Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II

Military Review, July-August, 2003 by David J. Schepp

Martin Blumenson, Cooper Square Press, NY, 2001, 641 pages, $32.00.

Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II is a collection of 50 essays that Martin Blumenson wrote during the last 40 years. His topics range from short biographical essays to battle descriptions to leadership discussions. The book is a well-written narrative, and all the essays are relatively short.

The essays are arranged chronologically by date of publication. The problem with this is that some have similar content. Two of them, "Patton's Last Fight" and "The Death of Patton," differ only in that one includes personal letters discussing Patton's deathbed struggle. For another example, this line appears in at least three essays: "I have it," said General George S. Patton, Jr., "but I'll be damned if I can define it." Arranging the essays by theme or eliminating some that are too similar might have served better.

The book's main contribution is a collection of stories written especially for Patton fans. Almost one-fifth of the essays deals with Patton directly; another four or five mention him in passing. It seems as though Blumenson is trying to impart to the reader something about the character of very senior commanders, because he puts emphasis on senior leaders' effect on battles.

As a collection of essays on various topics, the book serves well. However, a thematic organization rather than a chronological one would probably have worked better. The book does have value for the defense community but, mostly, as a collection of stories about the military past.

CPL David J. Schepp, USA, Fort Benning, Georgia