The Bonus Army: An American Epic
by Paul Dickson, Thomas B. Allen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul Dickson, Thomas B. AllenBrand: PBS
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-03-21
ISBN: 0802777384
Number of pages: 370
Publisher: Walker & Company
Book Reviews of The Bonus Army: An American Epic
Book Review: A Very Quick Review of a Good General History
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm often very miffed about the stream of news and political deal breaking that occurs. So when I was reading FDR by Jean Edward Smith (also a good general history) and it reminded me of the Bonus Army - I wanted to see how old-timers dealt with hard times.
The events themselves are interesting, so the authors don't have to embellish, just report. The report they write is both complex, interesting and straightforward. You quickly learn that there is a rather verbose military hierarchy, some veterans wanting money and a belief that the veterans are a shell for Commies - what could go wrong? The story is highlighted by delightful and famous characters, anecdotes and a whole lot of quotes, I would quote for you, but it is better for you to explore yourself.
The majority of the book is in Washington D.C. proper, why the book doesn't immediately show you a map is beyond me. I googled one pretty quickly to make sure I understood the narrative and geography right, but later found a nice map hidden on page 155 (SPOILER ALERT: some of the events of the later part of the book are alluded to in the legend of the map). Also, the authors for whatever reason, chose to write a history that was "objective," but not truly. This is one of my gripes about General Histories, the author's appear to be objective but clearly there is a bias, why not just make the bias clear to the reader, HST style?
To Recap
The Good - Solid Narrative. Amazing Piece of American History. The authors did a great job of revealing characters to the audience. Shows the Reader a Place and Time that Feels Real.
The Bad - Why is there no map in the beginning? I (personally) don't feel the authors have added any value to the book by being as removed as they are.
The Rub - This book made me laugh, think and reflect. I would recommend this to anyone over the age of 12 who is even vaguely intelligent.
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