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The Fighting Bunch: The Battle of Athens and How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution
The incredible, untold story of the WWII veterans who destroyed a corrupt political machine―the only successful armed rebellion on US soil since the War of Independence.
They fought for freedom abroad and returned to find that they had lost it at home. A corrupt political machine was in charge, kept in power by violence and stolen elections - the worst allegations of vote fraud ever brought to the attention of the Department of Justice, according to the Attorney General.
The GIs formed a nonpartisan, all-veteran ticket. On Election Day, the GIs and their supporters found themselves assaulted, intimidated, arrested, and even shot. A small band of veterans - the Fighting Bunch - armed themselves and marched on the jail to demand an honest count. The sheriff and his men refused. These men who thought they had seen the last of war returned to the battlefield, one last time.
This episode in U.S. history has never been more relevant, but has never been fully told. At the time of the rebellion, national news outlets jammed the phone lines into town, asking questions before the shooting had stopped. Journalists beat a path to Athens from across the country. Hollywood came calling, but the people of McMinn County had moved on.
After years of research, including exclusive interviews with the remaining witnesses, archival radio broadcast and interview tapes, scrapbooks, letters, and diaries, author Chris DeRose has reconstructed one of the seminal―yet untold―events in American election history.
They fought for freedom abroad and returned to find that they had lost it at home. A corrupt political machine was in charge, kept in power by violence and stolen elections - the worst allegations of vote fraud ever brought to the attention of the Department of Justice, according to the Attorney General.
The GIs formed a nonpartisan, all-veteran ticket. On Election Day, the GIs and their supporters found themselves assaulted, intimidated, arrested, and even shot. A small band of veterans - the Fighting Bunch - armed themselves and marched on the jail to demand an honest count. The sheriff and his men refused. These men who thought they had seen the last of war returned to the battlefield, one last time.
This episode in U.S. history has never been more relevant, but has never been fully told. At the time of the rebellion, national news outlets jammed the phone lines into town, asking questions before the shooting had stopped. Journalists beat a path to Athens from across the country. Hollywood came calling, but the people of McMinn County had moved on.
After years of research, including exclusive interviews with the remaining witnesses, archival radio broadcast and interview tapes, scrapbooks, letters, and diaries, author Chris DeRose has reconstructed one of the seminal―yet untold―events in American election history.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 4, 2020
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
I RECEIVED A DRC OF THIS TITLE FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU. (I THINK.)
This book made me so sad.
There were once people who stood up to machine politics. People whose sense of honor forbade them to participate in the establishment of a single-party state.
Their grandchildren are now actively seeking to make that sense of honor, that duty to accept others' rights of access to the ballot box as a means of free speech, obsolete in the USA.
If you want to know what the Greatest Generation, in their youth and idealism, went to war for, it was NOT the enshrinement of a single point of view as the only acceptable one to express and uphold.
The three-hundred-plus pages of Author Chris DeRose's astonishingly well-researched (honestly, it feels as though this book was played out in front of him) story of one unique moment in our country's ongoing history of voter suppression did not fly by. Not because Author DeRose did not write the story well. They slogged past my tear-blurred eyes because these passionate rejecters of Conformity and Submission did not go on to spark a movement against the real perpetrators of the atrocity: The Powerful, the elite that could not care less what "party" label you mark your vote next to. After all, Boss Tweed said it best:
If your nineteenth-century history is faded to sepia tones, this will remind you of who he was and why Tammany Hall has so many lessons for the erstwhile democracy of the USA.
That rebellion lies in our future.
I hope and pray that it will come before I go for good.
I RECEIVED A DRC OF THIS TITLE FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU. (I THINK.)
This book made me so sad.
There were once people who stood up to machine politics. People whose sense of honor forbade them to participate in the establishment of a single-party state.
Their grandchildren are now actively seeking to make that sense of honor, that duty to accept others' rights of access to the ballot box as a means of free speech, obsolete in the USA.
If you want to know what the Greatest Generation, in their youth and idealism, went to war for, it was NOT the enshrinement of a single point of view as the only acceptable one to express and uphold.
The three-hundred-plus pages of Author Chris DeRose's astonishingly well-researched (honestly, it feels as though this book was played out in front of him) story of one unique moment in our country's ongoing history of voter suppression did not fly by. Not because Author DeRose did not write the story well. They slogged past my tear-blurred eyes because these passionate rejecters of Conformity and Submission did not go on to spark a movement against the real perpetrators of the atrocity: The Powerful, the elite that could not care less what "party" label you mark your vote next to. After all, Boss Tweed said it best:
If your nineteenth-century history is faded to sepia tones, this will remind you of who he was and why Tammany Hall has so many lessons for the erstwhile democracy of the USA.
