Reviews
"An unforgettable picture of life in the hottest sectors of the Western Front" --William Grimes, The New York Times "Stunning... Unknown Soldiers tells you vividly how it felt when the world, then believed to be on a firm foundation, began to stagger and crash." --Anthony Day, The Los Angeles Times "Hanson has rescued a rich store of letters from the attics of three nations, using them to remind readers both of the horrors of war and the obligations of memory." --Christopher Capozzola, The Christian Science Monitor "A moving testament to the futility of war...To honor the 3 million fallen soldiers who were never identified in World War I, Hanson relates the individual stories of three young men--A German, an Englishman, and an American [who] were lost in the area of the Somme River." -- Booklist "One of the best books I've read on the insanity of life in the trenches." -- Daily Mail , UK "Vivid, sobering...Hanson lets the voices of the unknowns speak across a bloody century with lessons for the new one." -- Publishers Weekly "Fascinating social history...Hanson richly describes the outpouring of grief after this war." -- Library Journal "Hanson...reconstructs these ordinarily extraordinary biographies. He shows us not only just how these young lives were abbreviated in the abyss of trench warfare, but how their 'people'...family as well as nation--came to terms with their loss." --Daniel Johnson, New York Sun "Hanson builds on the experience of his three warriors to put WWI in haunting perspective. Their touching letters make you wonder: Will any future historian ever be able to put the same personal touch on what Americans in Iraq experienced?" --Harry Levins, Sunday Post-Dispatch, "An unforgettable picture of life in the hottest sectors of the Western Front" --William Grimes,The New York Times "A moving testament to the futility of war...To honor the 3 million fallen soldiers who were never identified in World War I, Hanson relates the individual stories of three young men--A German, an Englishman, and an American [who] were lost in the area of the Somme River." --Booklist "One of the best books I've read on the insanity of life in the trenches." --Daily Mail, UK "Vivid, sobering...Hanson lets the voices of the unknowns speak across a bloody century with lessons for the new one." --Publishers Weekly "Fascinating social history...Hanson richly describes the outpouring of grief after this war." --Library Journal "Hanson...reconstructs these ordinarily extraordinary biographies. He shows us not only just how these young lives were abbreviated in the abyss of trench warfare, but how their 'people'...family as well as nation--came to terms with their loss." --Daniel Johnson,New York Sun "Hanson builds on the experience of his three warriors to put WWI in haunting perspective. Their touching letters make you wonder: Will any future historian ever be able to put the same personal touch on what Americans in Iraq experienced?" --Harry Levins,Sunday Post-Dispatch, "An unforgettable picture of life in the hottest sectors of the Western Front" --William Grimes,The New York Times "Stunning...Unknown Soldierstells you vividly how it felt when the world, then believed to be on a firm foundation, began to stagger and crash." --Anthony Day,The Los Angeles Times "Hanson has rescued a rich store of letters from the attics of three nations, using them to remind readers both of the horrors of war and the obligations of memory." --Christopher Capozzola,The Christian Science Monitor "A moving testament to the futility of war...To honor the 3 million fallen soldiers who were never identified in World War I, Hanson relates the individual stories of three young men--A German, an Englishman, and an American [who] were lost in the area of the Somme River." --Booklist "One of the best books I've read on the insanity of life in the trenches." --Daily Mail, UK "Vivid, sobering...Hanson lets the voices of the unknowns speak across a bloody century with lessons for the new one." --Publishers Weekly "Fascinating social history...Hanson richly describes the outpouring of grief after this war." --Library Journal "Hanson...reconstructs these ordinarily extraordinary biographies. He shows us not only just how these young lives were abbreviated in the abyss of trench warfare, but how their 'people'...family as well as nation--came to terms with their loss." --Daniel Johnson,New York Sun "Hanson builds on the experience of his three warriors to put WWI in haunting perspective. Their touching letters make you wonder: Will any future historian ever be able to put the same personal touch on what Americans in Iraq experienced?" --Harry Levins,Sunday Post-Dispatch From the Hardcover edition., "An unforgettable picture of life in the hottest sectors of the Western Front" --William Grimes, "The New York Times ""Stunning...Unknown Soldiers tells you vividly how it felt when the world, then believed to be on a firm foundation, began to stagger and crash." --Anthony Day, "The Los Angeles Times ""Hanson has rescued a rich store of letters from the attics of three nations, using them to remind readers both of the horrors of war and the obligations of memory." --Christopher Capozzola, "The Christian Science Monitor ""A moving testament to the futility of war...To honor the 3 million fallen soldiers who were never identified in World War I, Hanson relates the individual stories of three young men--A German, an Englishman, and an American [who] were lost in the area of the Somme River." --"Booklist " "One of the best books I've read on the insanity of life in the trenches." --"Daily Mail," UK "Vivid, sobering...Hanson lets the voices of the unknowns speak across a bloody century with lessons for the new one." --"Publishers Weekly " "Fascinating social history...Hanson richly describes the outpouring of grief after this war." --"Library Journal ""Hanson...reconstructs these ordinarily extraordinary biographies. He shows us not only just how these young lives were abbreviated in the abyss of trench warfare, but how their 'people'...family as well as nation--came to terms with their loss." --Daniel Johnson, "New York Sun " "Hanson builds on the experience of his three warriors to put WWI in haunting perspective. Their touching letters make you wonder: Will any future historian ever be able to put the same personal touch onwhat Americans in Iraq experienced?" --Harry Levins, "Sunday Post-Dispatch "