The York Patrol: The Real Story of Alvin York and the Unsung Heroes Who Made Him World War I's Most Famous Soldier

by James Carl Nelson

"Exceptional military history worthy of its heroic subject." —Matthew J. Davenport In the vein of Band of Brothers and American Sniper , a riveting history of Alvin York, the World War I legend who killed two dozen Germans and captured more than 100, detailing York's heroics yet also restoring the unsung heroes of his patrol to their rightful place in history—from renowned World War I historian James Carl Nelson.

October 8, 1918 was a banner day for heroes of the American Expeditionary Force. Thirteen men performed heroic deeds that would earn them Medals of Honor. Of this group, one man emerged as the single greatest American hero of the Great Alvin Cullum York. A poor young farmer from Tennessee, Sergeant York was said to have single-handedly killed two dozen Germans and captured another 132 of the enemy plus thirty-five machine guns before noon on that fateful Day of Valor.  York would become an American legend, celebrated in magazines, books, and a blockbuster biopic starring Gary Cooper. The film, Sergeant York, told of a hell-raiser from backwoods Tennessee who had a come-to-Jesus moment, then wrestled with his newfound Christian convictions to become one of the greatest heroes the U.S. Army had ever known. It was a great story—but not the whole story. In this absorbing history, James Carl Nelson unspools, for the first time, the complete story of Alvin York and the events that occurred in the Argonne Forest on that day. Nelson gives voice, in particular, to the sixteen “others” who fought beside York. Hailing from big cities and small towns across the U.S. as well as several foreign countries, these soldiers included a patrician Connecticut farmer whose lineage could be traced back to the American Revolution, a poor runaway from Massachusetts who joined the Army under a false name, and a Polish immigrant who enlisted in hopes of expediting his citizenship. The York Patrol shines a long overdue spotlight on these men and York, and pays homage to their bravery and sacrifice.  Illustrated with 25 black-and-white images, The York Patrol is a rousing tale of courage, tragedy, and heroism.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, War, Military History, World War I, American History

288 pages, Hardcover

Published February 23, 2021

Reviews

[Paul Manytravels · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent historical content overwhelmed by an abominable writing style.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. 50 pages of material stretched into 245.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting idea for a military history book but one ultimately done in by poor writing and a lack of maps. The story of Alvin York and his journey from a backward Tennessee farmer to religious pacifist to the ultimate American hero of World War I remains fascinating after more than a century. This book asks an interesting question: did he deserve all this acclaim? What about the other members of his decimated unit that day in the Argonne Forest in 1918? After thumbnail biographies of several other members of the unit, most of these doughboys slip back into anonymity, a disappointing development in a book that promises to tell their stories. Also, the idea that some of them did not like York because of his early attempts to become a conscientious objector are not developed too well either. While the battle that made York a legend are detailed, more maps would have helped visualize the action. All that is really new here is the revelation (hardly a surprise) that some of the men from the unit thought their deserved some of the credit York got. Add to that a clunky, cliche-riddled writing style and this leaves a story still waiting to be properly told.

[Brendan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The York Patrol focuses on a narrow subject - the life of Alvin York and his heroic day in the Argonne Forest - and covers it thoroughly. It's an interesting story that explains how York was both appropriately feted for his heroism but also received excessive credit because his squad also was involved, even though York did not seek credit he did not deserve. Despite neither embellishing his actions nor seeking out fame, he ended up receiving it, embittering other members of his squad who felt too much credit went to York.

The major deficiency with this book is one common to many military history books - the absence of helpful maps. While there are two maps - one for the American sector of the Western Front and another of the area of the York battlefield - neither of them depict positions of the military units and movements. As a result, the key battle sequences in the book describe indistinguishable numbered units advancing through villages and over streams and up numbered hills I've never heard of, and it's impossible to figure out what was going on as a result. Put the units on a map with some arrows so I can understand what's happening!

[Jason Herrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who knew very little about York, like me, this was a good introduction into his life before the war, his accomplishments during the war & the difficulties he faced after war in living a life with unwanted fame being forced upon him.