That rebellion lies in our future.
I hope and pray that it will come before I go for good.
Read
November 2, 2020This is about the battle Athens. Not Greece, but Tennessee.
It's depressingly timely, as a bunch of crooked politicians do their damndest to control the local elections by various criminal means, including threat and violence against voters.
For a bunch of GIs returning from World War II, the war didn't stop, it just shifted to a different type of war, against the political machine controlling the local county. The young veterans, experienced in the war theater, formed their own party and introduced the GI ticket for the upcoming elections. Every person on the ballot was a veteran.
The residents of Athens hailed them with relief, but many with an equal or stronger fear that they couldn't win against a crook who was expert in lying, threatening, and manipulating to stay in power.
The vets witnessed firsthand the theft of ballot boxes, and the threats and intimidation carried out by the thugs working for the crooked politicians, culminating in a shootout at the local jail, where deputies on the payroll of the crooks hid with ballot boxes.
The showdown lasted for hours, but they won, clearing the way for free and honest elections in their county.
It's briskly told, and very well researched--the evidence of firsthand accounts is evident, adding to the color of the story.
The first half is mostly summary, both of the veterans' various experiences in the war (some of those could have made their own books) and an account of the rise of the political machine in Tennessee.
I would have liked more detail on the culminating battle at the jail, though the author seemed to be limited in actual fact, and kudos for not giving in to the temptation to plump things up by fictionalizing. Altogether an interesting account, and alas, so very timely.
Copy provided by NetGalley
It's depressingly timely, as a bunch of crooked politicians do their damndest to control the local elections by various criminal means, including threat and violence against voters.
For a bunch of GIs returning from World War II, the war didn't stop, it just shifted to a different type of war, against the political machine controlling the local county. The young veterans, experienced in the war theater, formed their own party and introduced the GI ticket for the upcoming elections. Every person on the ballot was a veteran.
The residents of Athens hailed them with relief, but many with an equal or stronger fear that they couldn't win against a crook who was expert in lying, threatening, and manipulating to stay in power.
The vets witnessed firsthand the theft of ballot boxes, and the threats and intimidation carried out by the thugs working for the crooked politicians, culminating in a shootout at the local jail, where deputies on the payroll of the crooks hid with ballot boxes.
The showdown lasted for hours, but they won, clearing the way for free and honest elections in their county.
It's briskly told, and very well researched--the evidence of firsthand accounts is evident, adding to the color of the story.
The first half is mostly summary, both of the veterans' various experiences in the war (some of those could have made their own books) and an account of the rise of the political machine in Tennessee.
I would have liked more detail on the culminating battle at the jail, though the author seemed to be limited in actual fact, and kudos for not giving in to the temptation to plump things up by fictionalizing. Altogether an interesting account, and alas, so very timely.
Copy provided by NetGalley
September 22, 2020
I've heard this story before, in bits and pieces. Maybe an article in some magazine, a short piece on some television show, regardless, I have heard this story before, except...
This book is comprehensive, but not dry or drawn out. Lots of finer details and background of the actors involved. How the corruption went up to the office of the governor and yet how little Washington could or would do. We see what the GIs when through, the citizens of Athens experiences of war and how that gave them the determination and courage that lead down the road they did. And, what happen after that election day and night.
Thoroughly enjoyable. DeRose brought the details together that made this story, gave it life, believable and full of hope. History buffs should love it. People concern with today’s state of our two-party system will love it too.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is comprehensive, but not dry or drawn out. Lots of finer details and background of the actors involved. How the corruption went up to the office of the governor and yet how little Washington could or would do. We see what the GIs when through, the citizens of Athens experiences of war and how that gave them the determination and courage that lead down the road they did. And, what happen after that election day and night.
Thoroughly enjoyable. DeRose brought the details together that made this story, gave it life, believable and full of hope. History buffs should love it. People concern with today’s state of our two-party system will love it too.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2020
If Chris Derose’s The Fighting Bunch were a novel, I probably would have put it down almost as quickly as I picked it up. I would have found the premise of the book to be too farfetched for me to take it seriously, and I would have been unwilling to suspend my level of disbelief to that degree. If nothing else, that shows how naïve I can be about some of the things that happened in America’s s relatively recent past. The book’s subtitle, a long one, says it all: The Battle of Athens and How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution. But I suspect I’m not the only one who never heard about what happened in Athens, Tennessee, in 1946 after a group of battle-hardened veterans came home and found their county to be completely controlled by one corrupt politician and his gang of criminal-enforcers.
