So Many Books, So Little Crime! Quiz

Answer: Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

The "Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman by Himself" were first published in 1875 in two volumes. At the time, Sherman was one of the first to write and release his memoirs about the Civil War. There was great controversy about the accuracy of the details as recollected by Sherman and those that were available from the War Department. Sherman himself noted that the memoirs were his recollections and were not necessarily intended to be an exactly accurate portrayal of what happened but more a recollection of how it happened and what he thought as it all happened. There was also controversy about Sherman's portrayal of other generals, especially Grant. But Grant later commented that he found nothing objectionable about what Sherman wrote and that he believed it to be an accurate and honorable portrayal of events. The memoirs were republished in 1886 after Grant's memoirs had been released as a second edition with added information. A third edition was published in 1890. Subsequent versions were published after his death.

Many historians consider Sherman to be the first general to practice modern warfare as it would come to be seen in the 20th century. As such, his memoirs give the best insight available into who he was and why he thought the way he did. In 1929, British historian B. H. Liddell Hart wrote a biography of Sherman, "Sherman: Soldier, Realist, American", that relied extensively on his memoirs among other sources. This biography in turn influenced George S. Patton who used it as a field guide as he studied Sherman's campaigns in the South one summer.

Sherman's full name was William Tecumseh Sherman and he claimed in his memoirs that his father named him Tecumseh after the great Shawnee chief. For further information about Sherman, check out my quiz "'War Is Hell' (Sherman)" in the Civil War Figures section of History.

Answer: James Longstreet

Lt. Gen. James Longstreet bore the brunt of criticism from other Confederates for 30 years for his conduct of the war and his association with Grant afterwards before he finally responded. In 1896, "From Manassas to Appomattox" was published. In it he defended his record and refuted his critics.

In 1974, Michael Shaara published the historical novel "The Killer Angels" about the Battle of Gettysburg, which was based in part on Longstreet's memoirs as they related to that battle. "The Killer Angels" was then made into the 1993 movie "Gettysburg".

The novel and the movie have done much to restore Longstreet's reputation and to bring a new level of focus on his memoirs.

Answer: Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant wrote his memoirs after being diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. He spent his remaining days writing his memoirs, dying five days after he finished them. They were published by Mark Twain's publishing company and were both a critical as well as financial success. Twain even compared them to Julius Caesar's "Commentaries", long considered the first true military memoirs and the gold standard upon which all that came after have been measured. Both military historians and literary critics have regarded them highly through the years and they have stood the test of time. The memoirs were written in two volumes and dealt almost exclusively with his Civil War years, dealing very little with his childhood or presidency.

For further information on Grant, check out my quiz "Grant - 'I Can't Spare This Man, He Fights'" in the Civil War Figures section of History.

Answer: John J. Pershing

John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1932 for his memoirs "My Experiences in the World War". The experiences of Pershing in shaping the history of the 20th century cannot be underestimated as he was considered a mentor to many of the top generals to serve in WWII, including Patton, Bradley, Eisenhower, and Marshall. As such his memoirs are an indispensable source for understanding the man and the times that would so heavily influence events to come.

Pershing's nickname 'Black Jack' was given to him by cadets unhappy over his strictness because he had served with the 10th Cavalry, an African-American unit. Throughout his career he was a champion of the African-American soldier. The name that started out derisively became an accolade and term of endearment over the years.

Answer: Omar Bradley

"A Soldier's Story" was Omar Bradley's first memoir released in 1951. It was ghost written by A.J. Liebling. This memoir concentrated mainly on the events of WWII. His fuller autobiography, "A General's Life: An Autobiography", written with Clay Blair, was published after his death in 1983. "A Soldier's Story" was one of the main sources used by the screenwriters of the movie "Patton" and Bradley served as a technical adviser on the movie.

In both memoirs Bradley demonstrates that he was the polar opposite of Patton in both temperament and style.

His nickname was aptly deserved as can be seen in his recollections.

Answer: Audie Murphy

After WWII, Audie Murphy had become a household name because of his exploits during the war and by appearing on the cover of "Life" magazine. Not only did he win the Congressional Medal of Honor, but he was also awarded 32 other US and foreign awards/medals.

He was invited to Hollywood by James Cagney and had his greatest success playing himself in the film adaptation of his autobiography "To Hell and Back". The book was ghostwritten by his friend David "Spec" McClure. The book shows a very humble Murphy who tended to praise the exploits of his comrades and to downplay his own heroism.

In the movie adaptation Murphy insisted that his comrades come and go as they did in the real war when they died or were wounded. This was in stark contrast to movies of the time where the main characters survived throughout the picture and remained far truer to the vision of his autobiography.

Answer: George S. Patton

"War As I Knew It" was published in 1947, a little over a year after Patton's death, and mainly recounts Patton's command of the Third Army as it broke out from Normandy and raced across Europe. It does contain his letters on the African and Sicily campaigns, but Patton's main focus is on his time as head of the Third Army. He kept detailed diaries during the operations and used those to tell his story. Had he lived, Patton would most certainly have written a lengthy and insightful autobiography, but his untimely death leaves us with only this book which was written right after the events that took place and bears the marks of the immediacy of those events.

For more information about Patton, check out my quiz "The Big Truth about Head Shrinking" in the Thematic 10 Questions section. The quiz takes a look at one of Patton's most famous poems and what it tells us about the man.

Answer: Oliver North

Oliver North spent his life toiling in the military and then in the world of intelligence and counter-terrorism before the Iran-Contra affair thrust him into the spotlight. His swearing-in and testimony made him an overnight sensation. He told the truth as he saw it and held nothing back. "Under Fire: An American Story" was first released in 1991. The autobiography was written in a highly secretive manner before it was unleashed on the public, much like the way North operated while working for the NSC. It covers his life from childhood, through his days in Vietnam, and finally to the scandal that brought him nationwide attention. North maintained Reagan knew everything he was doing but offers no concrete proof. It is very possible and even quite likely that North's superiors led him to believe Reagan knew and condoned of everything North did without Reagan ever really knowing.

Since the release of his autobiography, North has written many other books, including "One More Mission: Oliver North Returns to Vietnam" about his return to Vietnam in 1993; "Mission Compromised", a novel about covert operations that gets much of its story from actual events but changes details so as not to violate non-disclosure agreements; and "The Jericho Sanction", another novel that follows the action started in "Mission Compromised". As of early 2012, North had authored 11 books, all of them "New York Times" best-sellers.

Answer: Rogue Warrior

Richard Marcinko wrote "Rogue Warrior" with John Weisman. The book chronicles Marcinko's 30 year career in the military, from his days in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL, through his command of SEAL Team Six and his founding of Red Cell, and finally to his arrest and imprisonment on trumped up charges because of the success of Red Cell. Red Cell was charged with testing the Navy's counter-terrorism capabilities and, as would be expected, they succeeded in spectacular fashion, penetrating some of the supposedly most secure locations and in the process embarrassing high ranking officers. Marcinko has written other non-fiction books like "Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success" and many books of fiction such as "Red Cell", "Green Team", and many more.

He is a "New York Times" best-selling author and an in-demand speaker.

Answer: A Hero

Schwarzkopf wrote "It Doesn't Take a Hero: The Autobiography of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf" shortly after his retirement in 1991 at the end of the Persian Gulf War. It was published in 1992. In the book the general covers his entire career, from his days in Vietnam to the events leading up to the defining battle of his life when he led Allied forces in the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War. Critics have hailed the book for its candor and forthrightness in both its story telling and its conveyance of emotion.