[Tim Lathrop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing… Would not recommend this book. This book provides details on an interesting piece of history but focuses too much on the greed of men and detracts from the good action of which they were all a part of. The writing style feels jumbled. Additionally, the writing details war locations that can’t be known by the reader except by further research. A series of maps should have been included to illustrate the author’s story.

[Matt McKeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Alvin York is well known: the hell raising Tennessee mountaineer finds Jesus, the love of a good woman, then is drafted to fight in World War One. The faith that saved him conflicts with the demands of the state. Eventually he goes to France and on a memorable day in October, 1918, kills 25 soldiers and compels another 132 to surrender. This event gains him fame, if not fortune, and in the long afterlife, he tries to leverage his celebrity,and the somewhat unhealthy vicarious thrill others took in his terrifying aptitude*, to make improvements in the desperately poor region he grew up in, establishing vocational schools and modern roads.

Its quite a story, and Nelson does a piss poor job recounting it, falling back on gee whiz cliche ridden prose, and a general lack of context. He doesn't connect York with larger stereotypes of "hillbillies" or larger issues around America's love/hate relationship with gun violence and celebrity.

*York refused to personally benefit from killing people turning down product endorsements, and envinced a Christian and humane attitude towards the horrors of war. But clearly, shooting enemy soldiers didn't bother him, in the moment, or later. He had a weird, distanced vocabulary, "I tetched him off," was a phrase he preferred.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to read a history book on a military hero and some of the context of his life and others in his unit? This book covers Alvin York and the soldiers with him during a battle in World War One that made him famous. I got this since I have heard of Alvin York, I have even seen an old movie about him starring Gary Cooper but I realized I never read a book length treatment about him; this book was a further treat since it isn’t just about York but also the other men who served with him. Often the public wants to focus on one man as the hero when reality is that the Medal of Honor hero was serving with others that were also going above and beyond the call of duty.
This book after the author’s note has twenty two chapters and the beginning few chapters focused on York and his upbringing and then it describe his time in the military, the actual battle account and also the last few chapters were about the post-war aftermath. I think I like that longer chronological period that is covered in the book as it gives us more contexts of his life and heroism. I think many military books on heroes can focus on the battle and the time the person served in the military but this bigger context was helpful. Also the fact that it did not focus on only one man but the others in the patrol hat famously captured many German prisoners was also insightful and contrary to the movie I learned that York did not capture prisoners of War by himself.
The part that really stood out to me were the chapters after the war; the book’s discussion about York’s lack of anticipation of being seen as a hero was fascinating. Also it was interesting to learn about his challenge with becoming a celebrity and also his relations with the other men in his unit was also interesting. I think from reading this book I was amazed at how after the war most of the soldiers struggle in some way or another was also interesting. It seems that while World War One seems so long ago (over one hundred years ago!) the challenge of veterans remains the same and that really made me think about how what modern veterans of the War on Terror are not alone with their battles post-war. Worthwhile book, I recommend it.

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great biography of World War I hero Alvin York. His heroism has been dramatized often in popular culture. This book examines the event in the context of his life before and after the war, in the end it only buttresses his reputation.

[Charles H Berlemann Jr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this hoping that this book was going to be a refreshing history of the action of Alvin York and his patrol. As well as who he was as someone growing up. I have seen the movie a few times and always knew there was more to the story. Yet most of the time the story has disappeared from the forefront of most folks history stories about WW1. That said, I also know there are a ton of stories a few years back for the 100th anniversary of the war that seemed to cast doubt about whether or not York was a hero like the media then played him out to be initially. So I picked up this book hoping to see if the author puts those issues to bed.

Instead we get a rambling story that seemed desperately to either be padded out from a magazine article or is a much larger book that seems to have been edited down to a more respectable size. There is a good chunk of an interesting story here and the highlights of who Alvin C. York was including is pacifist attitudes, how the Americans fought in WW1 and what lead up to his engagement. As well as who else was on his patrol with him on that critical day. Then the rest of the book seems to be about York not really wanting the lime light, but when he gets it trying to spin it away and use it for good for his hometown. As well as various jealousies that seem to have arisen by various folks either in the patrol or the company that feel slighted. Finally ends with the movie making and some of the drama with relatives of others on the patrol that are claiming those individuals were the "true" heroes of the day and York was nobody.