When the bloody battle was all over, the (mostly) young men who fought and won the Battle of Athens began to realize that they might be in big trouble. After all, what they had just done was not exactly legal, so they could very well themselves end up prisoners in the jail they had just liberated from the political machine so determined to rob them of that day’s election victory. Wiser heads in the group convinced the rest that it was time for all of them to shut up about what had just happened in their little Tennessee town. And they did exactly that - even to the extent that their own children and grandchildren were never sure exactly what role their elders played in the armed rebellion.
Chris Derose, when he began The Fighting Bunch, realized that only half the story had ever been told, and he knew that the time left for gathering first-hand accounts of the events of that night was fast running out. Only a handful of men were left to tell the story. Derose, though, found the next best thing: adult children of the men who were willing to share both their own memories and any original papers left behind by their fathers, along with even some of the original acetate recordings of the live radio broadcast by station WROL from that night. As indicated by its dozens of footnotes and an extensive list of interviews, Derose did his homework, and it shows. His account of “the only successful armed rebellion since the Revolution” and the men who pulled it off is fascinating.
Bottom Line: The Fighting Bunch is a rather shocking account of how a group of WWII veterans, men themselves instrumental in assuring the freedom of Europe and the rest of the world, came back to Tennessee to find their own home-county under the thumb of a despicable dictator and the murdering thugs he employed. No one dared oppose the gang - even at first, the veterans themselves - but what happened when the ex-military men reached their breaking-point is a story that readers will find difficult to forget.
(Review Copy provided by Publisher)
When the bloody battle was all over, the (mostly) young men who fought and won the Battle of Athens began to realize that they might be in big trouble. After all, what they had just done was not exactly legal, so they could very well themselves end up prisoners in the jail they had just liberated from the political machine so determined to rob them of that day’s election victory. Wiser heads in the group convinced the rest that it was time for all of them to shut up about what had just happened in their little Tennessee town. And they did exactly that - even to the extent that their own children and grandchildren were never sure exactly what role their elders played in the armed rebellion.
Chris Derose, when he began The Fighting Bunch, realized that only half the story had ever been told, and he knew that the time left for gathering first-hand accounts of the events of that night was fast running out. Only a handful of men were left to tell the story. Derose, though, found the next best thing: adult children of the men who were willing to share both their own memories and any original papers left behind by their fathers, along with even some of the original acetate recordings of the live radio broadcast by station WROL from that night. As indicated by its dozens of footnotes and an extensive list of interviews, Derose did his homework, and it shows. His account of “the only successful armed rebellion since the Revolution” and the men who pulled it off is fascinating.
Bottom Line: The Fighting Bunch is a rather shocking account of how a group of WWII veterans, men themselves instrumental in assuring the freedom of Europe and the rest of the world, came back to Tennessee to find their own home-county under the thumb of a despicable dictator and the murdering thugs he employed. No one dared oppose the gang - even at first, the veterans themselves - but what happened when the ex-military men reached their breaking-point is a story that readers will find difficult to forget.
(Review Copy provided by Publisher)
October 17, 2020
Interested in a bit of history that’s fascinating yet probably unknown to most? I’m wholeheartedly recommending “The Fighting Bunch,” authored by Chris DeRose. There is history, small town culture, and a good example of what happens when you back the wrong people up against a wall and give them no way out.
Such was the town of Athens, Tennessee. For years they had been under the thumb of a political machine, enduring rigged elections and other major and minor atrocities. Something had to be done, and should have been done long ago. Up until 1946, there seemed to be no answers. Fighting fair by using the courts and writing to state and federal politicians were not the answers.
This is a story that was hidden to protect those who had taken part. Mr. DeRose had to become a detective and search for those who might know the truth, although over 70 years later, many of the those who knew the story firsthand had passed on. Others who had previously attempted to follow the same path gave up. The author continued on this quest, assembling information from many sources (documented in the back of the book) in order to bring out the truth.
