First American on the Western Front: The First World War Letters of Arthur Clifford Kimber, 1917-18

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The unpublished letters of Arthur Clifford Kimber, the American pilot who carried the first flag of the US onto the Western Front

This is the remarkable story, told through his own candid letters, of the young American pilot Arthur Clifford Kimber, who left Stanford University behind him in spring 1917 to carry the first American flag onto the Western Front upon his country's entry into the Great War. Fired by idealism, the young student initially acted as a volunteer ambulance driver in order to get to the front quickly.

In a gripping first-hand account of what he witnessed and who he met on his way to war and on the front, including poignant descriptions of wartime Britain and memorable encounters with former president Theodore Roosevelt and Hollywood actress Lillian Gish, it details Kimber's frustration as he seeks an active role – enrolling within months in the fledgling US Air Force – and follows his hopes and dreams for what lies after the war. But, after throwing himself into service and taking part in dogfights against 'the Boche', he died just a few weeks before the end of the war, on the opening day the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Kimber was one of the first Americans onto the front line and, tragically, was one of the last Americans to be buried. Here, his revelatory letters are published for the first time.

AUTHOR:
Arthur Clifford Kimber was a senior at Stanford when he offered himself to France for war service. Of his death, his colonel, E. C. Whitehead, has written: 'Arthur Kimber, of the 22d Aero Squadron, who was killed in action September 26th, stands out markedly as one of the bravest Americans that fought in this war.' He is linked the distinctive honour of bearing the first official American flag to France after the United States entered the Great War.

SELLING POINTS:
• Kimber is an American war hero and is commemorated at Stanford University
• Also features sketches by Kimber, including the presentation of the flag in Treveray, June 1917
• A rare first-hand and detailed account of the war from an American perspective from one of its participants

16 b/w illustrations, 8 b/w plates/ 8 colour plates

ISBN: 9780750960526
Author: GREGORY, PATRICK
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 01/09/2016
RRP: $49.99
Pages: 352
Dimension: 234mm X 156mm
Imprint: The History Press