issues of espionage and sabotage in U.S. were incredibly descriptive and played out like a spy novel rather than non-fiction. Despite the extensive details, the narrative moved fluidly between the various locations and provided compelling reading.

I was enthralled by the accounts of the research in chemical weapons and how the scientists and soldiers actually completed tests, both in labs and in the field, on truly horrifying compounds. The stories of the men on the front-lines and their experiences were harrowing and gave me a deep appreciation for the bravery of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). I even found myself caught up in the politics and infighting that occurred between the military and civilian science/research elements at American University and throughout the country as the war progressed. The author did a phenomenal job compiling so much material into approximately 340 pages with another 90 pages of notes and sources.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in World War I, chemical warfare, and military history! It is well researched and an excellent read.

[Sarah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I knew about the use of gas during World War I, this history brought into focus the specialized services developed by the military to discover new gases to use in warfare offensively alongside the development of gas masks to be used defensively. The primary focus is on the American military which only entered the war in 1917, although the author references the initial use of weaponized gas on the Western Front by the Germans in 1915 and the collaboration between the American and British on developing methods for manufacturing mustard gas. One of my favorite stories in this book was of a German spy who worked in the U.S., escaped, was captured, and then aided the chemical research being conducted by the Americans. An interesting read and one on a topic that certainly doesn't receive much attention.

[Bekah Heintz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hellfire Boys was a super interesting book, packed full of little-known history and telling the story of how chemical weapons reached their peak in World War I and subsequently saw their downfall. While parts of this book were extremely fascinating, it does have sections that are very slow and, while important to history, add little to the story. Overall, 4/5 stars because it was a fascinating read but a little slow at times.

[Bronson Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thoughtful accounts of the early days of the Chemical Warfare Service. Having a connection to this, it was very insightful to better understand the early days of chemical weapons within the United States and how research, development, and manufacturing were quickly scaled up to compete in the very rapidly changing landscape of chemical warfare.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating and often disturbing history of the birth of the US chemical warfare effort during World War I. Told through the stories of the men (and a few women) who were directly involved, from soldiers to chemists to spies. Considering that the story begins in the present day with the excavation of old shells in a D.C. suburb and how chemical weapons continue to be a threat, Hellfire Boys is a relevant account. Throughly researched and documented. (Full disclosure: The author is a friend of mine.)

[William Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gas Warfare became prevalent in World War I. Like all other aspects of the war, the US was totally unprepared for the use of chemical weapons. It had no defensive or offensive gas warfare capabilities. This book is about how America remedied that condition. It was surprising to me to read that the leader in developing US gas warfare capabilities were civilian chemists led by the US Bureau of Mines and its director, Vannoy Hartog Manning. Probably few readers of World War I history will recognize the name but without his foresight, America would have lost far more soldiers to chemical weapons. Another interesting fact I learned was the involvement of American University and Catholic University in the development and testing of chemical weapons and the training of soldiers to employ those weapons in battle. V. M. Manning put together the building blocks of what became the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. He gathered chemists, chemical manufacturers, doctors, and established the development center at American University as well as production facilities at numerous locations throughout the U.S. to help develop and manufacture the required chemicals, mustard gas, phosgene, and one called lewisite and protective equipment like gas masks and clothing. Like any large scale project there were jealousies and conflicts between and among those involved. The largest one was over control of the processes. The Army wanted control and the Bureau of Mines wanted to maintain control. Eventually the Army took over direction. Within the Army there was a struggle between the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) director of gas warfare and the civilian and military control in the US. The two major military players were Major General William L. Sibert, Director of the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and Brigadier General Amos A. Fries, chief of the AEF gas service. Fries was an ardent supported of chemical warfare and thought that no one better than those fighting and experiencing the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield could understand what was needed and what the priorities should be for stateside development, production and training. Naturally, those in America thought otherwise!
The involvement by American and Catholic Universities as development and test sites for chemical weapons was surprising and that there was contamination on the school grounds and nearby territory left after the war was also surprising. The introduction titled, January 5, 1993, tells the story of the discovery of contamination when an excavator uncovered it when trenching for a sewer line in a housing tract near American University. It caused quite the problem and led to the decontamination of the area. The contamination abutted the residence of the South Korean Ambassador. The area called Spring Valley was known by the soldiers and civilians working at the American University Experiment Center as "Death Valley" or "Arsenic Valley" as they looked down on the area from Mustard Hill!
Two things troubled me as I read this book,both are ethics related, the first is the employment of a German spy, saboteur chemist by the U.S. to help develop and manufacture chemical weapons. This man, Walter T. Scheele was wanted in connection with numerous ship bombings that sunk a number of U.S. ships taking supplier to Britain and killed a number of merchant sailors. He was captured in Cuba but used his knowledge of German chemical weapons to leverage himself away from prison or death to eventual freedom although not a luxurious life. The second is the seemingly lack of compulsion by the chemists in developing, testing and employing chemical weapons. Collectively they are portrayed as enthusiastic and patriotic. One of the prevailing feelings substantiated by a surgeon general study that found that gas casualties caused fewer deaths therefore it was more humane. I found the dichotomy of claiming chemical warfare was humane while simultaneously claiming that it was so brutal, awful and barbaric that it would deter future wars. BG Fries was the strongest, most vocal proponent of this position.
As an aside, I learned that Sergeant Harold J. Higginbottom one of the first members of the First Gas Regiment (Hellfire Boys) was from my home town, Lawrence, Massachusetts. He had been a chemist working in the dye works of the Pacific Mills textile factory in Lawrence. He survived the war. This is an interesting book about an aspect of World War I that is well known but not really well understood.