I felt “The Fighting Bunch” read more like a good novel. It was informative, exciting in parts, and came to a satisfying conclusion. Mr. DeRose has not only offered a fantastic story for us to read, he has performed a service to the families and ancestors of those connected, brave soldiers who risked everything for what they believed was right. I can’t recommend this book enough. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
Such was the town of Athens, Tennessee. For years they had been under the thumb of a political machine, enduring rigged elections and other major and minor atrocities. Something had to be done, and should have been done long ago. Up until 1946, there seemed to be no answers. Fighting fair by using the courts and writing to state and federal politicians were not the answers.
This is a story that was hidden to protect those who had taken part. Mr. DeRose had to become a detective and search for those who might know the truth, although over 70 years later, many of the those who knew the story firsthand had passed on. Others who had previously attempted to follow the same path gave up. The author continued on this quest, assembling information from many sources (documented in the back of the book) in order to bring out the truth.
I felt “The Fighting Bunch” read more like a good novel. It was informative, exciting in parts, and came to a satisfying conclusion. Mr. DeRose has not only offered a fantastic story for us to read, he has performed a service to the families and ancestors of those connected, brave soldiers who risked everything for what they believed was right. I can’t recommend this book enough. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
June 23, 2023
This book was so well written! So much effort and research went into this, and it was done phenomenally. This story is one that more people need to know about. These men knew it was their duty and honor to defend the county they grew up in, and they did it humbly and justly. Incredible story and presented in a way that anyone could understand and appreciate.
May 25, 2020
I am pleased to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance review copy of Chris DeRose's upcoming book entitled "The Fighting Bunch: The Battle of Athens." The book recounts the little known story of an armed uprising that occurred in the city of Athens, Tennessee in 1946. The violence that took place was a consequence of entrenched and widespread political corruption in that city that had gripped both the City and the County from the late 1930's until 1946. The political machine responsible, not surprisingly, had tentacles extending throughout McMinn County and the State of Tennessee. The actual "insurrection" occurred when demobilized G.I.s fresh from the battlefields of World War II returned to their hometown only to discover extreme voter fraud enforced by a corrupt political machine at every level of City and County government. These veterans were determined to enjoy the political freedoms that they had thought they were fighting for and were appalled to see the mess which prevailed in their hometown. The narrative begins by tracking some of the figures prominent in the "revolt" through their military service, and the first half of the book looks at this while recounting events occurring on the homefront unbeknownst to them until their return. It climaxes with an armed confrontation as the veterans took up arms in defense of their civil rights. The events received widespread coverage, both nationally and internationally at the time, but in view of the shameful political mess which had prompted them and everyone's tacit acceptance of the justice of what happened, quickly disappeared from the national consciousness. I recommend the book for anyone looking to explore an occasion in which the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution seems to have been vindicated for precisely the reasons that it was originally enacted. The "insurrection" successfully removed, by force of arms, a politically corrupt system that was so entrenched and tacitly supported by the political powers that be that the people of the community saw no option save armed revolt to restore their civil rights. Remarkably, despite bitter fighting, the "insurrection," far from leaving lasting scars, seems to have accomplished its objectives with relatively little bloodshed and achieved a lasting redress of grievances since the aforementioned "powers that be" had no real interest in publicizing the widespread nature of the corruption which prompted the events related in the text. It is a fascinating tale.
July 9, 2021
An eight hour unabridged audiobook.
This sounds like a premise for a blockbuster movie script- except it actually happened.
A local machine making its own election laws and plenty of nepotism and bought off cronies protecting it. The citizens eventually get fed up and take justice into their own hands to restore power back to the citizenry.
The author details the painstaking research (many participants didn't talk about the events contemporaneous due to uncertainty about potential criminal charges) that went into this book. The history of the county, and even the early biographies of key participants, how they were raised, what they did in the war. I was pleasantly surprised to read about specific occurrences relating to the battle of Tulagi during the Soloman Islands campaign, Tarawa and others.
But I digress, the soldiers who fought for democracy overseas knew they didn't have democracy at home in their elections. They wouldn't stand for it anymore. This book covers the very evident instances of voter fraud, many of them, and what was done about it. Obviously it's difficult not to side with the citizenry against the fraudulent local government. I really enjoyed the book, well written. Kept my attention.
This sounds like a premise for a blockbuster movie script- except it actually happened.
A local machine making its own election laws and plenty of nepotism and bought off cronies protecting it. The citizens eventually get fed up and take justice into their own hands to restore power back to the citizenry.
The author details the painstaking research (many participants didn't talk about the events contemporaneous due to uncertainty about potential criminal charges) that went into this book. The history of the county, and even the early biographies of key participants, how they were raised, what they did in the war. I was pleasantly surprised to read about specific occurrences relating to the battle of Tulagi during the Soloman Islands campaign, Tarawa and others.
But I digress, the soldiers who fought for democracy overseas knew they didn't have democracy at home in their elections. They wouldn't stand for it anymore. This book covers the very evident instances of voter fraud, many of them, and what was done about it. Obviously it's difficult not to side with the citizenry against the fraudulent local government. I really enjoyed the book, well written. Kept my attention.
September 14, 2020
The war did not stop in 1945 for those in Athens, Tennessee. Several came back from service determined to put a stop to the politicians and big money that controlled their town. An exciting story. Well researched and documented and amazingly true. If you are interested in southern towns and how they took care of problems in those days you will be intrigued by this book. For locals in Tennessee. It is a must-read. An exciting book and the town's political journey and courage of a few returning soldiers to right unjustified wrongs is a part of history now preserved. Thanks to #netgalleyTheFightingBunch for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 6, 2020
This book is an engaging history of the determine needed to overcome a corrupt crime machine that controlled a part of Tennessee with Athens at its center. The author follows several of the main players as they grew up and struggled with their environment, fought in World War II and upon their return fought back successfully again the syndicate to have the liberties for which they had fought for during the war. This is a good book for anyone who likes to see the underdog victorious and corruption removed from office.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
June 18, 2023
“The Philadelphia Record asked: “What else could they do? The Constitution of the United States says ‘the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed.’ In Tennessee nearly every man and boy and many women know how to use a pistol, shotgun, and rifle. Nearly every home has at least ‘a lawn gun’ for potting squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other intruders. It seems reasonable to assume the Founding Fathers were thinking of more important things when they wrote the Constitution—perchance that the time might come when the bullet might be necessary to protect the ballot.” (August 3rd, 1946)
February 24, 2022
Please allow me to document how stupid I am. I read Chris DeRose’s Star Spangled Scandal and loved it. I looked to see what else he wrote and came across The Fighting Bunch. I read the tag, Battle of Athens, and thought wow, I didn’t realize a bunch of World War II vets went to Greece and started a rebellion.
I didn’t realize that because it didn’t happen. The subject of the book is Athens, Tennessee. Also, I am an embarrassment of a history nerd. Admittedly, I don’t think many people know about this episode in history.
It all reads like a movie. McMinn County, Tennessee was run for years by a totally corrupt government. The most egregious voting crimes (among other crimes) were commonplace by the police, and no one was doing anything about it. In 1946, the soldiers of McMinn County started coming home from war. They were met by a political machine that told them to get in line and shut up. This was a mistake. I won’t say more. You should read it for yourself.
Chris DeRose writes this in short, straightforward style. This is a book that even non-history nerds will love.
I didn’t realize that because it didn’t happen. The subject of the book is Athens, Tennessee. Also, I am an embarrassment of a history nerd. Admittedly, I don’t think many people know about this episode in history.
It all reads like a movie. McMinn County, Tennessee was run for years by a totally corrupt government. The most egregious voting crimes (among other crimes) were commonplace by the police, and no one was doing anything about it. In 1946, the soldiers of McMinn County started coming home from war. They were met by a political machine that told them to get in line and shut up. This was a mistake. I won’t say more. You should read it for yourself.
Chris DeRose writes this in short, straightforward style. This is a book that even non-history nerds will love.
November 17, 2020
4.5 stars
An eye opening, informative read. The Fighting Bunch is a comprehensive account of what took place and I found it was well written and delivered. I would recommend this book and author.
An eye opening, informative read. The Fighting Bunch is a comprehensive account of what took place and I found it was well written and delivered. I would recommend this book and author.
November 11, 2020
A fascinating and engaging read. Highly recommend.
November 6, 2020
I received a free ARC of this excellent history at the invitation of the publisher, St. Martin's Press, the author Chris DeRose, and Netgalley. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me, I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. This history is set up and rounded up enticingly, a hard book to set aside when necessary, and at times it seems nearly impossible to have transpired on our soil in the mid-1940s, but it did and can again. I sure am glad these fellows were on OUR side. The way things are going post-election in 2020, I hope those folk, similarly inclined, are out there, again on our side.
