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Spearhead : an American tank gunner, his enemy, and a collision of lives in World War II / Adam Makos.

Makos, Adam, (author.).

Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call comes the riveting story of an American tank gunner's journey into the heart of the Third Reich, where he will meet destiny in an iconic armor duel - and forge an enduring bond with his enemy. When Clarence Smoyer is assigned to the gunner's seat of his Sherman tank, his crewmates discover that the gentle giant from Pennsylvania has a hidden talent: He's a natural-born shooter. At first, Clarence and his fellow crews in the legendary 3rd Armored Division - "Spearhead" - thought their tanks were invincible. Then they met the German Panther, with a gun so murderous it could shoot through one Sherman and into the next. Soon a pattern emerged: The lead tank always gets hit. After Clarence sees his friends cut down breaching the West Wall and holding the line in the Battle of the Bulge, he and his crew are given a weapon with the power to avenge their fallen brothers: the Pershing, a state-of-the-art "super tank," one of twenty in the European theater. But with it comes a harrowing new responsibility: Now they will spearhead every attack. That's how Clarence, the corporal from coal country, finds himself leading the U.S. Army into its largest urban battle of the European war, the fight for Cologne, the "Fortress City" of Germany. Battling through the ruins, Clarence will engage the fearsome Panther in a duel immortalized by an army cameraman. And he will square off with Gustav Schaefer, a teenager behind the trigger in a Panzer IV tank, whose crew has been sent on a suicide mission to stop the Americans. As Clarence and Gustav trade fire down a long boulevard, they are taken by surprise by a tragic mistake of war. What happens next will haunt Clarence to the modern day, drawing him back to Cologne to do the unthinkable: to face his enemy, one last time. -- Provided by bookflap.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780804176729 (hardcover)
  • ISBN: 0804176728 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: xiii, 393 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, [2019]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 351-381) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Introduction -- The gentle giant -- Baptism -- "Bubi" -- The fields -- The foray -- Beyond the wall -- Respite -- The fourth tank -- Hope -- Something bigger -- America's tiger -- Two miles -- Hunting -- The fire department of the west -- Going first -- Victory or Siberia -- The monster -- The conquerors -- The breakout -- The American blitz -- The fatherless -- Family -- Come out and fight -- The giant -- Getting home -- The last battle -- Afterword.
Subject: Smoyer, Clarence, 1923-
United States. Army. Armored Regiment, 32nd > Biography.
United States. Army > Officers > Biography.
Tank crews > Biography.
World War, 1939-1945 > Campaigns > Western Front.
World War, 1939-1945 > Germany > Tank warfare.
M26 (Tank) > History.
Panther (Tank) > History.
World War, 1939-1945 > Germany > Cologne.
World War, 1939-1945 > Regimental histories > United States.
Genre: Biographies.

Available copies

  • 68 of 72 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 1 current hold with 72 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Abington Community Library 940.54 MAKOS (Text) 50687011650804 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Albright Memorial Library 940.54 MAKOS (Text) 50686015456713 Storage Available -
Albright Memorial Library 940.54 MAKOS (Text) 50686015473809 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Albright Memorial Library LOCAL HISTORY 940.54 MAKOS (Text) 50686015473783 Reference Third Floor Available -
Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library 940.54 MAK (Text) 37268003034766 AHMFL Adult Non-Fiction Available -
Annie Halenbake Ross Library 940.54 Mak (Text) 00141018 ADULT Non-Fiction Available -
Ashland Public Library 940.54 MAK (Text) 30399000338397 Non-fiction Available -
Bangor Public Library 940.54 MAK (Text) 75011000365103 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Blossburg Memorial Library 940.541 MAK (Text) 30063001043423 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cambria County Library 940.5412 S666M (Text) 85131001895151 CACM Non-Fiction Available -

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24510. ‡aSpearhead : ‡ban American tank gunner, his enemy, and a collision of lives in World War II / ‡cAdam Makos.
24630. ‡aAmerican tank gunner, his enemy, and a collision of lives in World War II
250 . ‡aFirst edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bBallantine Books, ‡c[2019]
264 4. ‡c©2019
300 . ‡axiii, 393 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations, maps ; ‡c25 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 351-381) and index.
5050 . ‡aIntroduction -- The gentle giant -- Baptism -- "Bubi" -- The fields -- The foray -- Beyond the wall -- Respite -- The fourth tank -- Hope -- Something bigger -- America's tiger -- Two miles -- Hunting -- The fire department of the west -- Going first -- Victory or Siberia -- The monster -- The conquerors -- The breakout -- The American blitz -- The fatherless -- Family -- Come out and fight -- The giant -- Getting home -- The last battle -- Afterword.
520 . ‡aFrom the New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call comes the riveting story of an American tank gunner's journey into the heart of the Third Reich, where he will meet destiny in an iconic armor duel - and forge an enduring bond with his enemy. When Clarence Smoyer is assigned to the gunner's seat of his Sherman tank, his crewmates discover that the gentle giant from Pennsylvania has a hidden talent: He's a natural-born shooter. At first, Clarence and his fellow crews in the legendary 3rd Armored Division - "Spearhead" - thought their tanks were invincible. Then they met the German Panther, with a gun so murderous it could shoot through one Sherman and into the next. Soon a pattern emerged: The lead tank always gets hit. After Clarence sees his friends cut down breaching the West Wall and holding the line in the Battle of the Bulge, he and his crew are given a weapon with the power to avenge their fallen brothers: the Pershing, a state-of-the-art "super tank," one of twenty in the European theater. But with it comes a harrowing new responsibility: Now they will spearhead every attack. That's how Clarence, the corporal from coal country, finds himself leading the U.S. Army into its largest urban battle of the European war, the fight for Cologne, the "Fortress City" of Germany. Battling through the ruins, Clarence will engage the fearsome Panther in a duel immortalized by an army cameraman. And he will square off with Gustav Schaefer, a teenager behind the trigger in a Panzer IV tank, whose crew has been sent on a suicide mission to stop the Americans. As Clarence and Gustav trade fire down a long boulevard, they are taken by surprise by a tragic mistake of war. What happens next will haunt Clarence to the modern day, drawing him back to Cologne to do the unthinkable: to face his enemy, one last time. -- ‡cProvided by bookflap.
60010. ‡aSmoyer, Clarence, ‡d1923- ‡0(True)375466
61010. ‡aUnited States. ‡bArmy. ‡bArmored Regiment, 32nd ‡vBiography.
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650 0. ‡aTank crews ‡vBiography.
650 0. ‡aWorld War, 1939-1945 ‡xCampaigns ‡zWestern Front. ‡0(True)658251
650 0. ‡aWorld War, 1939-1945 ‡zGermany ‡xTank warfare.
650 0. ‡aM26 (Tank) ‡xHistory.
650 0. ‡aPanther (Tank) ‡xHistory.
650 0. ‡aWorld War, 1939-1945 ‡zGermany ‡zCologne.
650 0. ‡aWorld War, 1939-1945 ‡xRegimental histories ‡zUnited States. ‡0(True)694831
655 7. ‡aBiographies. ‡2lcgft ‡0(True)398
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