[Charles Inglin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story, little told, of how the U.S. developed a chemical warfare capability during World War I. It's remarkable how, after watching Europe fight, and employ poison gas for over two years the U.S. Army had effectively no means of either waging or defending against chemical warfare. The responsibility for correcting this lapse ended up in the hands of the Corps of Engineers and, of all people, the Department of Interior Bureau of Mines. The Bureau of Mines became involved because in pre-war years they had developed expertise in mine safety that often involved build ups of dangerous gases.

The naivete of the era is sometimes amazing. The struggling Methodist run American University offered the government the use of its largely undeveloped campus, which was taken over by the Bureau of Mines and the Corps of Engineers for the duration. Laboratories were constructed in the buildings, out buildings for storage and experiments were constructed, even trenches duplicating those on the front lines for open air tests. Safety standards were nothing like one would expect today, and this was being done on the outskirts of the nation's capitol. In one incident an accidental explosion sent a cloud of mustard gas over the neighboring farm of a retired senator.

The American University labs were only a small part of a rapidly developed infrastructure for developing, producing and loading gas into munitions. The goal was to overwhelm the Germans with America's ability to produce poison gas. The morality of doing so was largely overlooked, along with the morality of massive testing of gases on animals as well as human volunteers. Many of the chemists, volunteers and workers suffered long term ill effects from exposure to chemicals and some died. The net result was that by the summer of 1918 American units were beginning to employ chemical weapons and the industrial base to product massive quantities was in place and ready to supply the 1919 campaign. The end of the war in November 1918 ended the program. Stock ready for shipment to Europe ended up dumped in the Atlantic Ocean which stocks of precursor chemicals were sold off. A debate ensued about the future of chemical warfare, with many senior officers wanting to ban chemical weapons and others, particularly those who had worked in the Chemical Warfare Service lobbying to make CWS a full-fledged branch of the Army instead of subordinating it to the Corps of Engineers. In a foreshadowing of the debates over nuclear weapons arguments were advanced that chemical weapons were so terrible that they'd prevent future wars. In another foreshadowing the program to develop chemical weapons in WWI, combining the massive commitment of resources from the military, academia, and industry set the patten for the Manhattan Project in WWII.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War I is remarkable in many ways. It's beginnings make no real sense. The way in which it was fought most of the time made no sense, either. It is remarkable how long it took generals at the time to adjust to the modern war they were fighting. Of course, much of the problem came down to the advancements in military technology over the previous century greatly advantaging the defensive side in any engagement. Until tanks were invented, that asymmetry could not really be resolved. But, oh, how they ever tried. Part of this was was chemical warfare. Poison gas entered the conflict early, and then became a major component of the conflict's horrors, steadily getting worse as each side sought advantage with newer and more dangerous compounds. When the US entered the war in 1917, it was behind in chemical weapons, and the story told here is that of how it caught up, and steadily ramped up to be the world's greatest producer of chemical weapons in history. It is a story of ingenuity in the service of death and destruction, of geniuses looking to do horrific things. A throughline is the damage done by military gas research to the campus of American University, which was left a contaminated wasteland that is still giving up remnants of the terrible things developed and tested there. Amazingly, that story involves the accidental gassing of a former senator. Another throughline is just how quickly the US turned its entire economy toward total war. Entire chemical production industries arose overnight, dedicated to producing lethal gases for the war, vast factories rising from nothing in the middle of nowhere, and former automotive plants turned into secret production facilities for new and terrifying chemical weapons. A major take home message is that Germany is very lucky that it surrendered when it did. US plans for 1919 included vast campaigns of chemical warfare that would have made what came before look tame by comparison, including the use of incendiaries and poison gases on German civilian populations. What could have been is nightmarish. I've long thought that the planet is lucky that nuclear weapons were not developed during World War I. The Second World War was brutal, but it says something that chemical weapons were not used in the military conflicts like they were in the first. (The Holocaust was another matter entirely, and that adds to its horror.) The nihilistic, no-holds-barred nature of the previous conflict instilled some prudence, I think. Had nuclear weapons been around in World War I, I don't think civilization would have survived. This book did nothing to disabuse me of that notion.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in the Washington (DC) area for almost forty years, I'm well aware of the event with which the author starts this book. This is the discovery of a long-forgotten dump of chemical weaponry in a residential neighborhood abutting the American University, which led to a rediscovery of how the university was a center of research and testing for chemical weaponry during the Great War. Emery apparently was one of the journalist who covered that happening and has since conducted the research that went into this book.

