Uncover the larger-than-life story of World War I's "Lost Battalion" and the men who survived the ordeal, triumphed in battle, and fought the demons that lingered. In the first week of October, 1918, six hundred men attacked into Europe's forbidding Argonne Forest. Against all odds, they surged through enemy lines—alone. They were soon surrounded and besieged. As they ran out of ammunition, water, and food, the doughboys withstood constant bombardment and relentless enemy assaults. Seven days later, only 194 soldiers from the original unit walked out of the forest. The stand of the US Army's "Lost Battalion" remains an unprecedented display of heroism under fire. Never in Finer Company tells the stories of four men whose lives were forever changed by the ordeal: Major Charles Whittlesey, a lawyer dedicated to serving his men at any cost; Captain George McMurtry, a New York stockbroker who becomes a tower of strength under fire; Corporal Alvin York, a country farmer whose famous exploits help rescue his beleaguered comrades; and Damon Runyon, an intrepid newspaper man who interviews the survivors and weaves their experiences into the American epic. Emerging from the patriotic frenzy that sent young men "over there," each of these four men trod a unique path to the October days that engulfed them—and continued to haunt them as they struggled to find peace. Uplifting and compelling, Never in Finer Company is a deeply moving and dramatic story on an epic scale.

Since its release in 2006, 'Finding the Lost Battalion' by Robert J. Laplander has become the benchmark work against which all things Lost Battalion related have been measured. Now, in this updated 3rd edition released to coincide with the centennial of America's entry into WW1, Mr. Laplander again takes us to the Charlevaux Ravine to delve deeper into the story than ever before! Meticulously chronicling what would become arguably the most famous event of America's part in the war, we find the truths behind the legend. Spanning twenty years of research and hundreds of sources (most never before seen), the reader is led through the Argonne Forest during September and October, 1918 virtually hour by hour. The result is the single most factual accounting of the Lost Battalion story and their leader, Charles W. Whittlesey, to date. Told in an entertaining, fast moving style, the book has become a favorite the world over! With new Forward by Major-General William Terpeluk, US Army (Ret).

The "stirring," definitive history of America's decisive role in winning World War I (Wall Street Journal). The American contribution to World War I is one of the great stories of the twentieth century, and yet it has all but vanished from view. Historians have dismissed the American war effort as largely economic and symbolic. But as Geoffrey Wawro shows in Sons of Freedom, the French and British were on the verge of collapse in 1918, and would have lost the war without the Doughboys. Field Marshal Douglas Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, described the Allied victory as a "miracle" -- but it was a distinctly American miracle. In Sons of Freedom, prize-winning historian Geoffrey Wawro weaves together in thrilling detail the battles, strategic deliberations, and dreadful human cost of the American war effort. A major revision of the history of World War I, Sons of Freedom resurrects the brave heroes who saved the Allies, defeated Germany, and established the United States as the greatest of the great powers.

The authoritative, dramatic, and previously untold story of the bloodiest battle in American history: the epic fight for the Meuse-Argonne in World War I On September 26, 1918, more than one million American soldiers prepared to assault the German-held Meuse-Argonne region of France. Their commander, General John J. Pershing, believed in the superiority of American "guts" over barbed wire, machine guns, massed artillery, and poison gas. In thirty-six hours, he said, the Doughboys would crack the German defenses and open the road to Berlin. Six weeks later, after savage fighting across swamps, forests, towns, and rugged hills, the battle finally ended with the signing of the armistice that concluded the First World War. The Meuse-Argonne had fallen, at the cost of more than 120,000 American casualties, including 26,000 dead. In the bloodiest battle the country had ever seen, an entire generation of young Americans had been transformed forever. To Conquer Hell is gripping in its accounts of combat, studded with portraits of remarkable soldiers like Pershing, Harry Truman, George Patton, and Alvin York, and authoritative in presenting the big picture. It is military history of the first rank and, incredibly, the first in-depth account of this fascinating and important battle.

The annals of the First World War record the Argonne Forest as the epicenter of the famous Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918. The largest American operation launched against the Germans during the conflict. During 1914 and 1915 though, amidst the dense forest, French and Italian soldiers withstood the German assaults. All sides suffered horrendous casualties, as each sought to break through the lines. The epic four-year campaign is the subject of Richard Merry’s vividly written account. His great-uncle arrived there in September 1914 and started corresponding with his family. Richard traces the stories of some of the men – and women – who became embroiled in the epic forest struggle which culminated in the cold, gas-filled autumnal mist of 1918 when the New Yorkers of the 77th ‘Liberty’ Division fought there. One of their number, Charles Whittlesey, and his 'Lost Battalion’ held out against insurmountable odds. Sergeant Alvin York, the Tennessee backwoodsman and pacifist, overcame his religious convictions and wrote himself into American military history. The story does not end there; the author describes the aftermath of war in the area – the lethal outbreak of Spanish flu, the reburial of the dead, the rebuilding of the villages and the replanting of the forest before the Germans invaded again in 1940.

