This memoir chronicles the Tennessee soldier’s journey from conscientious objector to decorated World War I hero. In the 1941 film Sergeant York, actor Gary Cooper played a real American soldier, Sgt. Alvin C. York, as he served in World War I. The film garnered an Academy Award for Cooper and further notoriety for York, an American hero. This book, Sergeant York and the Great War, chronicles York’s early years in the backwoods of northern Tennessee until he was drafted into the US Army to serve overseas during World War I. Also featured is York’s war diary, detailing life in the trenches.

War hero, Medal of Honor recipient, and one of the world's first international media celebrities, Sgt. Alvin York was the most famous soldier of his generation. His welcome home ticker-tape parade in New York was the biggest in history at the time. Advertisers clamored for his endorsement, corporations invited him to join their boards of directors, and movie producers vied to put his story on the silver screen. Yet this shy country boy from the hills of Tennessee couldn't imagine cashing in on fame coming from killing fellow human beings in the service of his country. “Uncle Sam's uniform ain't for sale,” he told them. Sgt. York: His Life, Legend & Legacy remains the only complete biography of this great American patriot based on original sources. Author John Perry scoured military records including official accounts of York's famous battle from surviving eyewitnesses, as well as Warner Bros. archives in Hollywood for details about the film. He also interviewed a host of people who knew York including neighbors who welcomed him home from the war, attended his wedding, hunted and camped with him in the Wolf River Valley. York's four surviving children were eager participants in the project, with son George Edward Buxton York commenting upon reading the completed draft, tears streaming down his face, “Now people will know what my daddy was really like!” This new edition includes a message from York's youngest son, 90-year-old Andrew Jackson York.

Alvin C. York (1887--1964) -- devout Christian, conscientious objector, and reluctant hero of World War I -- is one of America's most famous and celebrated soldiers. Known to generations through Gary Cooper's Academy Award-winning portrayal in the 1941 film Sergeant York, York is credited with the capture of 132 German soldiers on October 8, 1918, in the Meuse-Argonne region of France -- a deed for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. At war's end, the media glorified York's bravery but some members of the German military and a soldier from his own unit cast aspersions on his wartime heroics. Historians continue to debate whether York has received more recognition than he deserves. A fierce disagreement about the location of the battle in the Argonne forest has further complicated the soldier's legacy. In Alvin York, Douglas V. Mastriano sorts fact from myth in the first full-length biography of York in decades. He meticulously examines York's youth in the hills of east Tennessee, his service in the Great War, and his return to a quiet civilian life dedicated to charity. By reviewing artifacts recovered from the battlefield using military terrain analysis, forensic study, and research in both German and American archives, Mastriano reconstructs the events of October 8 and corroborates the recorded accounts. On the eve of the WWI centennial, Alvin York promises to be a major contribution to twentieth-century military history.

This classic reprint of Corporal Alvin York's journal reveals him as a humble Christian who risked his life in the First World War and was later awarded the congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.

In 'Sergeant York And His People' by Sam K. Cowan, readers are immersed in a detailed account of the life of Alvin C. York, a renowned World War I hero. The book combines historical facts with insightful anecdotes about York's upbringing, his experiences in the war, and how he became a symbol of American patriotism. Written in a straightforward and engaging style, the book captures the essence of rural America in the early 20th century, offering a vivid portrayal of York's struggle for personal and moral growth amidst the chaos of war. Cowan's work not only sheds light on York's heroism but also provides a broader understanding of the societal values and challenges of the time. The language and tone of the book reflect Cowan's dedication to preserving York's legacy and honoring his contributions to American history. 'Sergeant York And His People' is a must-read for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of human nature and heroism.