Netgalley
pub date November 3, 2020
St. Martin's Press
Reviewed on November 6, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
Netgalley
pub date November 3, 2020
St. Martin's Press
Reviewed on November 6, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
August 15, 2020
This was an interesting book. In the late 1930s and 1940s, McMinn County, Tennessee, including the town of Athens, was under the control of a corrupt Democrat party political machine (Crump/Cantrell). The local Democrat office-holders, including the county sheriff, as well as his deputies, rigged the elections to ensure the "correct" candidates won and used their power and authority to harass the local residents and pad their bank accounts. On election day, they would arbitrarily close precincts, refuse to count ballots from precincts their candidate had lost in the past, post armed officials outside of precincts, stuff the ballot boxes with fraudulent ballots, engage in absentee ballot fraud, refuse to allow people to vote if they were expected not to vote the "correct" way, harass and beat up election observers who tried to keep the count honest, etc. In between elections, the elected officials abused their power. The sheriff and his deputies would make false arrests and charge the detainees for expenses that never occurred, such as serving warrants, subpoenaing witnesses, and hailing the detainee miles to jail (even if the arrest had occurred a block away from the jail).
The local Congressman, John Jennings, tried to get the Tennessee government and the federal Department of Justice to take action without much success. Lawsuits to force the election laws to be upheld tended to go in the favor the "machine". A group of WWII veterans, having returned home from fighting and defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan to help ensure freedom and democracy around the world, decided they had to take a stand to defend and preserve freedom and democracy in their town. They formed the "GI ticket" and convinced the local Republican party to formally endorse it. They were able to garner lots of support, though much of it was in secret, as the residents of Athens and the surrounding towns did not want to attract the attention of the corrupt, abusive sheriff and his deputies. On the day of the election, August 1, 1946, the GI ticket was winning in those precincts where ballots were counted fairly. However, the "machine" utilized its typical tactics, including bringing in a large number of armed individuals to intimidate voters and ensure the count went the "correct" way. Ultimately, a group of veterans decided to use force to ensure the ballots were counted correctly, leading an assault on the county jail in Athens, where a group of deputies had hidden with some of the ballot boxes. When the ballot boxes were obtained and the ballots openly and accurately counted, the GI ticket won overwhelmingly.
The story of the "Battle of Athens" has been well hidden for decades, as many of the participants did not want to be too open about their activities, not wanting to face possible criminal charges, and the residents of Athens wanted life to return to a semblance of normalcy, with free and fair elections and honest leaders. However, the author was able to locate a considerable amount of material related to the events in Athens, Tennessee, scouring archives and contacting as many of the participants and/or their relatives that he could locate to hear their recollections and obtain any letters, memorabilia or other documents. As a result of his extensive research, the author is able to do a great job of portraying what life was like in Athens and surrounding areas in the last 30s and early to mid 40s, portraying the massive corruption and fraud, discussing the military careers of some of the veterans, and providing details as to what type of people these veterans and their family, friends, and supporters were, as well as their lives after the "battle of Athens." The events made news headlines around the country and provoked responses from some influential people. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stated in a newspaper column, "We may deplore the use of force but we must also recognize the lesson which this incident points for us all. People must be able to determine their fate at the ballot box in a fair election. Ultimately, Americans would not accept living under tyranny. The decisive action which has just occurred in our midst is a warning, and one which we cannot afford to overlook."
Thankfully, the degree of corruption and abuse perpetrated by the Crump/Cantrell political machine would not be allowed to happen today. However, incidents of intimidation at precincts and incidents of absentee ballot fraud still occur, with the likelihood of such fraud increased in the current political climate, with the high degree of divisiveness and the expected heavy reliance on absentee ballots/voting by mail due to Covid-19, especially in states not adequately prepared to handle the greatly increased volume of absentee voting. While armed revolution will hopefully never again be required to preserve our voting rights and basic liberties, "The Fighting Bunch" is a reminder of the need for vigilance.
I received a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The local Congressman, John Jennings, tried to get the Tennessee government and the federal Department of Justice to take action without much success. Lawsuits to force the election laws to be upheld tended to go in the favor the "machine". A group of WWII veterans, having returned home from fighting and defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan to help ensure freedom and democracy around the world, decided they had to take a stand to defend and preserve freedom and democracy in their town. They formed the "GI ticket" and convinced the local Republican party to formally endorse it. They were able to garner lots of support, though much of it was in secret, as the residents of Athens and the surrounding towns did not want to attract the attention of the corrupt, abusive sheriff and his deputies. On the day of the election, August 1, 1946, the GI ticket was winning in those precincts where ballots were counted fairly. However, the "machine" utilized its typical tactics, including bringing in a large number of armed individuals to intimidate voters and ensure the count went the "correct" way. Ultimately, a group of veterans decided to use force to ensure the ballots were counted correctly, leading an assault on the county jail in Athens, where a group of deputies had hidden with some of the ballot boxes. When the ballot boxes were obtained and the ballots openly and accurately counted, the GI ticket won overwhelmingly.
The story of the "Battle of Athens" has been well hidden for decades, as many of the participants did not want to be too open about their activities, not wanting to face possible criminal charges, and the residents of Athens wanted life to return to a semblance of normalcy, with free and fair elections and honest leaders. However, the author was able to locate a considerable amount of material related to the events in Athens, Tennessee, scouring archives and contacting as many of the participants and/or their relatives that he could locate to hear their recollections and obtain any letters, memorabilia or other documents. As a result of his extensive research, the author is able to do a great job of portraying what life was like in Athens and surrounding areas in the last 30s and early to mid 40s, portraying the massive corruption and fraud, discussing the military careers of some of the veterans, and providing details as to what type of people these veterans and their family, friends, and supporters were, as well as their lives after the "battle of Athens." The events made news headlines around the country and provoked responses from some influential people. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stated in a newspaper column, "We may deplore the use of force but we must also recognize the lesson which this incident points for us all. People must be able to determine their fate at the ballot box in a fair election. Ultimately, Americans would not accept living under tyranny. The decisive action which has just occurred in our midst is a warning, and one which we cannot afford to overlook."
Thankfully, the degree of corruption and abuse perpetrated by the Crump/Cantrell political machine would not be allowed to happen today. However, incidents of intimidation at precincts and incidents of absentee ballot fraud still occur, with the likelihood of such fraud increased in the current political climate, with the high degree of divisiveness and the expected heavy reliance on absentee ballots/voting by mail due to Covid-19, especially in states not adequately prepared to handle the greatly increased volume of absentee voting. While armed revolution will hopefully never again be required to preserve our voting rights and basic liberties, "The Fighting Bunch" is a reminder of the need for vigilance.
I received a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
September 25, 2020
A group of American soldiers returns from fighting in World War II and makes a horrifying discovery: their hometown is under siege. Not from Nazis or the Imperial Japanese, however, but corrupt politicians. Determined not to relive the horrors they just fought, the soldiers take matters into their own hands to regain their town. Author Chris DeRose examines in fascinating detail and prescient prose the Battle of Athens, Tennessee, in his new nonfiction book The Fighting Bunch.
In the mid-1930s in McMinn County, Tennessee, a wealthy man decides to join politics. With blustery promises, he wins the election for sheriff. For the next ten years, Paul Cantrell holds the county, and particularly the town of Athens, under his thumb. Gambling and other illegal establishments open and run freely, as long as the kickbacks land in Cantrell’s pockets. If anyone doesn’t like his methods, he makes sure the deputies and his other cronies bring people in line.
For ten years, Cantrell rises through the ranks and is eventually elected senator. He curries favor with other men of like minds at the state level to cement his power. Interested in lining his own wallet and keeping the political climate to his advantage, Cantrell endorses a show of force and the people of McMinn County begin to live in fear.
They’re arrested for fabricated or minor infractions. Elections are openly rigged with fraudulent voting running rampant. Citizens trying to exercise their Constitutional rights are beaten and killed. Anyone who whispers against Cantrell is taught a lesson that often ends in violence.
Athens resident Bill White and his friends, teens during the time of Cantrell’s rule, express their frustration to one another but don’t know how they can fight against what is commonly called the machine. Then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and White and many of his friends join U.S. forces overseas. As they engage in active combat, thoughts of home keep them alive. Surely, they believe, after seeing the horrors of war in news reports, things in Athens would have gotten better.
White and his friends return to find exactly the opposite. Cantrell’s hold on the county has only strengthened. The young men, now military trained and wiser in life experience, decide to form their own party and introduce the GI ticket in McMinn County for the upcoming elections. Every person on the ballot is a returning soldier, and the residents of Athens express their support…while still looking over their shoulders for Cantrell’s men.
On August 1, 1946, as White and the others on the GI ticket witness firsthand the theft of ballot boxes and the violent intimidation tactics of Cantrell’s group, they hit a limit. White and other veterans finally take up arms and engage in a shootout that lasts hours. They risked their lives in Europe and Asia to make sure their family and friends could live and vote in a free society; they’re not about to let their war years go to waste by kowtowing to a man too full of himself to think of the greater good.
