I can't think of a better book to begin my trip preparation than Back Over There by Richard Rubin. An accomplished World War I historian, Rubin is most known for interviewing the last surviving doughboys of the AEF. I've listen to his speeches at the Pritzker Military Library, and I love how he brings out the personal stories of the people involved in the war. In Back Over There, Rubin has already done what I hope to do – chronicle of the actions, impact, and memory of our doughboys on the Western front. Of course, he has done it to the nth degree while I will have my little blog here. Rubin mixes military history, travel journalism, and personal experiences and reflections as he drives, walks, hikes, and crawls in the footsteps of history. Part history book, part travel log, and part personal journal, historical road trip books are among my favorites – Confederates in the Attic, Blue Latitudes, Assassination Vacation, and Land of Lincoln, to name a few. Rubin's work ranks at the top of the list.
As I took copious notes from his book, I was able to select a few out-of-the-way places that I feel are must sees., including the first AEF casualties near Rechicourt la Petite, the spot where Henry Gunther died, the ruins of Fleury-devant-Doumont, and a moving ceremony at Menin Gate, Rubin identified some His work is engaging from beginning to end, and it really sets the stage for my week in Belgium and France. I hope to get a hold of him to let him know what I'm doing and share the importance of his work. He recently presented his book at the National WWI Museum - it's a great example of what I hope to do (on a smaller scale). Since the centennial of WWI began, Rubin also offered his response to an important question - Why don't American remember WWI? I hope to help change this problem (on my own small scale) with my trip, just as Rubin has done on a larger scale with his fantastic books.
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