It felt like I said this was a larger book cut down or there was a magazine article padded out, because there was large number pages in a couple of chapters talking everything from the larger engagement of the US into the war, the Lost Battalion, , and some other heroes of the war. Each section of this chapter seemed to end with a "Coming soon York Patrol Heroics" and then we get another chapter about some other part of the larger Meuse-Argonne offensive. If not we spent time retreading over previously shared information about how York and the 82nd Infantry Battalion arrived at where they arrived at; which was very confusing in the timeline of things. As if the war is ending but the Meuse-Argonne offensive is ongoing and the 82nd is either in Georgia or New York still training...wait...what...is the 82nd there or not? Is York there or not?
When we actually get to the York Patrol and its engagement those chapters seem to go quick and the author uses a number of sources to "prove" that it was a team effort and not all York. I also just wish the author spent additional time to have talked about where some of the other major members of the York Patrol came from and who their parents were and such, as he did with Alvin York himself; a chapter about both sets of grandparents and their personalities, but it didn't seem clear as to how this information related to York growing up.

The same sort of muddling of the waters with regards to a timeline as York gets home and all the help he wanted to do for his home town. We seem to spend a few chapters talking about him trying to raise money for some new technical schools and agricultural schools. Then we jump to a ten year anniversary of the engagement with other members of the Patrol at the Army War College, the every growing nagging doubts. Then something about authors writing books at various times. His fights with the school boards. Even a full chapter on how MGM and Warner Brothers movie studios was created and arrived in Hollywood. Each time we go back in this second half of the book to when York arrives in New York City and start with the ticker tape parade and all the various folks who were outsiders excited to see him. This muddling of the timeline path made me think I had misplaced my bookmark but it wasn't just a new chapter on a new event and retread of the older stories up to a point, usually the mid 1930s.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book. So badly wanted to like this book; but it just seemed to be missing something about a compelling man. As well it never really seems to answer the other question that the book is almost stage whispering; that is was York a hero or a not. It leans that way but it never outright settles the question using the sources the author had access towards now almost a century later.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many people, I picked up this book because I am a fan of the 1941 war film Sergeant York and was curious about the ‘true story’ behind the film. Overall, the film got many points right, but does not restrain itself from adding in the tried and true Hollywood flair. Still, the book was quite interesting, going into the details of what happened on October 8, 1918 to what is called the York Patrol.

I was very intrigued to learn of the other men who were with Alvin York that day, to hear their perspectives, and to see how, as Nelson says, “The York Patrol, seventeen brave men, walked into that ravine as “buddies[.]” […] After one of them walked out a hero, the York Patrol became a collection of individuals.” Nelson ascribes the breakdown of the bonds between the survivors to a mixture of jealousy that York was given the lion’s share of the credit for the events of October 8th, the lack of or delayed recognition of the other members of the group by the War Department, and even general apathy and the growing apart of people as they continue on with their lives. It was sad to read about, but not all that surprising, human nature being what it is.

I was a little disappointed that the story that York himself wanted Gary Cooper to play him in the film turned out to be a case of one of the producers actually sending Cooper a telegram saying so in York’s name without his knowledge. That story always made me laugh a bit, and so was sad to learn that it wasn’t true.

Some problems I did have with the book: Nelson’s repeated references to York and other people from Pall Mall as “hicks” and “backwards”. The words carry all of the implication that these people were stupid, which I dispute. Perhaps uneducated by most standards, but uneducated does not mean stupid, and York spent much of his life after the war trying to change the uneducated part with his efforts to create schools in the area to see the children educated and positioned to make better lives for themselves. I lost count of these repetitions and various others that Nelson perpetuated throughout the book.

I would have liked to have heard a bit more about York’s personal life after the war. While I understand that the book is about York and the other members of the York Patrol, I’d have liked to have heard more about the personal lives of all of them (inasmuch as was available from the records, since some of them fell deep into obscurity). York’s personal life after the war amounted to him marrying Gracie, having eight kids, and having money troubles on multiple occasions. I’d have liked to have heard more. Surely there was more to say?

