2024 INDIES Winner: Bronze – War & Military (Adult Non-fiction) Category

 

Red Arrow across the Pacific reveals the long-overdue story of the renowned Thirty-Second “Red Arrow” Infantry Division. Discover how this National Guard unit—which originated in Wisconsin and Michigan but soon evolved to include soldiers from California to New England—became one of the first US military units deployed overseas in World War II, eventually logging more combat hours than any other US Army division. 

Far more than a traditional battle narrative, Red Arrow across the Pacific offers a cultural history of the Red Arrow’s wartime experience, from its mobilization in 1940, to its deployment across New Guinea, Australia, and the Philippines, to its postwar occupation of Japan. Drawing from letters, memoirs, and interviews, author Mark D. Van Ells lets the soldiers speak for themselves, describing in their own words the terror of combat, their impressions of foreign lands, the struggle to maintain their own humanity, and the many ways the war profoundly changed them.

Nuanced and remarkably thorough, this book explores the dramatic evolution of the Thirty-Second Infantry Division and reveals how the story of the Red Arrow reflects the experience of the US military during World War II.

 

“Red Arrow across the Pacific combines the best of traditional and “new” military approaches. Highly recommended for a general audience, as well as readers interested in the Second World War.”
Mary Louise Roberts, Lucie Aubrac Distinguished Professor Emerita of History, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and author of Sheer Misery: Soldiers in Battle in WWII

“Exceptionally well researched and engagingly written. This book is a must read for any student of military history.”
Capt. Florian L. Waitl, Command Historian, Wisconsin Army National Guard

“With Red Arrow across the Pacific, Van Ells has provided readers with a superb, in-depth perspective of a National Guard division that served in the Pacific for the entirety of America’s involvement in World War II.”
Journal of American History

“The story Van Ells tells here is fascinating. He combines and old school operational history with a fascinating social history [and he] succeeds brilliantly at this difficult task. He has written a highly readable, incredibly interesting, and extremely important work that is likely to remain the standard on this topic for years to come.” 
Voyageur: Northeast Wisconsin’s Historical Review

“This is a must read that preserves the record of these citizen-soldiers, from all walks of life, who defeated a tough enemy in savage fighting.”
Journal of America’s Military Past

“There are lots of reasons to read this book.”
History Happy Hour

“The author relies on official records, press reports and letters and diaries of the soldiers themselves. He succeeds at putting their service in context.”
Shepherd Express

“It’s a fantastic book and the amount of research that went into it is truly staggering.”
World War II Discussion Forum

“This book is well-researched and well-written…. I enjoyed reading [it].”
WikiProject Military History

“A valuable addition to the World War II canon.”
War History Network

 

Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2024
512p
ISBN 9781976600333
Available from the Publisher

 

It has now been a century since World War I began, but America’s role in this colossal struggle has largely been forgotten on both sides of the Atlantic. Historian and travel writer Mark D. Van Ells aims to change that. America and World War I follows the Doughboy – as the U.S. soldier of the Great War was known – from the training camps of the United States to the front lines of Europe. Tracing the totality of America’s experience from the factors that led the nation to enter the war in 1917 to the armistice in November 1918., his riveting narrative describes a military buildup on a scale the world had never seen, as well as the war’s major battles and campaigns and, throughout, it leads the traveler to the memorials erected in the Doughboys’ wake, as well as to many places that remain unmarked and uncommemorated.

Complete with photographs, the voices of the doughboys themselves, and up-to-date travel information, America and World War I is an indispensible guide for those who wish to explore this vital but neglected chapter in the American and European experience.

 

“As we reach the centennial of what Europe calls the Great War, World War I, we all need to gain insight into that war. It was the war that set up all the other wars of the twentieth century. Mark D. Van Ells’s book is a must-read experience. It is invaluable in learning the unmistakable lessons of history.”
U.S. Senator Max Cleland (Ret.)

