Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II

Infantry Magazine, Summer, 2002 by Cole C. Kingseed

By Martin Blumenson. Cooper Square Press, 2001. 644 Pages. $32.00, Hardcover.

Few military historians have placed a greater personal impact on our study of World War II than Martin Blumenson. Blumenson is no stranger to the readers of Infantry. A former staff historian of Patton's Third Army, he is the distinguished editor of The Patton Papers and numerous books on the 20th century's greatest conflict. He remains the country's leading expert on George S. Patton and has been a frequent lecturer on combat leadership.

In Heroes Never Die, Blumenson adds to his legacy as one of this country's leading military historians. This latest work is a compendium of 50 essays never before assembled in a single volume. Each of the essays focuses on a particular aspect of World War II and attempts to revive and restore our images of it. What makes this book so provocative is the author's ability to challenge traditional interpretations of the war's various commanders and decisions. Though some observers may seek in vain to find current relevancy in the study of World War II, Blumenson accurately argues that one standard is ever important: Heroism is never out of date.

At the center of Heroes Never Die are the commanders of the U.S. Army who waged global war from 1941-1945. Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, Patton, Ridgway, and a host of lesser known leaders are all present. Readers will enjoy Blumenson's analysis of the professional relationship between World War II's "Odd Couple," Omar Bradley and George Patton. They will also be enthralled by the essay "A Short List of Giants," in which Blumenson examines the contributions of America's adversaries and the American commanders in the Navy and Army Air Forces. Two German field marshals, Erwin Rommel and Gerd yon Rundstedt, command Blumenson's respect. But only Rommel joins the ranks as a great captain, because von Rundstedt allowed his personal loyalty to Hitler to override his other soldierly obligations. Blumenson lists Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov and Field Marshal William J. Slim as the outstanding warriors for the Soviet Union and Great Britain respectively. With respect to the Army's sister services, the author cites Admiral Chester Nimitz of the Navy, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold of the Army Air Forces, and General Holland M. Smith of the Marine Corps as top officers who have not received their just due from historians.

Blumenson's favorite general is undoubtedly Patton, who continues to intrigue him. In examining Patton's career, Blumenson discusses his subject's relationship with the press, his student days at Fort Leavenworth and the War College, the end of the European war, and the tragic automobile accident that led to Patton's untimely demise in December 1945. Blumenson's Patton is a dedicated professional who spent a lifetime preparing for battlefield command. If there is a lesson for today's officers and noncommissioned officers in Blumenson's study of Patton, it is "to reach for the best that is in us, and a little beyond." Small wonder why Patton emerged from the war as Eisenhower's most indispensable operational commander.

In addition to examining the significance of numerous battles and campaigns, including Kasserine Pass, Monte Cassino, and the Falaise Gap, Blumenson makes another significant contribution in his assessment of generalship and the art of command. According to Blumenson, command requires the utmost professional skill and personal concentration, factors that make the exercise of successful command seem effortless.

Readers will also find Blumenson's essay entitled "Measuring Generalship" especially informative. In this chapter, he assesses numerous commanders from World War II to the present and concludes that even among the frictions of war, in the final analysis, devotion to duty is its own reward.

Heroes Never Die is destined to be a collector's item of superb prose and insightful analysis, set against the background of this nation's greatest conflict. As the dust jacket indicates, some readers may disagree with Blumenson's interpretations, but none will doubt his thoroughness or his ability to evoke a response from his audience. In addition to providing sterling examples of heroism under fire, this book confirms Blumenson's status as the dean of American military historians.