More than a century has passed since the beginning of World War I. Often overshadowed by World War II, America’s role in the first World War nonetheless had a great impact on this colossal struggle. Join New Canaan Library in welcoming historian and author Mark D. Van Ells on Monday, January 13, 2020, when he will speak about his book America and World War I, A Traveler’s Guide. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Adrian Lamb Room. Please register online at newcanaanlibrary.org.
In his comprehensive book, Van Ells maps the journey of the “Doughboy” – as the U.S. soldier of the Great War was known – from the training camps of the United States to the frontlines of Europe. Tracing the totality of America’s experience from the factors that led the nation to enter the war in April 1917 to the armistice in November 1918, his riveting narrative describes a military buildup on a scale the world had never seen, as well as the war’s major battles and leads the traveler to the memorials erected in the Doughboys’ honor as well as those places that remain unmarked. Through the doughboys’ own words, readers gain insight into the feelings of those young men and women who served in the war.

Mark D. Van Ells is Professor of History at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1999 and is a native of the Badger State. Prior to his position at Queensborough, he taught for Mt. Senario College and the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. Dr. Van Ells also served as Archivist/Historian at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison from 1994 to 1998. Among his duties at the museum was the conduct of the Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Program, in which he interviewed nearly 200 veterans who served in conflicts ranging from World War I to Somalia. His research specialties include the cultural history of U.S. military, immigration and ethnicity, World War II, and popular culture.