Definitely a decent piece of military history. Worth reading for any fan of the film.

[Peter Goodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The York Patrol: the real story of Alvin York and the unsung heroes who made him World War I’s most famous soldier,” by James Carlinson (William Morrow, 2021). This is an interesting book marred by inept writing. The story is fascinating. York was a barely literate Tennessee backwoods farmer with a slight predisposition to conscientious objection who was drafted during World War I. His 82nd Division was part of the American force that finally engaged in combat during the last year of the war. He was involved in very heavy fighting in and around the Argonne Forest. Troops were being gassed, shelled, strafed, advancing and retreating in a fairly confined area. At one point York went on a patrol that found itself behind German lines. It ambushed a large group of German troops who had no idea there were any Americans around. Some fought but many surrendered. The fighting became general; many members of the patrol were killed. At one point York, a corporal, was the senior non-com and took command of the patrol. He was a backwoods sharpshooter, and with his rifle and then his pistol, fired away, killing perhaps 25 German soldiers and wounding others. Eventually the patrol corralled well over 100 Germans and marched them back to the American lines. York was at the head of the line. After the action, when the army was considering York for a medal, most of the surviving members of the patrol gave affidavits describing what he had done. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. Newspapers---and George R. Patullo in particular---began writing about York’s exploit. By the time his division returned to the US, he was a hero---much to his surprise and, apparently, chagrin. What happened after that was a predecessor to what happened to the Marines photographed raising the flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. York was even more reluctant than those men. But he was feted across the country, was given a farm, received and lost lots of money, founded a school, and ultimately was incarnated by Gary Cooper in “Sergeant York.” Through it all he remained taciturn, very reluctant to exploit his fame, and always giving credit to the rest of the patrol. Great story. But Nelson’s writing is a few steps above amateurish. Try as he might to avoid cliches, he shovels them in. His descriptions of the American maneuvers are extremely confusing---a map of the actual combat would have helped. It’s a shame, because he did a great deal of research, and followed the men from the patrol until their deaths. And the photos of York and the actual battlefield are illuminating.

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[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received a free ecopy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.*

Alvin York was one of the most decorated US soldiers of World War I, and in The York Patrol James Carl Nelson, apparently for the first time(?), recounts York's life and service and the contested legacy of his heroism. Nelson details York's biography and the lives of different members of what came to be named the York patrol.

As one would expect much of the book centers on the events of October 8, 1918. A patrol under the command of Cpl Early, that included York, infiltrated the German line and captured a large group of German soldiers. This patrol was then attacked and more than half the US soldiers were killed or wounded before York, and possibly others, were able to silence the machine gunners and with the wounded and prisoners return to the Allied lines.

York would come to be the main figure lauded for this occurrence, but he always took efforts to praise his fellow soldiers for their contributions. The myth of York was spread by the media and popular culture, and based on the reception and idolization, his fellows soldiers wanted more credit. All this while York refused to make his living off of being a hero and instead used his fame to raise funds for projects to better his home town often to the detriment of his own finances.

Nelson is clearly knowledgeable about this topic and based on citations, researcher widely. If anything this work is too long and too detailed. The narrative takes its time. Making sure to hit the typical biographical beats: York was a hell raising youth, York considering registering as a consciousnesses objector and finally his commitment to the war.

Where the book really excels is exploring the events of October 8 from multiple perspectives and the changing feelings or recollections of those involved, unfortunately it takes a while to get there and not all readers may wish to reach that point. The challenge of being widely regarded as a hero when you don't wish to be.

