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The Sharp End: The Fighting Man in World War II
In any army, it is only a minority of men who end up as combat soldiers, at the "sharp end" where they have to shoot and be shot at, but it is their experiences that are the most intense andÌýreveal most directly what war is actually like. John Ellis has drawn together the testimony of men who fought with the British, Commonwealth, and American armies in all theaters of World War II, from Western Europe to Burma and from North Africa to the Pacific. He uses these eyewitness accounts to explain how they were trained, the different landscapes and climates in which they fought, their attitudes and aspirations, how they relaxed when they were out of the line, and, above all, how they reacted to the experience of battle.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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145 people want to read
About the author
John Ellis
71Ìýbooks20ÌýfollowersJohn Ellis was born in Bradford and educated at the Universities of Sussex and Manchester. He was a lecturer in the latter's department of Military Studies. His books include The Sharp End: The Fighting Man in World War II; The Social History of the Machine Gun, Eye-Deep in Hell, an account of trench life in the Great War; Cassino: The Hollow Victory; and Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 27, 2016
This was a good, readable book about American, British, and commonwealth troops during WWII. It discusses all the major theaters and highlights the similarities and differences between men in Northern Europe, Italy, the Pacific, Burma, North Africa. The book is organized thematically, which made it easy to read in sections. I would read a chapter here, a section there, putting it down when I needed to read a book with a due date and then picking it up again. I began the book months ago, but each section stood on its own fairly well, so it wasn’t a bad way to read it. I thought the author did a good job of analyzing the big picture to explain common patterns and also quoting from first-hand sources to make the information more personal.
Here are the chapters (and thus the subjects): Induction and Training, The Physical Setting; Combat: Infantry, Combat: Artillery and Armour, Casualties, Discipline and Morale, Relaxation, and Attitudes.
Worth reading if you have an interest in the subject.
Here are the chapters (and thus the subjects): Induction and Training, The Physical Setting; Combat: Infantry, Combat: Artillery and Armour, Casualties, Discipline and Morale, Relaxation, and Attitudes.
Worth reading if you have an interest in the subject.
March 21, 2016
This book sat on my shelf for over 30 years and I really wish it hadn't taken me that long to get around to it. Combining the personal experiences of American and Commonwealth soldiers in many different combat zones in World War II, this is a really good book on what the average combat infantryman went through. Over half of the book deals with soldiers fighting the Germans in North Africa, Italy and Europe, while the rest deals with fighting in the Pacific (mostly from an American point of view) and the CBI. I'd say the ratio is around 65% vs. the Germans, 20% in the CBI and 15% in the Pacific.
A variety of aspects are covered, from training (or lack thereof) to first experiences in combat, becoming a casualty (either via enemy action or due to sickness/disease), leadership, morale, discipline, climate, food, R&R, comradeship and the often unendurable mental and physical strain which the average ground pounder had to endure. Since the book covers a wide variety of environments and soldiers from many different nations (US, Canada, England, Scotland, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), the comments and responses can vary quite a bit. But overall, there's a unity in the stories and the reader comes to realize that all those who were at the sharp end of the spear were pretty remarkable men who achieved ultimate victory over the Axis.
A variety of aspects are covered, from training (or lack thereof) to first experiences in combat, becoming a casualty (either via enemy action or due to sickness/disease), leadership, morale, discipline, climate, food, R&R, comradeship and the often unendurable mental and physical strain which the average ground pounder had to endure. Since the book covers a wide variety of environments and soldiers from many different nations (US, Canada, England, Scotland, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), the comments and responses can vary quite a bit. But overall, there's a unity in the stories and the reader comes to realize that all those who were at the sharp end of the spear were pretty remarkable men who achieved ultimate victory over the Axis.
August 10, 2015
One of the first books to look at what the ground soldiers in World War II truly experienced. From conditions on the front line (infantry, artillery, armor and support troops), the particular stresses that officers experienced to how the men relaxed, the medical treatment they received and finally the horrors they experienced in combat.
