The Glory of the Coming

A firsthand chronicle from a reporter who moved from neutral observer to participant, this collection gathers dispatches sent from the battle‑scarred fields of Belgium, northern France, Germany and England during the spring and summer of 1918. The writer’s sketches capture the raw texture of trench life, the shifting alliances, and the uneasy humor that soldiers used to cope with the relentless grind of war. By preserving the original tone of each article, the book lets listeners hear the immediacy of a correspondent’s cable‑room reports as they arrived back home.

The narrative turns to the remarkable rise of the American Expeditionary Force, charting its growth from a modest contingent into a force that seemed to embody the very ideals of liberty and self‑determination. Alongside vivid battlefield scenes, the author reflects on the high expectations placed on the newcomers, the skepticism of the Allies, and the quiet determination that grew among the troops. Listeners are offered a nuanced portrait of a nation testing its resolve on foreign soil, driven not by conquest but by a belief in democratic principle.