[Brian Sandor · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this was a giveaway from William Morrow for the Kindle App.
This is the story of Sgt. Alvin York and his capture of 132 German soldiers near the end of World War I. It is also about all the members of the patrol that day. Overall, it is a very good book that illuminates his life and those in his unit, and also gives a understanding of his struggle with the fame that came with his heroic moment. However, the book also has a couple of flaws that detract from it being very good.
On the good side, it is very well researched, covering his entire life and those who served with him. The war coverage was also very good, although confusing at times (which I will address later). I even covers the making of the movie Sergeant York . Having not really delved into this event, it was an interesting story to read about.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of glaring issues. First, the battle coverage was hard to follow at times. I am not a novice to military literature, I just wish there were more maps to better follow these sequences. The main issue I had was the numerous, repetitive, bordering on annoying uses of adjective descriptions of York, usually at the end of chapters. These would refer to things covered earlier in the book about his rural roots, religiosity, heroism, etc. I began to wonder if the author had to reach a word quota and had to stretch out the narrative not unlike a high schooler or college student typing a term paper. I am surprised that an editor didn't clean it up better. I would have rated this book much high if it wasn't for the repetitive nature of these allusions to York.

[Dan Dundon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not an military historian nor did I know much about Sgt. York before I read this book. Therefore I can't comment on whether or not the author did justice to the role of other soldiers in the famous capture of 132 Germans in France. I've read several reviews which are critical of the historical accuracy of his account.
However, what I can tell you is the author devotes a great deal of attention to the movement of various units before the actual single day in which the York action occurs. This bewildering onslaught of information may leave some non-military experts, such as myself, with glazed eyes before they even get to the interesting part of York's actions.
The story about what happened after that historic day is also somewhat disappointing. We learn about the financial problems York experienced after the war, the controversy surrounding a school he founded and the animosity his fame apparently created with other members of his troop.
All in all it does not make for a particularly satisfying read. While Sgt. York and his fellow soldiers certainly had a remarkable day in battle, it seems hard to justify the PR machine that surrounded him after the war based on one skirmish. It also doesn't seem to justify another detailed look at the incident at this late date even if the original idea was to set the record straight.
Perhaps in the end that's that's the true value of this book. As a society we tend to build up our heroes and then tear them down. The target of the adulation and criticism is the real victim here.

[Anna Hargett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of Alvin York tells of one of World War I's most famous soldiers. York came from humble beginnings and came from a Christian family and background. When World War I was ushered into play and the draft had been sent out, York struggled inwardly with the thought of going to war and potentially killing people. With his strong faith in God and The Word, he had read, "Thou shalt not kill," and so decided to take the path of becoming a conscientious objector.

But that was not the path fated for him to take. After speaking with his minister regarding the war and God and the Bible, York began to take a bigger perspective on the war and helping his fellow man. He then found himself soon fighting in the trenches and soon the battlefield.

The story goes that York killed about 25 Germans and captured over 100 Germans single-handedly. Later on in his life, there were those with him who disputed this fact and felt as if York wanted to gain all the glory. But a lot of evidence points to the fact that this was not true as glory reveling was not in Alvin York's character.

Nearing the end of his life, his story would be told in a Hollywood film starring Gary Cooper depicting his earlier life and life in the "Great War."

Overall, I enjoyed this book and hearing about York's life and heroism. I would recommend this book.

Favorite Quote:
"York realized that it wasn't about the enemy that he was fighting against, but rather about the man standing next to him that he was fighting for."

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This is a book that I won from Goodreads giveaways.

This is the second book that I've read (and won) from James Carl Nelson. As in the first, he shows himself to be a thorough and accomplished writer of the history of World War I. This book centers on Sgt. Alvin York from Tennessee, who became a national (folk) hero after his capture of a battalion of German soldiers in the French countryside. A reluctant draftee, York turned out to be a first-rate sniper with a knack for preciseness of his shots. It is apparent from Mr. Nelson's work that he holds Sgt. York in great admiration. Notwithstanding his bias, his research is precise and paints a fair picture of the military, including the horrors and misery of war. I tended to get lost in some of the technical descriptions of the sorties and campaigns that the military brass sent the troops out on. The book also includes some oddities of war (that would be good questions on Jeopardy), such as Ho Chi Minh was a driver for the American troops. Who would have thought that?

As in the first book, if you are a family historian, this book is a goldmine of information on the members of the "York Patrol", basically the members of the American Expeditionary Force, 82nd Division deployed to France. There is also a lot of information on the journalists, war correspondents, authors and filmmakers who documented the life of Alvin York and the members of his troop.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of GoodReads' FirstReads program.

