A review by rbkegley
Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives In World War II by Adam Makos

5.0

In this wholly captivating page-turner of a World War II book, Makos focuses on Clarence Smoyers, a tank gunner with the US 3rd Armored Division, known as the "Spearhead" for their frequent role in leading the attacks against entrenched German forces. From a role as a loader in his tank crew, he slid into the gunner's seat with no formal training, and developed an instinctive knowledge of the right thing to do in combat against other armored vehicles. Often, war chronicles can present so much detail about force movements and goals that they become tiresome, but Makos strikes a perfect balance, giving enough information about the order of battle to form a foundation for the events to follow while maintaining focus on the individual soldiers' perspectives. The ending, decades after the conclusion of the war, is both unexpected and richly satisfying.