This book was published in 1980 and at the time was rather controversial. I can recall the Military Book Club putting a warning about the material when the book was listed in the catalog. Ellis describes in great detail what the men experienced. What they saw,smelled, tasted, how brutal modern explosives and bullets are to the Human body and what one's bowels and kidneys will do when a person is under great stress or when that individual dies violently. In 2011 these details are common knowledge. All one has to do is watch an episode of CSI or Rizzoli & Isles to get an understanding of the mechanics of both violent and "peaceful" death. However in 1980 it was still not seen in mainstream literature. This book was "groundbreaking" in 1980 and enjoyed brisk sales. But then ,for some reason, the book was forgotten. Oh it's come in and out of print over the years, but it seems to have faded into relative obscurity.
Seventeen years later, when Stephen Ambrose published , many people went on and on about how great it was that a book had finally come out that looked at what the common soldier experienced in the war (and I do think that Mr. Ambrose wrote a good book as well). Well Mr. Ambrose was not the first. Nor was Mr. Ellis for that matter, but he was definitely one of the trailblazers in a type of history that is now common.
This is a well written book. It holds ones interest and is illustrated with numerous photos as well. If you like to read books that are archetypes (which I do) then this is a good one for you.
This book was published in 1980 and at the time was rather controversial. I can recall the Military Book Club putting a warning about the material when the book was listed in the catalog. Ellis describes in great detail what the men experienced. What they saw,smelled, tasted, how brutal modern explosives and bullets are to the Human body and what one's bowels and kidneys will do when a person is under great stress or when that individual dies violently. In 2011 these details are common knowledge. All one has to do is watch an episode of CSI or Rizzoli & Isles to get an understanding of the mechanics of both violent and "peaceful" death. However in 1980 it was still not seen in mainstream literature. This book was "groundbreaking" in 1980 and enjoyed brisk sales. But then ,for some reason, the book was forgotten. Oh it's come in and out of print over the years, but it seems to have faded into relative obscurity.
Seventeen years later, when Stephen Ambrose published , many people went on and on about how great it was that a book had finally come out that looked at what the common soldier experienced in the war (and I do think that Mr. Ambrose wrote a good book as well). Well Mr. Ambrose was not the first. Nor was Mr. Ellis for that matter, but he was definitely one of the trailblazers in a type of history that is now common.
This is a well written book. It holds ones interest and is illustrated with numerous photos as well. If you like to read books that are archetypes (which I do) then this is a good one for you.
December 8, 2012
I guess most people can imagine the dangers, threats and challenges of the WWII grunts, to some extend. But after reading this book you will be left with absolutely no doubt that war was - and is - a very risky bussines.
July 4, 2012
I started reading this book as research only but I loved the way it incorporates writing from soldiers of all nationalities from both World Wars, some of it poetry, some prose, some extracts from letters home. The book details the minutiae of life on the front line, from digging trenches in freezing conditions, to staying awake for 20 hours a day, to losing any sense of the world around except the will to live, even that lost at times. I particularly liked the sense you got that they had lost track of the enemy as a force, just the need to kill or be killed each individual who attacked you. It's a dry book, you wouldn't read it for fun and it's hard going at times but it served as a vital reminder that most of the war wasn't big battles and heroics, just a bunch of men with nothing to eat and a feeling that they were entirely alone. It's well worth a look for anyone who ever wondered the hard truth of what warfare on the ground is actually like. The world is a better place for this book.
May 23, 2012
The book covers the experience of the combat infantryman in the Allied armies in North Africa, Italy, North-East Europe, the Far East, and the Pacific. It is a bit anglocentric, giving a bit more weight to the British and Commonwealth soldiers; more emphasis on North Africa and Italy than the Pacific. Lots of extended quotes from primary sources and an excellent bibliography.
Part way through I was thinking I'd give it only 4 stars as it doesn't cover airmen or sailors and doesn't even mention the Russian front or China. But I decided to rate the book on what it is rather than what is isn't.
Highly recommended.
Part way through I was thinking I'd give it only 4 stars as it doesn't cover airmen or sailors and doesn't even mention the Russian front or China. But I decided to rate the book on what it is rather than what is isn't.
Highly recommended.
April 22, 2020
Excellant read, from a rarely seen perspective of the actual fighting men.
