Back Over There

One American Time-Traveler, 100 Years Since the Great War, 500 Miles of Battle-Scarred French Countryside, and Too Many Trenches, Shells, Legends and Ghosts to Count

By: Richard Rubin

Narrated by: Richard Rubin

Based on Richard Rubin's wildly popular New York Times series, Back Over There is a timely journey, in turns reverent and iconoclastic but always fascinating, through a place where the past and present are never really separated.

In The Last of the Doughboys, Richard Rubin introduced readers to a forgotten generation of Americans: the men and women who fought and won the First World War. Interviewing the war’s last survivors face-to-face, he knew well the importance of being present if you want to get the real story. But he soon came to realize that to get the whole story, he had to go Over There, too. So he did, and discovered that while most Americans regard that war as dead and gone, to the French, who still live among its ruins and memories, it remains very much alive.

Years later, with the centennial of the war only magnifying this paradox, Rubin decided to go back Over There to see if he could, at last, resolve it. For months he followed the trail of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front, finding trenches, tunnels, bunkers, century-old graffiti and ubiquitous artifacts. But he also found an abiding fondness for America and Americans, and a colorful corps of local after-hours historians and archeologists who tirelessly explore these sites and preserve the memories they embody while patiently waiting for Americans to return and reclaim their own history and heritage. None of whom seemed to mind that his French needed work.

This program is read by the author.

©2017 Richard Rubin (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A century after the Great War, the battlefields of France are still littered with the evidence of the barbarous fighting--trenches, the abandoned foundations of destroyed villages, and shell fragments galore. But Richard Rubin doesn’t pursue this subject merely to give new meaning to the genre of ‘deep travel.’ This thoroughly researched and entertaining narrative refreshes our understanding of a tragic war and will be welcomed by anyone who enjoys good writing and history.” - Rinker Buck, author of The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey,and Flight of Passage

“Richard Rubin is a highly-skilled time-traveler whose passion and diligence make the haunted sites of the First World War yield up their amazing stories. By reminding us how real and how recent that war was he has produced an engrossing, important book.” - Ian Frazier, author of Great Plains and Travels in Siberia

"Delightful may seem like a strange word for a book about war—but it’s the word that came repeatedly to mind as I turned the pages of Richard Rubin’s narrative of his adventures on the French and Belgian battlefields where Americans fought in the Great War. With vast erudition and effervescent style, Rubin brings to life what the Doughboys endured “over there” a century ago and what he experienced as he retraced their footsteps." - David Laskin, author of The Family: A Journey into the Heart of the 20th Century and The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War

Fascinating and enjoyable

I learned a lot of new things about France and World War I. The author made me feel like I was walking right beside him. It’s a very long book, but the time seemed to fly. Highly recommended.

excellent

Loved it. Richard Rubin is as likeable and knowledgeable as they come. I just wished I'd read this before I took my own tour of the Western Front.

Great Book

Author gave great descriptions of people and places. There were a few French phrases he didn't explain but still would highly recommend this book!!

VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS

Would you listen to Back Over There again? Why?

YES---AS SOON AS I FINISH. IT'S LIKE A GREAT FILM THAT THE MORE YOU SEE, THE BETTER YOU LOVE AND UNDERSTAND.

What did you like best about this story?

THE NARRATION IS DEEPLY RESPECTFUL OF THE AMERICAN SERVICE MAN. BECAUSE DE GUALLE HATED AMERICANS SO MUCH, I THOUGHT ALL THE FRENCH THOUGHT OF US AS BIG LOUD MOUTH SOLDIERS. THE FRENCH TRULY CARE ABOUT, AND LOVE--AND MEAN LOVE--WHAT THE DOUGHBOY, SAMMIES DID IN FRANCE, FOR FRANCE IN 1917 AND 1918.

What does Richard Rubin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

HIS UNIQUE VOICE. MANY TIMES I PREFER A PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS DIFFERENT. I FEEL LIKE I'M WALKING RIGHT BEHIND HIM ON THE BATTLEFIELD, FALLING IN FOXHOLES, STUMBLING OVER MESS KITS AND BARBED WIRE..

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

GUYS JUST LIKE US.

Any additional comments?

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, RICHARD RUBIN, DO A "BACK OVER THERE" FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR!

Very glad I read this book

A little different from anything else I have read about WW 1. Totally enjoyable. I wish I would have been with him as he traveled through all the sites. While stationed in Germany I traveled to the more popular sites and cemeteries, after reading this book I realize how much I missed. I was moved by his description of how empty the memorials and cemeteries were. his interviews with the last of the survivors was moving. It’s been 100 years and sadly it’s become largely forgotten

Truly Interesting

What did you love best about Back Over There?

Sometimes the past seems too distant to grasp on any human level. This work brings a chapter in the Great War to life through the actions of American Doughboys. The geography, history and rememberances of generations after the events.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm a fairly avid History buff. I remember when a child, meeting an uncle of my father who had been gassed in World War I. He was a grumpy, mean spirited man probably in his early 60's and I could never imagine him as a young man, with aspirations and his whole life ahead of him. This work brings the people to life. And brings that Time to life.

What does Richard Rubin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Passion, thoroughly familiar. He is, afterall, the author of the work. And actually he's a fairly decent narrator. Actually, my research says he has done voice talent for NPR. Among lots of other things.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

To tell the truth, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had some extra AUDIBLE credits and as I hunted around, this and Rubin's other audio book work " Thr Last of the Doughboys" showed up in my search. So I'm pleased! Both are interesting, educational and historical but written in a personable way.

Any additional comments?

This has been an eye opening listen. I've learned quite a bit and it wasn't even painful! lol. If you have an interest in World War I, history, etc. you might give this a listen.It's worth both the Audible credit and my listening time investment. And I can see myself relistening sometime in the future.

Tour the French countryside of the Great War

Any additional comments?

Richard Rubin takes the listener along on his visits to the battle scenes of 100 years ago in France. His words create pictures that illustrate the military history he describes clearly. His stories of the people affected by the Great War are fascinating. I felt as though I were there with him during his travels through the battlefields and wanted to fly to France to see for myself. I loved this book and Richard Rubin was the perfect narrator for his book. A great achievement.

An Exceptional Trip

I loved Rubin's first book on the subject, and this follow-up is just as good, if not better. His respect for the material, and the people of France, is obvious, and the stories he tells about going places and meeting people along the way (and all the ways they help him uncover stories of the AEF nobody will ever hear otherwise), is amazing. If you liked "The Last of the Doughboys," do yourself a favor and read this follow-up.

My only qualm with the audio production was Rubin's insistence on trying to pronounce French and German words as close to correctly as possible. I found it really distracting and hard to listen to, but other than that, it was top-notch. And that's just my nit-pick with it. The book is beautifully researched and lovingly written, and all I'm saying is, Rubin's a better writer than he is a narrator.

Loved this book!

I listened to this book after listening yo The Last of the Doughboys. I loved it!! Richard Rubin narrating it made it even better! Well done!!

Wonderful sequel to Last of the Doughboys!

This is a wonderful finish to the author’s “Last of the Doughboys,” inspired by multiple interviews with centenarian World War 1 vets and their varied backgrounds and experiences. It broadens the general history of the conflict by taking you on intimate tours of battlefields, museums, local personalities, and what experts encountered “over there.”
My Grandfather was there in 1918, and he returned to raise the greatest generation through the roaring 20’s, the Great Depression, and beyond. He passed in 1966. This book and its prequel enabled my oldest son and I to feel much closer to him and his world. Thank you, Richard Rubin, for letting us tag along on your adventure. Tres bien!