What do you think?
Rate this book
The Crash of Ruin: American Combat Soldiers in Europe during World War II
In the ruined Europe of World War II, American soldiers on the front lines had no eye for breathtaking vistas or romantic settings. The brutality of battle profoundly darkened their perceptions of the Old World. As the only means of international travel for the masses, the military exposed millions of Americans to a Europe in swift, catastrophic decline.
Drawing on soldiers' diaries, letters, poems, and songs, Peter Schrijvers offers a compelling account of the experiences of U.S. combat ground forces: their struggles with the European terrain and seasons, their confrontations with soldiers, and their often startling encounters with civilians. Schrijvers relays how the GIs became so desensitized and dehumanized that the sight of dead animals often evoked more compassion than the sight of enemy dead.
The Crash of Ruin concludes with a dramatic and moving account of the final Allied offensive into German-held territory and the soldiers' bearing witness to the ultimate symbol of Europe's descent into ruin--the death camps of the Holocaust.
The harrowing experiences of the GIs convinced them that Europe's collapse was not only the result of the war, but also the Old World's deep-seated political cynicism, economic stagnation, and cultural decadence. The soldiers came to believe that the plague of war formed an inseparable part of the Old World's decline and fall.
Drawing on soldiers' diaries, letters, poems, and songs, Peter Schrijvers offers a compelling account of the experiences of U.S. combat ground forces: their struggles with the European terrain and seasons, their confrontations with soldiers, and their often startling encounters with civilians. Schrijvers relays how the GIs became so desensitized and dehumanized that the sight of dead animals often evoked more compassion than the sight of enemy dead.
The Crash of Ruin concludes with a dramatic and moving account of the final Allied offensive into German-held territory and the soldiers' bearing witness to the ultimate symbol of Europe's descent into ruin--the death camps of the Holocaust.
The harrowing experiences of the GIs convinced them that Europe's collapse was not only the result of the war, but also the Old World's deep-seated political cynicism, economic stagnation, and cultural decadence. The soldiers came to believe that the plague of war formed an inseparable part of the Old World's decline and fall.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Peter Schrijvers
8 books6 followersDr. Peter Schrijvers (1963- ) is a Belgian academic and writer of history books. He earned a masters degree in Modern History from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven) an a PhD in US Diplomatic and Military History from the Ohio State University.
Today (2014) he is a Senior Lecturer American and international history at the School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales in Sydney.
Peter Schrijvers mainly writes academic books in English.
*****
Peter Schrijvers doceerde Amerikaanse geschiedenis in Australië, de VS en Zwitserland. Hij publiceerde zes non-fictieboeken over de Tweede Wereldoorlog, onder andere bij Cambridge en Yale, en was te zien op National Geographic. Momenteel is hij curator van Liberation Garden, het nieuwe museum over de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Leopoldsburg. Een hoofd vol vlammen is zijn eerste roman.
Today (2014) he is a Senior Lecturer American and international history at the School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales in Sydney.
Peter Schrijvers mainly writes academic books in English.
*****
Peter Schrijvers doceerde Amerikaanse geschiedenis in Australië, de VS en Zwitserland. Hij publiceerde zes non-fictieboeken over de Tweede Wereldoorlog, onder andere bij Cambridge en Yale, en was te zien op National Geographic. Momenteel is hij curator van Liberation Garden, het nieuwe museum over de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Leopoldsburg. Een hoofd vol vlammen is zijn eerste roman.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 6, 2016
An interesting social history, The Crash of Ruin explores the American soldiers' perceptions of the people and places they encountered in Europe.
January 10, 2019
A thoroughly engrossing study of how American soldiers experienced the peoples and places of Europe during World War II.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews