The Fighting Bunch (2020)
Also…
How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution.
Ok, how’s this for a premise?
A bunch of local kids from Tennessee go off to fight fascism in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. They win. The boys come home, hoping to put the war behind them. They want to marry the girl waiting for them, get a job, raise some kids, and enjoy some of that American Dream they fought for.
But…coming home they find not everyone appreciates their service. They are targeted by local police. A lot of the jobs are held by the guys who didn’t go to fight. And when they decide to do something about it - to run veterans as candidates for office - the local political machine uses intimidation, violence, and industrial scale cheating to rob them of their victory.
How do they respond?
They fall back on the experience and ideals they developed battling Nazis and the Japanese military: they fight.
And they win.
Sounds pretty far fetched.
It’s also what really happened during the 1946 Battle of Athens Tennessee.
The experience of these men - their lives before the war, how their service affected them, and how they responded in the face of corrupt, systematic efforts to rob them of the rights they fought and their brothers and sisters died for - is the latest story by Chris DeRose.
Chris is one of our favorite contemporary historians and storytellers…so we are a little biased…but if you (or someone you know) dig history, are into politics, or just enjoy a good read The Fighting Bunch is a solid choice.
You can pick up a copy from your local book store or grab it direct from HERE.
Five out of Five Gold Stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dig stories like this? You might want to check out one of Chris’ other works. They range from examinations of Abe Lincoln in Congress to real world historical legal thrillers…and they are all great.