Today, financial clients are profoundly skeptical. They’ve been burned. Their consultants and advisors talk too much, use too much confusing technical jargon, work from too many boilerplate scripts, repeat too many generic caveats and useless disclaimers. Above all, clients say, their advisors don’t listen well, and don’t link their own needs and views to the recommendations they present. To succeed in today’s radically new environment, financial advisors must first transform the way they communicate. In The Financial Professional’s Guide to Communication, one of the world’s leading experts on the financial client relationship shows them how to do precisely that. Drawing on his experience training elite financial professionals worldwide, Bob Finder shows how to actively listen, speak plainly with precision and passion, and engage clients with uncommon effectiveness. Finder demonstrates how to focus relentlessly on what matters most to each individual client, and then deliver intensely relevant recommendations with clarity and impact, in your own voice. You’ll learn how to bring imagination, creativity, and even entertainment to your presentations and conversations, and use constructive criticism to keep improving with every new client meeting. Using these proven techniques, you can deliver truly extraordinary levels of professionalism and service, gain the powerful new competitive edge you’re desperately searching for – and earn equally powerful rewards for yourself.

Much has been written about the famous 'Lost Battalion' of WW1, but few personal stories by the men who were there have ever been widely distributed. Now, Lost Battalion and 77th Division historian and author Robert J. Laplander changes all that in 'The Lost Battalion: As They Saw It'. Drawing on his 25+ years' worth of research into the event, the world's leading authority on the subject presents 31 stories by those who were there, told in their own words. From high ranking officers on down to the lowliest private, it's all here described in their own way; what they saw, what they heard, how they felt - and what it did to some of them afterwards. Often moving and occasionally terrifying, these stories paint a broad mosaic of their experiences, colored by their own backgrounds and personalities. For those seeking to understand the Lost Battalion event in a more direct way, as the men themselves understood it, this volume with be a welcome addition to their library. However, for all it is a wonderful and interesting peek into one of the most famous events of World War One!

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • PULTIZER PRIZE WINNER • The captivating inside story of the woman who helmed the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of American media: the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate In this widely acclaimed memoir ("Riveting, moving...a wonderful book" The New York Times Book Review), Katharine Graham tells her story—one that is extraordinary both for the events it encompasses and for the courage, candor, and dignity of its telling. Here is the awkward child who grew up amid material wealth and emotional isolation; the young bride who watched her brilliant, charismatic husband—a confidant to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson—plunge into the mental illness that would culminate in his suicide. And here is the widow who shook off her grief and insecurity to take on a president and a pressman’s union as she entered the profane boys’ club of the newspaper business. As timely now as ever, Personal History is an exemplary record of our history and of the woman who played such a shaping role within them, discovering her own strength and sense of self as she confronted—and mastered—the personal and professional crises of her fascinating life.

Through letters, diaries, and other recollections, Brad Larson tells the forgotten story of the 150th Machine Gun Battalion of the 42nd "Rainbow" Division. This history traces these Guardsmen's paths from their time in the war and considers the impact of war's trauma and tedium on their lives.

To write well, you must reach beyond the classroom basics of composition, get a grip on the more complex concepts, and learn how to create books, articles, and stories that move—not only from the editor’s desk to the bookstore, but also in the minds of your readers. In this book, accomplished writer Gary Provost helps you tackle that tough task. Here you’ll touch the soul of fine fiction and nonfiction. You’ll explore the intangibles: the relationships between form and content, proportion and pacing, slant and theme. And you’ll gain a new perspective on how words work together. In that newfound knowledge you’ll find power—power Provost helps you transfer to the page. In candid, conversational style, he shows you: • how to balance event and dialogue to keep the pace lively • why unity is essential to a story—and how to maintain it • how to make the written word pleasing to the ear • the value of fresh, strong imagery • how startling originality will keep your readers interested • how to make your story credible—even when it’s fiction • how subtlety allows your reader to participate in the action • how to tighten up the tension at every level of your story Provost makes no promise that the work will be easy. He promises only that your books, articles, and stories will get better. There are, after all, no magic words—except those you put on the page.