The York Patrol tells the story of Sargent Alvin York, who famously participated in a patrol behind German lines in WWI and participated in the capturing of 132 prisoners of war, as well as killing several other Germans soldiers who were attacking them. The legend that has grown has York's exploit as a solo endeavor. The movie, starring Gary Cooper, made Cooper a star, made York and the studio a lot of money and helped mythologize much about the story. This book goes into detail on York's upbringing in rural Tennessee, his wild, drunken youth, his conversion to fundamentalist Christianity and his drafting into the army, despite his conscientious objector leaning. Once in the heat of battle, however, York rose to the occasion and become very much a hero, if not exactly what the myth says. The book also details what happened to him after the war, when the accolades came rolling in and thrust him into an unwanted spotlight. This is a very well written story, and reads like an action novel, I'd recommend it highly.

[Lee Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the remarkable story of a WWI American hero that everyone should be familiar with. Alvin York was a backwoods man from the hills of Tennessee. Torn between his recent religious devotion and duty to his country, he made the choice that would impact the rest of his life.
If you’ve seen the 1941 classic film Sergeant York with Gary Cooper you’ll have a rough idea of what York experienced. The book does a good job though of explaining York’s role in the events of that day and the difficulties he had coping with his new found fame.
We want our heroes to come home to a parade, write a book and make a few patriotic speeches thereafter. Unfortunately, this often is not the way things turn out. York’s life had many ups and downs. He had financial difficulties and seemed to be undecided about the decision to capitalize on his fame.
The author goes into a lot of detail about these later years which is probably necessary to tell the full story but detracts from the overall impact the story should have. York’s accomplishments that day, despite the controversies, should be remembered reverently by all Americans.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I would love to sometime see any maps and illustrations included in a finished copy. This book is written extremely well and provides a lot of valuable and fascinating background information about York and his life before, during, and after WW I. Much of my previous knowledge of Sergeant York came from the Gary Cooper movie of the same name, which is very romanticized. This book separates the facts from the myths that grew up around the events of October 8, 1918, when the battalion in which York served fought both German machine gunners and foot soldiers, and eventually captured 132 German soldiers. York got a lot of the fame for the incident, but as the title of this book implies, York was not alone that day, and this book talks about the other men with York that day, and what happened to those men after the war as well. York’s fame was both a blessing and a curse to him after the war, and this book is a fascinating look at the lives of soldiers after they leave the military, going home to lives of fame, or lives of obscurity.

[Elgin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have watched the Sargeant York movie with Cary Grant several times and have always enjoyed it, so when this book appeared on our library's new book shelf I snapped it up. The movie gives a fairly accurate account of York's life until his return from Europe, though there are a few misrepresentations for cinematic or symbolic purposes. However York's post-war life seemed a little tragic. He refused many offers to profit commercially from his fame, though in a few cases he
used this fame to support some causes he felt were worthy. Of course others were present and involved during the incident that led to York's medal, and a few of these were resentful and angry
that York garnered all of the attention. It was sad to learn the York suffered almost continuous financial problems in his post-war life. This could have been avoided had he accepted the many offers to lend his name to products. However he was adamant that he was just doing his job to protect his friends and comrades and felt it was not right to profit from this.

From the history, it appears that York could have gotten conscientious objective status, but after long thought elected to serve his country. There were only two official conscientious objectors to be awarded the Mdeal of Honor (Desmond Doss, WWII and Thomas W. Bennett, Vietnam.) If you have not seen Hacksaw Ridge, the amazing story of Desmond Doss, watch it ASAP!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the third that I have written by this author and one of the best written. I had read articles about Sgt. York and his exploits since I was a young boy. I had never read the whole story. One of the articles mentioned that he had killed some of the Germans with a pickaxe. None of these articles mentioned that he had help. This book sets the record straight for me.

The book can be divided into three main sections. First, we have the early life and military career of the soldier from Tennessee. The author then sets up the battle giving a brief history of the war to this point of the critical battle outside of Chatel-Chehery and the battle itself. The final portion of the book tells about York's life when he returned home as well as the lives of the surviving members of the patrol. This deals with the unfortunate glory-seeking and back biting by a few of the men and their exploitation by the press.

