Ian Isherwood – författare

Serpents of War, the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts being taken prisoner by the Imperial German Army—a rare experience among American soldiers in 1918. In addition, Parkin provides a detailed account of the 79th Division’s attack on Mountfaucon, a military action that remains controversial to this day. This is a book by a brave soldier, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on the battlefield, and a gifted writer.Serpents of War is an abridged edition of a nearly 200,000-word World War I memoir that resides in Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library, enhanced by the contributions of two scholars of World War I and memory. Written in an unassuming but eloquent style, Parkin’s narrative seldom strains for effect. It possesses a strong sense of setting, a knack for capturing the chaos and strange exhilaration of battle, and a sharp eye for the interpersonal, social dynamics of military life—the personality clashes and simmering feuds, as well as the moments of comradeship and accord. Serpents of War is an absorbing memoir that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

Recent years have witnessed major developments in diagnostic imaging methods. The facilities for these new methods are sometimes expensive. and not always accessible. yet they continue to improve and to change. It is essential that those concerned with orthopaedic imaging should appreciate not only recent developments but also the changes likely to occur during the next few years. It is also important that the indications. contraindications. uses and complications for each individual imaging technique should be understood. This book is an attempt to provide such information for orthopaedic surgeons. diagnostic radiologists. and other clinicians. par­ ticularly those in training or those who are involved in management of patients with disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In the first part of the book the different imaging techniques are discussed. with emphasis on advantages and disadvantages. indications and contraindica­ tions. In the second part. authors have been asked to discuss ways in which specific groups of disorders might be investigated. It is hoped that the reader will obtain from this section a balanced view of the different diagnostic imaging methods. the indications for their use. and the sequence in which they might be carried out. The Editors are grateful to aU authors for the time and work they have put into their individual chapters. They are also grateful to the publishers. in particular Michael Jackson. for help given in the preparation of this book. Manchester C. S. B. Galasko I.