The Story of General Pershing — Text and Context

Local Testimony as Foundation

The acknowledgments list a dozen individuals who provided 'facts' about Pershing's youth, including a former teacher, a judge, and a neighbor. Tomlinson does not simply name them; he specifies that Mr. J. E. Bell 'spent several days in Linn County, Missouri, verifying and obtaining facts.' This suggests a deliberate effort to ground the biography in oral history and local records, perhaps to compensate for Pershing's own reticence or the scarcity of published sources. The effect is a narrative that feels intimate in its early chapters, built from the recollections of those who 'personally knew the great commander in his younger days.' Yet the excerpts offer no direct quotations from these informants, leaving the reader to wonder how much of Pershing's personality is filtered through Tomlinson's prose.

The Rhetoric of Restraint vs. Ruthlessness

A central tension in the text is the contrast between American forbearance and German aggression. Tomlinson cites Admiral Sampson's 1898 refusal to bombard Santiago without warning, noting that he 'attacked the forts only' and ordered his captains to 'avoid hitting the Spanish Military Hospital.' This example is juxtaposed with German Admiral Von Tirpitz's public musings on U-boat policy and the sinking of vessels 'without warning.' The author frames Germany's actions as a violation of 'accepted laws of nations,' while America's conduct is presented as humane and lawful. Notably, Tomlinson includes President Wilson's early disbelief that Germany could commit such acts, creating a narrative arc from innocence to righteous intervention. The excerpts do not reveal whether Pershing himself held these views, but the biography clearly aligns his story with a broader moral argument.

From Missouri to France: A Structural Shift

The supplied text jumps from the acknowledgments—dense with Missouri place names like Brookfield, Laclede, and Meadville—to a section titled 'editionary Forces in France' (likely a typographical error for 'Expeditionary'). This abrupt transition mirrors the biography's overall structure: a detailed account of Pershing's early life followed by a sweeping treatment of the war. The excerpts offer no bridge between these halves, leaving the reader to infer how Tomlinson connected the provincial boy to the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces. The shift also changes the author's voice: the early sections rely on named individuals, while the later passages adopt the tone of a patriotic editorial, quoting Wilson and condemning Germany's 'scraps of paper.' This structural seam is one of the book's most notable features, suggesting a work assembled from disparate sources and written under the pressure of current events.

Readers approaching The Story of General Pershing should note its dual nature: part local history, part war propaganda. The early chapters offer a rare glimpse into the making of a military leader through the eyes of his neighbors, while the later sections reflect the urgent need to justify American sacrifice. Tomlinson's reliance on personal testimony gives the biography a grounded quality, but his moral framing of the war should be read as a product of its time. For those interested in Pershing's own voice, the book is best supplemented by his memoirs or official reports.