The subtitle is accurate enough, as Emery deals with the creation of the U.S. Army's chemical warfare branch, and the crash program to create a chemical weapon arsenal. The problem, if you want to regard it as such, is that Emery takes you into all sorts of side alleys, such as German covert warfare in the United States, and the doings of certain self-important American men of affairs, that are not always of evident importance. That Emery pulls it all together in the end speaks well of his organizational and writing abilities, though it still does mean that this book sometimes feels sluggish when it comes to narrative drive; it is in a no-man's land between popular writing and something more ambitious.

So, what does this technological adventure tell us in the end? Emery's thought is that this project was something of a trial run for the race to gain atomic weapons, in that the systems, and the shortcuts, were comparable. Some of the same people were involved to, as a major participant was James Conant, one of America's great public scientists; he spent the First World War in a suburb of Cleveland (OH) refining and producing compounds such as "Lewisite:" America's Great White Hope in the chemical arms race.

At the end of the day I can honestly recommend this book (though I'd probably knock it down a half star if that were an option), but a lot of people might find it to be more than they really wanted to know about the subject.

[Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The USA chemical industry like the rest of America was unprepared for WWI. Wilson won election on a neutrality platform and few believed the USA would join the war. Gas research fell to the bureau of mines as they had the strongest chemical program within the government and gas masks would be critical. At the start of the War, Van Manning, head of the bureau, made a call for registering all USA chemists. The French and English lost many of their most talented scholars in the trenches in the first months of war and the USA did not want to repeat that mistake. With the start of the War, American University was only 1 building and struggling. The board of trustees passed the land and buildings to the government and the bureau of mines took it for weapons research. They are still finding gas shells today from the work during the war. The government also open Edgewater, MD to produce mustard gas and other chemical weapons. They built a massive chemical plant able to produce tons of mustard gas per day.

As part of the story, German spies used chemical weapons to start fires on commercial ships. Stevedores would hide cigar sized tubes filled with acid on one side and metal fillings separated by thin tin. The acid would burn threw the tin in a few days and then react with the metal causing a very hot fire. After a few mysterious fires, some of the devices were found and several spies were arrested. The key chemist was able to escape to Cuba but was eventually arrested. He turned and worked secretly for the Americans making new chemicals. They built a secret plant outside of Cleveland to produce the chemical, but the war ended before their use.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every politician should be required to read in this volatile climate of terrorism. As presented by the author, Emery, the history of chemical warfare is both lengthy and dangerous, leaving many soldiers dead, disabled, or with memories that should have been passed down to the subsequent generations, but were lost as of the material has been considered too frightening for children to see.

America quickly removed the pictures of the twin towers falling, and one can only guess at what it would do if these photos and stories were to suddenly be seen on every channel or station, and yet, this is part of what should happen. It is part of our history. Every classroom should know some of the details and upper classes should be reading this material because it is becoming a product used in terrorism.

Chemical warfare attacked both the lungs and the skin creating long term damage if not immediate death. Emery did extensive research and manage to write the history without becoming angry or supporting the things that happened. I was struck by his eloquent prose in the face of utter destruction and the speed with which the allies reciprocated with devastating results. It brought a new understanding as to why WWI was believed to be the War to End All Wars.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a very wide focus, and most of it isn’t necessarily on what you’re hoping it’ll be on. I personally thought it’d be a focused deep dive into the (American, I guess) research, development, and execution of chemical warfare during WW1, but by the author’s own admission, accounts that would allow for an enriched R&D aspect were hard to come by, and the execution bit - the namesake of the book, the *best* part of the book - was only one fragment out of the many.

Personally, I just find the book too broad. All the different plot lines are weaved together well enough to drive the story forward, but few are what I came to this book for, and most have too many names to keep up with (this despite the author’s kind gesture of putting a brief character list in the beginning of the book).