I only wish that some statistics and views on Axis or Russian soldiers was also added in, as this work was wholly American and British (+ commonwealth) centered.
I only wish that some statistics and views on Axis or Russian soldiers was also added in, as this work was wholly American and British (+ commonwealth) centered.
July 12, 2018
Superb description of the experience of combat soldiers in World War II. Rather than describe high level tactics and the overall progression of the war the author concentrates on the individual day to day experiences of the soldiers at the front in all theatres of WWII. At times horrific and shocking this is as close as most people would like to come to actually experiencing armed conflict.
August 29, 2017
In the broadest of terms, most books on military history fall into one of four categories: firsthand accounts, technical studies of arms and armour, battle narratives, and strategy. When John Ellis's book was first published, in 1980, there were only a handful of studies that looked at the experience of soldiers from the perspective of fighting men as a general cohort, which might be very different from the particular experience of an individual soldier.
Ellis takes his readers through a logical flow, starting with a description of the process of induction and training in the forces, followed by an analysis of the physical terrain on which men fought during the Second World War. This is of particular importance, as few of us will have experience of being outdoors beyond the odd hiking trek. The reality of living outside, through the full gamut of seasons and weathers, is far beyond what most of us have undertaken in practice, yet this formed the setting for the military service of millions of men during the war. Ellis then explores the detailed experience of combat, with separate chapters covering the infantry and then artillery and armour. This pair of chapters highlights the physical context of fighting and the practical pressures. They naturally feed into a chapter on casualties, which looks not only at the direct impact of enemy action, but also disease, which Ellis shows remained a more important cause of losses in just about every theatre of the war. He also shows how the casualties were disproportionately experienced by the relatively small proportion of men who served in the infantry, with even armour and artillery suffering far less. Finally, Ellis provides a trio of chapters about discipline and morale, relaxation and attitudes, including patriotism and comradeship.
Overall, this is a valuable study of the practical lived experience of the fighting soldiers during the war, giving a rounded and perceptive insight into the reality of the fighting. It also ranges widely, avoiding the trap of focusing just on the war in the Western Desert and in Normandy. Ellis draws many examples from other theatres in Europe, notably Tunisia and Italy, and also provides much material on the war in the Pacific and in Burma. All of this makes the book a much more rounded account.
The main weakness of the book is that it remains very partial in its focus. The sub-title may be 'The fighting man in World War II', but Ellis is really focused on the British and American armies. There are some references to the experience of men in the Indian Army, and some to the minor allies (Polish, French, etc), but these are limited. There is nothing about the Russian Army, nothing about the Germans or Italians. And, given the focus on land warfare, nothing about the experience of airmen or sailors. Inclusion of any of these would, no doubt, have made the work either far larger and less focused, or much more general. But the scope for contrasts and comparisons to be drawn would have been much greater.
In summary, an excellent survey of a key aspect of military history and a valuable reminder that ultimately, all military operations involve individual men standing up in the face of enemy fire and moving forward, usually exhausted, burdened by heavy packs, struggling through unforgiving terrain, with the constant possibility of death or dismemberment. Yet millions of men did this, not for ideology, but because they wanted to support the men around them.
Ellis takes his readers through a logical flow, starting with a description of the process of induction and training in the forces, followed by an analysis of the physical terrain on which men fought during the Second World War. This is of particular importance, as few of us will have experience of being outdoors beyond the odd hiking trek. The reality of living outside, through the full gamut of seasons and weathers, is far beyond what most of us have undertaken in practice, yet this formed the setting for the military service of millions of men during the war. Ellis then explores the detailed experience of combat, with separate chapters covering the infantry and then artillery and armour. This pair of chapters highlights the physical context of fighting and the practical pressures. They naturally feed into a chapter on casualties, which looks not only at the direct impact of enemy action, but also disease, which Ellis shows remained a more important cause of losses in just about every theatre of the war. He also shows how the casualties were disproportionately experienced by the relatively small proportion of men who served in the infantry, with even armour and artillery suffering far less. Finally, Ellis provides a trio of chapters about discipline and morale, relaxation and attitudes, including patriotism and comradeship.
