"Soissons, 1918 provides an intricately detailed account of this pivotal battle in which partly trained, inexperienced American soldiers and marines literally turned the tide of the war. Despite strange French command methods, unfamiliar equipment such as masses of tanks, and immature American staff work, American enthusiasm and willingness "to finish the job" briefly shattered German defenses, caused panic, and ultimately unhinged the Germans' carefully prepared strategic plans."--Jacket. "Authors Douglas V. Johnson II and Rolfe L. Hillman, Jr., provide a strategic overview of the war to the point of American involvement in combat operations. Following the long accepted Leavenworth method of analyzing operations, they thoroughly present the enemy situation, the terrain, and the friendly situation. Subsequent chapters describe in detail each of the four days of intense combat using French, German, and American sources and American personal accounts."--Jacket.