The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War

In the late 19th and early 20th century, millions of immigrants came to America, fleeing poverty, pogroms, and the draft. When the U.S. entered World War I, thousands of immigrant men enlisted or were drafted to serve in the military, returning to Europe in similar ocean liners to the ones that had brought them. David Laskin sees this military service as a critical step in the Americanization of the immigrants -- even though they returned to often virulent xenophobia during the Red Scare.As he did in _The Children's Blizzard_, Laskin makes vivid a sweeping story by focusing on a small number of individuals (in this case, 12 men). He begins with the immigrants' lives in Europe -- the Italian boy in a rocky farm, the Norwegian man who left the farm to work on a fishing boat, the Jewish scrap hauler in the Russian pale. And then he follows them on their journeys to America in the fetid barracks of steerage. On they go to their new homes: the copper mines in Butte, a blanket factory in New England, the Lower East Side. A couple of them enlisted long before World War I; one was part of Pershing's force chasing Pancho Villa (earlier he'd been a mercenary selling arms to Pancho Villa).And then there's the military. The transition from civilian life was difficult. How could the Army train a crowd of recruits who spoke dozens of languages and were often malnourished and in terrible shape? How could the immigrants get past the ethnic slurs flung at them by the native-born soldiers? And what sort of soldiers would these immigrants make?Eventually, they shipped out, fully trained or not, and Laskin takes us to the trenches and the shattered forests of the Great War. Using the immigrants' own words -- from letters home, diaries, and, in a couple of cases, interviews (he met one veteran who was 107!) -- and accounts from others who were in the same battles, he gives detailed accounts of the horrors and the heroism of war.This isn't a war book just for military history buffs. Recommended for those interested in the immigrant experience and U.S. history generally.

This book follows the stories of approximately a dozen immigrants to the United States and also three of its citizens. The author did an outstanding job of researching and weaving the stories into a coherent whole. The author provides a graphic description of life on the World War I battlefield and the actions and thoughts of citizens back in the U.S. As an immigrant and veteran myself, I can identify with and verify that a lot of the trials and perplexities which beset the men featured in this book were not confined only to the World War I era. I thought so much of this book that I ordered numerous copies for gifts to members of our family and friends. Every one of the friends and family member has thought it fantastically well done.

This is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. People think we are views are slanted today; nothing has changed. What hero's these men and their families were. Can not imagine sending two preteen children, alone, on a ship, to America! You won't go wrong buying this book.

This was great history of eary America at the turn of the century. I was amazed to see how little attitudes towards imigrants have changed in 100 years. Its easy to see how nationalities group together in a new land...for survival. This book, also, did a good job of protraying war at its worst. And how war breaks down the nationality barriors to create life long friendships regardless of your place of birth.

I chose this book to learn about the participation of the many immigrants to this country who fought for America in World War I even though they weren't citizens of this country. It tells the story of men from many countries who had come to America for many reasons but decided to fight for this country or were drafted but choose not to use the legal exemptions available to them. Many spoke no English and were "fresh off the boat". It mirrors to some extent the situation today in which many non-citizens have volunteered to fight for a country resents their presence here.

As stated, I think this book is an amazing feat! So much research, so much knowledge, so much great writing. The stories are absolutely amazing. This book will teach you something about America while being extremely entertained. It is a very easy, enjoyable read. I cannot recommend it enough if you are into history.

This was a very interesting book. It was an easy read and gave good insight on why individuals fought and what they felt. Most WWI books seem to focus on the "big picture" where the men and casualties are just numbers. My only complaint is that it took awhile to get to the part of the actual military experience. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Thsi is a fascinating account of the contributions to the American war effort during World War I by immigrants from various countries.Each immigrant's story is told from its beginning in old country to his arrival in the US to our entrance into the war.There is a great deal of related material about the political and cultural climate in the US leading up to the war. The author does a great job in describing the military campaign.This book is a great addition to one's shelf of American history books.