Paths of Glory Author:Humphrey Cobb NOVEL OF WORLD WAR ONE (POSSIBLY ANTI-WAR) — The beginning of this book about life in a French line regiment during the first world war is really good. Good descriptions, some character development. This novel, I guess an anti-war novel, was written by a Canadian infantryman from the Great War in 1935 so the dialogue is realistic. A French line r... more »egiment is ordered to assault and take a German position known simply as The Pimple. It is heavily fortified and previous assaults have failed miserably. Every thing that can go wrong, does, including a heavy rain just as the French troops are to go over the top and begin their attack across no man's land. The German artillery and machine gun fire is so effective that the assault fails miserably with the farthest advance only to just beyond the French wire in front of their positions. Some troops never even get out of their trenches. General Assolant, seeking medals and glory for being able to take The Pimple when everyone else has failed to do so, is angry and seeks retribution from the regiment involved. Eventually one man from each of the 4 battalions involved is to be selected and sent to be court martialed (and executed)for cowardice. The 3 men selected (one commanding officer refuses to send a man and goes off for the day where he cannot be reached)are the worst possible choices to charge with cowardice. There was no cowardice. The attack merely failed like all the others before it due to the heavy German fire and the strength of their defenses. The court martial is a sham with the verdict and sentence already decided ahead of time. The 3 men are tied to posts and shot the next morning in front of the entire regiment as examples for all the survivors. Another example of French military stupidity and French justice which in my mind is an oxymoron. Worth a read.« less