Overall, this is a valuable study of the practical lived experience of the fighting soldiers during the war, giving a rounded and perceptive insight into the reality of the fighting. It also ranges widely, avoiding the trap of focusing just on the war in the Western Desert and in Normandy. Ellis draws many examples from other theatres in Europe, notably Tunisia and Italy, and also provides much material on the war in the Pacific and in Burma. All of this makes the book a much more rounded account.
The main weakness of the book is that it remains very partial in its focus. The sub-title may be 'The fighting man in World War II', but Ellis is really focused on the British and American armies. There are some references to the experience of men in the Indian Army, and some to the minor allies (Polish, French, etc), but these are limited. There is nothing about the Russian Army, nothing about the Germans or Italians. And, given the focus on land warfare, nothing about the experience of airmen or sailors. Inclusion of any of these would, no doubt, have made the work either far larger and less focused, or much more general. But the scope for contrasts and comparisons to be drawn would have been much greater.
In summary, an excellent survey of a key aspect of military history and a valuable reminder that ultimately, all military operations involve individual men standing up in the face of enemy fire and moving forward, usually exhausted, burdened by heavy packs, struggling through unforgiving terrain, with the constant possibility of death or dismemberment. Yet millions of men did this, not for ideology, but because they wanted to support the men around them.
September 12, 2020
What was on the mind of an Anglo-American infantryman in WWII? What was it like to man an armoured vehicle? What did a soldier at the front eat, and how much? What did it feel like to go into battle?
Those questions and more are answered in this impressive work on the nitty gritty details of the life of a front line soldier. The title, or certainly it's subtitle ('The real blood and guts of modern warfare') might suggest a sensationalized account of the war, but in my opinion, this is not exactly the case. Many eye witness accounts are provided, along with numbers and tables derived from questionnaires from the armies themselves. You feel the mud, the empty stomach, the exhaustion, but it's not as if the author throws the blood right in your face.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by this interesting period of history and how the common man lived through it. If you want some light reading, it won't be your cup of tea (a very important provision for the British soldier, by the way!) because of all the statistical information included. But if you're a historian, it might provide you with the first hand sources you need in it's exhaustive reference section, and if you're a writer of any kind of story set in this time period, it will give you the much needed, undiluted background information to flesh out your story.
Those questions and more are answered in this impressive work on the nitty gritty details of the life of a front line soldier. The title, or certainly it's subtitle ('The real blood and guts of modern warfare') might suggest a sensationalized account of the war, but in my opinion, this is not exactly the case. Many eye witness accounts are provided, along with numbers and tables derived from questionnaires from the armies themselves. You feel the mud, the empty stomach, the exhaustion, but it's not as if the author throws the blood right in your face.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by this interesting period of history and how the common man lived through it. If you want some light reading, it won't be your cup of tea (a very important provision for the British soldier, by the way!) because of all the statistical information included. But if you're a historian, it might provide you with the first hand sources you need in it's exhaustive reference section, and if you're a writer of any kind of story set in this time period, it will give you the much needed, undiluted background information to flesh out your story.
July 8, 2024
Highly recommend. Packed with detailed information.
Warning, printed in very small font.
Warning, printed in very small font.
August 22, 2016
Early work by a British historian who has written lots on WW II and WW I. This is an academic but very readable look at the lot in life (or death) of the (very small percentage of all soldiers and marines) who really did the killing and dying during the second World War. Treated thematically in eight chapters, including "The Physical Setting: climate and terrain -- digging in"; Discipline and Morale: officers -- discipline -- morale and combat fatigue -- panic and mutiny'; and "Attitudes: patriotism, politics, and boredom -- comradeship."Also two chapters on the combat arms (infantry, artillery, and armor), a chapter on casualties, a chapter on induction, and a chapter on relaxation.
Lots of tables and statistics, lots of info from contemporaneous surveys and diaries or letters, and many quotes from memoirs. Some photos relating to his points in the center of the book.
Lots of tables and statistics, lots of info from contemporaneous surveys and diaries or letters, and many quotes from memoirs. Some photos relating to his points in the center of the book.
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