I’m altogether glad I read it - I can’t deny that it offers a unique perspective - but I’m left still wanting what I came to the book for, which is of course a disappointment.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on chemical warfare in WW1 and specifically how the US quickly spun up an industry to research and produce chemical weapons. This book is meticulously researched and contained a lot of information on a subject I knew almost nothing about. I vaguely remember articles on the discovery of chemical weapons at the former American University research station in Washington DC which sparked my interest in this book and I was not disappointed.

As for the negatives, despite having a "character list" in the beginning of the book, it was difficult to follow all the characters, especially as Emery has a tendency to jump between them frequently. This book also focused more on the political machinations than anything else, which I guess is what was well documented, but I would have preferred more information from the eyewitness accounts he did have.

Overall, a lengthy but worthwhile read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and interesting account of the American response to chemical weapons during WWI. In The Hellfire Boys, Theo Emery traces the development of gas weaponry, the military response, and the impact these weapons had on the people inventing them and the soldiers using them. Emery also recounts the shifting public perception of chemical warfare following the war, as well as the offshoots of chemical weapons research that still exist today. Emery has clearly put a lot of research and thought into the book based on the detailed accounts and many personal anecdotes from people involved in the American chemical weapons programs that were included in his writing. Although this is a bit of a slow read, The Hellfire boys is anything but boring and I would absolutely recommend this book.

I received this an ARC of this book from the publisher.

[Kim Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at Theo's book launch at Politics and Prose (in D.C.) last fall. This was one of the most enthralling book talks I've ever attended. As he fielded questions (in a room full of journalists asking hard questions), it quickly became clear that Theo has not only exhaustively researched and mastered this topic, but that his enthusiasm for it has not waned. That excitement of discovery comes through in the pages. Theo combines a lifelong newspaperman's deep research skills with a well-honed ability to spin a compelling yarn. Even if you think you don't care about the history of chemical warfare, Theo will prove you wrong: In his telling, this is not only a morality tale about how we make war; it also describes the human toll of creating and wielding lethal force in the modern world. Do not miss this book. Buy an extra copy for your veteran dad. I did.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The United States Chemical Warfare Service was officially created on June 28, 1918. Dabbling and discussion about this had taken place as far back as the American Civil War, but with chemical warfare being utilized during World War I, the government got more serious about it. This Service was responsible for formulating various chemical weapons, training people how to use them, and implementing protective measures against other chemical attacks. I have never heard of this Service, later renamed the Chemical Corps, and I am certain a lot of other people haven't as well. This is a very interesting and important part of Unites States defense and warfare, and if you are interested in either of those things, I would strongly suggest picking up this book. It was very well written and I learned a great deal from it.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and well-documented account of chemical warfare during WWI. For any war or history enthusiast, this book will take them into the bowels of hell of chemical warfare. The book includes some photographs.

Note: Our son has been with the Army since 2001, enlisting before 911 took place. He was part of 82nd Airborne, 307th Engineers and has deployed seven times. I know that he will better grasp the story and history and understand this book better than I can and now I am passing it on to him.

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating historical-nonfiction that we never really got to learn about in history class, but should have. The subject matter of Hellfire Boys is both fascinating and educational. When Hellfire Boys first came to my attention through Goodreads, I knew I wanted to learn more. I think it’s a real eye-opener and an essential piece of American history. Emery does an amazing job researching and creating a cohesive narrative. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a hard copy of this book that I won in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Emma Shedd · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with any war story based in truth, there is a balance that needs to be made between the sadness of the deaths and the excitement of the victories. I think Emery did a wonderful job weaving the stories of many men and the agencies they worked for during and after World War I into a single, cohesive story. I appreciate his thorough research into the vast expanse of the Chemical Warfare Service and the men that were part of it. While not as exciting as some war stories, this one was well-told and shone a light on a topic I was previously unfamiliar with.

[Betty Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, captivating, and yet relatable events of the progress of chemical warfare tactics. Behind then, behind now for military vision. Advance your line of effort by getting those in the right place to help….still a tactic used today. In awe of what military members do for freedom, historically and currently. Beautifully written to express a significant time in history that still impacts us today and in the future.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book, some information in here that is very eye-opening but the read itself/writing is a bit boring, the story nonetheless and the characters,the history were all interesting. would have like to have seen clearer pictures of some of the characters but as the author points out not much available.

[Dave Chrisstoffels · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book disturbed me on so many levels . The one thing that stood out from the story is that people deployed this device ,saw the horrifying results and continued to use it . Did it help to end the war ? Maybe , but at what cost ….

[Erika Skarlupka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, in depth look into how chemical warfare research and development began in the US. It's a bit dry, but you'll get an excellent understanding of the bureaucracy invovled.

[Terri Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book!

[Courtney Pankan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening. Definitely hard to get through some of the more graphic details.

[Richard Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing history, scary

[Ethan Messenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting much more facts and figures oriented. It’s a lot more human centric in its stories.