Searching for Augusta
The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne
Published on 1. September 2017
256 pages
978-1-4930-2908-2 (ISBN)
Description
A brutal siege. A forgotten heroine. A war-torn romance. And a historian determined to uncover the truth.
Untold millions who saw and read Band of Brothers can finally know the whole story of what happened to American soldiers and civilians in Bastogne during that arduous Winter of 1944/45. In the television version of Band of Brothers, a passing reference is made to an African nurse assisting in an aid station in Bastogne. When military historian Martin King watched the episode, he had to know who that woman was; thus began a multi-year odyssey that revealed the horror of a town under siege as well as an improbable love story between a white Army medic, Jack Prior, and his black nurse, Augusta Chiwy, as they saved countless lives while under constant bombardment. Based on the recent discovery of Prior's diary as well as an exhaustive and occasionally futile search for Augusta herself, King was at last able to bring belated recognition of Augusta's incredible story by both the U.S. Army and Belgian government shortly before she died. This is not only a little-known story of the Battle of the Bulge, but also the author's own relentless mission to locate Augusta and bestow upon her the honors she so richly deserved.
Untold millions who saw and read Band of Brothers can finally know the whole story of what happened to American soldiers and civilians in Bastogne during that arduous Winter of 1944/45. In the television version of Band of Brothers, a passing reference is made to an African nurse assisting in an aid station in Bastogne. When military historian Martin King watched the episode, he had to know who that woman was; thus began a multi-year odyssey that revealed the horror of a town under siege as well as an improbable love story between a white Army medic, Jack Prior, and his black nurse, Augusta Chiwy, as they saved countless lives while under constant bombardment. Based on the recent discovery of Prior's diary as well as an exhaustive and occasionally futile search for Augusta herself, King was at last able to bring belated recognition of Augusta's incredible story by both the U.S. Army and Belgian government shortly before she died. This is not only a little-known story of the Battle of the Bulge, but also the author's own relentless mission to locate Augusta and bestow upon her the honors she so richly deserved.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Globe Pequot Press
Illustrations
27 BW Photos, 2 Maps
File size
10,57 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4930-2908-2 (9781493029082)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
11/2017
The Lyons Press
€43.46
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Person
Martin King is a highly qualified British Military Historian/Author/ Lecturer who's had the honor of reintroducing many US, British and German veterans to the WWII battlefields where they fought. He lives in Belgium near Antwerp where he spends his time writing, lecturing, working with veteran organizations and visiting European battlefields.
Widely regarded as a leading authority on European Military History, General Graham Hollands referred to him as the "Greatest living expert on the Battle of the Bulge". Steven Ambrose called him "Our expert in the Ardennes". Fellow writer and notable historian Professor Carlton Joyce said "He really is the best on the Ardennes". His campaigning work for World War Two veterans recently came to attention of some leading military personnel at the Pentagon who cordially invited him to present his latest work The Tigers of Bastogne. Awarded 'Services to Education' certificates by the USAF and NATO. In 2015 his documentary feature Searching for Augusta received no less than 7 Emmy Awards for Best Historical Documentary.
Widely regarded as a leading authority on European Military History, General Graham Hollands referred to him as the "Greatest living expert on the Battle of the Bulge". Steven Ambrose called him "Our expert in the Ardennes". Fellow writer and notable historian Professor Carlton Joyce said "He really is the best on the Ardennes". His campaigning work for World War Two veterans recently came to attention of some leading military personnel at the Pentagon who cordially invited him to present his latest work The Tigers of Bastogne. Awarded 'Services to Education' certificates by the USAF and NATO. In 2015 his documentary feature Searching for Augusta received no less than 7 Emmy Awards for Best Historical Documentary.
Content
- Intro
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface: The Setting
- Introduction: The Spark
- 1: Who Were These People?
- 2: Going Home for Christmas
- 3: All Quiet in Bastogne
- 4: The Fog Was So Thick
- 5: Cafes and Cellars
- 6: No Way Out
- 7: Welcome to Hell
- 8: Whose Nuts?
- 9: Blue Skies Smiling at Me
- 10: What's Merry About All This?
- 11: The Ghost Town
- 12: The African Angel
- 13: Speechless
- 14: A Great Leveler
- 15: The Last Dying Gasps
- 16: Broken Town, Broken Heart
- 17: Searching for Augusta
- Epilogue
- Excerpts from Interviews, Diaries, Letters, and Reports
- About the Author