“On the 100th anniversary of World War I, Van Ells … contributes a different perspective. This title is part travel guide but more a comprehensive history book….  Recommended for academic readers as well as history buffs….”
Library Journal

“Rich descriptions of scenes from WWI and present-day areas of interest for historians and travelers make this somber guide intriguing…. Part instruction and part tourism—a complementary combination—this vivid and often graphic book ensnares the queasy traveler then provides a productive trip through its pages…. Van Ells offers factual data like a journalist but explains martial reasoning like a teacher [and] delivers a powerful evaluation of the American doughboys.”
Foreword Reviews

“A fascinating book that tells the forgotten stories of the American soldiers who went overseas in the bloodiest war the world had ever seen.”
Rick Steves

“Really a treasure….  Whether you travel or not, get this book.  It’s a great read.”
OnTravel Radio

“An excellent book that skillfully executes the difficult task of combining the two genres of historical narrative and travel guide.”
Military Review

“Van Ells performed diligent work in researching and ferreting out all these monuments and points of interest, both great and small. He deserves commendation.”
Worldwar1.com

“The 2014 centennial of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and the beginning of World War I has been marked by ceremony as well as a small surge in related publications. A unique addition is Van Ells’ guide, which provides cultural and historical context for America’s part in the Great War, and documents the paths of, and memorials to, the Doughboys who went off to fight in Europe….  This volume supplements the many existing battlefield guides with its commentary on the little-known memorials in small towns and villages in both the U.S. and Europe, which honor the sacrifices of America’s Doughboys.”
Historical Novel Society

“Top-notch pre-trip reading.”
Booklist

“Reliable [and] useful…  He deserves credit for steering clear of the legends and propaganda that still infect many modern narratives.”
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History

“I learned something new on virtually every page of this book.”
amateurtraveler.com

“A thorough guide to a war even Baby Boomers don’t know much about.”
Rudy Maxa

Interlink Books, 2015
432p.
ISBN: 9781566569750
Distributed by Simon & Schuster 

Finalist, Foreword Indies Book of the Year in the Travel Guide Category, 2009.

 

Starting with the days when massive glaciers covered the landscape, Van Ells brings us on a journey through the fascinating history of the Badger State. Wisconsin remembers the French voyageurs, the brutal Black Hawk War, the booming migration of thousands of settlers, its progressive political traditions, and the famous Vietnam protests at the University of Wisconsin.

Included are recommended museums, state parks, and other attractions. Birthplace of notable such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe, Wisconsin is a state rich in culture that easily outdoes the stereotypes of harsh winters and sprawling flat American dairy land.

 

“From glaciers to the Green Bay Packers, this is a spirited account of Wisconsin’s rich cultural and geographic heritage, and its important place in American history.”
Wisconsin Trails Magazine

“I enjoyed it very much. I think you will too.”
Larry Meiller, Wisconsin Public Radio

“A revelation….  A noteworthy companion – whether for armchair travelers, students, teachers, or travelers seeking absorbing background information to enrich their journey.”
The Daily Kenoshan

“If you are the type of traveler who likes to explore every aspect of the places you visit, check out this account of Wisconsin’s history from its geologic roots to modern times…. Conveniently organized by historical era with sidebars highlighting significant points of interest [it] includes a wide-ranging account of the state’s history, maps and historical photos, must-see sites, visitor resources and much more.”
Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine

On-The-Road Histories Series
Interlink Books, 2009
320p.
ISBN 9781566566735
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

“Social historians and the general reader will find this book quite informative.”
The Journal of Popular Culture

“The author is to be commended for looking at a phase of World War II history that has not been fully investigated by the historian…. This book needs to be added to anyone’s library interested in the management of war and its aftermath.”
Journal of America’s Military Past

“Van Ells offers a comprehensive study of the experience of World War II veterans’ readjustment to civilian life.”
Wisconsin Magazine of History

“Breaking new ground”
Green Bay Press-Gazette

Modern American Histories Series
Lexington Books, 2001
288p.
ISBN 9780739102442
Available from the publisher