[Read Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a GoodReads giveaway of a Kindle ebook.

Events from over a century ago, mostly. I had seen the movie, but that was about the extent of my knowledge of WW I. (I read All Quiet on the Western Front so long ago that I should just claim I had never read it.) And I realized that it was a "Hollywood" telling. So just how accurate was the movie?

Well, just about the entire series of events in this book took place well before I was born. So I found this pretty enlightening. Not too many liberties were taken by the movie version. I did not know anything about York's post war life. That was interesting.

Parts of this story read a bit too much like an "After Action" report. But not too many. Overall, it was a GoodReads.

[David V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC via my employer Barnes & Noble. Started 12-18-20. Finished 12-24-20. Well-written book about Sgt. Alvin York, "the greatest hero of World War I." Well-researched. I knew quite a bit about his heroic actions during the war, but I knew very little about his upbringing in rural Tennessee and his life after the war. From an illiterate beginning to a reluctance to kill, to being a hero is an amazing transformation. The Gary Cooper movie about York created the mythological character, but the real one was more interesting due to the ups and downs of his life. Fame and fortune ain't all it's cracked up to be.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping York’s memory alive

The story of Alvin York, the man who seemingly was in the right place at the right time to do the job. The author did a great job of letting the reader know who York was as a young man, a member of the military, a believer of God, and as a man after the war. The story was complete with details of troop movement and stories of casualties on both sides. However, it needed some maps of the area labeled with the troop movement to accompany the written words. Also, it seems as though the story took a long while to get to the action, and even longer to wrap the story up.
Overall an interesting story.
#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Christan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Saturday night, TCM showed one of my favorite movies, Sgt. York. I just happened to have a copy of, The York Patrol, from my local library and I delved into it. After two nights of reading, I finished it. But it will stay with me for an immeasurably longer amount of time than it took to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed all the nuances and the incongruous nature of the life of Alvin C. York. He was that most rare of individuals - a truly humble and decent man. The author brilliantly captures and illustrates all aspects of this remarkable tale: the man, his fellow soldiers, the times, and the nuances and curse of fame. Highly recommended.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The York Patrol highlights the wartime accomplishments of Alvin York, the greatest American hero of World War I, and the men he fought alongside.

Nelson goes through painstaking detail to craft the narrative of York and his fellows. Details that are almost too much, considering York's exploits in the Great War hit near the middle of the book, and the rest is about how his fame spread after the war.

York's story is a riveting one, but did not need 200+ pages for the telling. The historical details are great, but the story narrative is a bit much for a factual, history text.

Still, this is a story worth reading. Check it out.

[Neal Fandek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointing, despite the extremely promising subject matter and in-depth research. The overview facts and military maneuvers are almost overwhelming, I mean, it almost reads like a summary of the entire war in places! Then the penultimate scene is presented in the same rushed and ineffectual style. The entire book lapses into cliché after cliché to make mostly gooey and sentimental points. A lot of it reads like a summary, like the author was working off bullet points. This combination of cliché and truncation is not something I’m used to. It’s as if a second grader and 90-year-old collaborated in writing this.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m new to non-fiction so my 5 star review is not based on any other books to compare it to as I have not spent much time reading non-fiction. I am forever grateful I won this book on Goodreads.
I was blown away by the research it much have required to write this story of Sgt. York that includes the background of, well, everyone involved in this tale of bravery.
My father was a Sargent in the Army and rarely would speak of his time fighting as it would bring anxious nightmares. So reading the exploits of these men helped me feel a little more connected to my loving father.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Author devotes a substantial amount of his book in detailing the movements of the American Expeditionary Forces against the entrenched Germans during WW1 which frankly, unless you are specifically interested in military maneuvers, tends to be very boring. The story of Alvin York's exploits as a soldier during the First World War, his humble upbringing in Tennessee and his being awarded the Medal of Honor is however worthy of recognition and is covered in specific detail by the Author. The movie was better!