'Over the Top,' by an American Soldier Who Went

Arthur Guy Empey's "Over the Top" offers a vision of World War One battle from the perspective of a foot soldier. Before the United States entered the war, Empey, an American, offered to serve in the British Army on the Western Front. Readers follow his story from the moment he decides to fight, through his training, and into the trenches. His narrative is quite reading and bears unmistakable signs of veracity. While Empey wrote about battle experiences, a significant portion of the text describes unending marches from one location to another. Keep in mind that during World War One, soldiers moved mostly by muscular force, not by motorized transportation. Along with discussing military strategies, becoming a machine gunner, and the firing squad, he also discusses the comic side of the experience, the songs the troops sang, the memories they shared, and how he formed brothers out of strangers. It is an excellent account of one man's memories of the First World War. It's captivating and full of valuable lessons.