Author Chris DeRose’s years of interviews and research shine in this enthralling account of the Battle of Athens, sometimes called the Battle of Bullets and Ballots. Cantrell’s brazenness and White’s bravery are by turns heartbreaking and inspiring. While it’s true that White and the other GIs had military training on their side, DeRose reminds readers over and over that the veterans were simply men who believed in a free and equal democracy and were willing to fight for it.
DeRose’s account is especially timely, given current events. His profile of Paul Cantrell, emboldened by other men who also seek personal gain over communal good, rings true enough to life today to feel painful. The book proves that history does repeat itself. The political parties of the offenders may change, but hubris and an inflated sense of one’s importance still lie at the heart of every politician’s downfall.
Anyone wanting to serve their communities in public office would do well to study the mistakes of the past. Chris DeRose’s book makes a great addition to that necessary reading. I recommend readers Bookmark The Fighting Bunch.
In the mid-1930s in McMinn County, Tennessee, a wealthy man decides to join politics. With blustery promises, he wins the election for sheriff. For the next ten years, Paul Cantrell holds the county, and particularly the town of Athens, under his thumb. Gambling and other illegal establishments open and run freely, as long as the kickbacks land in Cantrell’s pockets. If anyone doesn’t like his methods, he makes sure the deputies and his other cronies bring people in line.
For ten years, Cantrell rises through the ranks and is eventually elected senator. He curries favor with other men of like minds at the state level to cement his power. Interested in lining his own wallet and keeping the political climate to his advantage, Cantrell endorses a show of force and the people of McMinn County begin to live in fear.
They’re arrested for fabricated or minor infractions. Elections are openly rigged with fraudulent voting running rampant. Citizens trying to exercise their Constitutional rights are beaten and killed. Anyone who whispers against Cantrell is taught a lesson that often ends in violence.
Athens resident Bill White and his friends, teens during the time of Cantrell’s rule, express their frustration to one another but don’t know how they can fight against what is commonly called the machine. Then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and White and many of his friends join U.S. forces overseas. As they engage in active combat, thoughts of home keep them alive. Surely, they believe, after seeing the horrors of war in news reports, things in Athens would have gotten better.
White and his friends return to find exactly the opposite. Cantrell’s hold on the county has only strengthened. The young men, now military trained and wiser in life experience, decide to form their own party and introduce the GI ticket in McMinn County for the upcoming elections. Every person on the ballot is a returning soldier, and the residents of Athens express their support…while still looking over their shoulders for Cantrell’s men.
On August 1, 1946, as White and the others on the GI ticket witness firsthand the theft of ballot boxes and the violent intimidation tactics of Cantrell’s group, they hit a limit. White and other veterans finally take up arms and engage in a shootout that lasts hours. They risked their lives in Europe and Asia to make sure their family and friends could live and vote in a free society; they’re not about to let their war years go to waste by kowtowing to a man too full of himself to think of the greater good.
Author Chris DeRose’s years of interviews and research shine in this enthralling account of the Battle of Athens, sometimes called the Battle of Bullets and Ballots. Cantrell’s brazenness and White’s bravery are by turns heartbreaking and inspiring. While it’s true that White and the other GIs had military training on their side, DeRose reminds readers over and over that the veterans were simply men who believed in a free and equal democracy and were willing to fight for it.
DeRose’s account is especially timely, given current events. His profile of Paul Cantrell, emboldened by other men who also seek personal gain over communal good, rings true enough to life today to feel painful. The book proves that history does repeat itself. The political parties of the offenders may change, but hubris and an inflated sense of one’s importance still lie at the heart of every politician’s downfall.
Anyone wanting to serve their communities in public office would do well to study the mistakes of the past. Chris DeRose’s book makes a great addition to that necessary reading. I recommend readers Bookmark The Fighting Bunch.
November 7, 2020
Tyranny and greed are two of the most destructive elements of man’s character; determination and compassion their antidote. In his new book, The Fighting Bunch: The Battle of Athens and How WWII Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution, Chris DeRose masterfully recounts the clash of character that culminated on August 1, 1946, in the streets of Athens, Tennessee, and countryside of McMinn County.
With a political machine that would make Robert Penn Warren drool, Tennessee spent the depression and WWII years in the shadow of Memphian E.H. Crump. Evidence of Crump’s hand in East Tennessee, and especially McMinn County, was Paul Cantrell. During those years, Tennessee was a predominately Democratic state. However, much of East Tennessee was solidly Republican. Athens, halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, serves as the county seat for McMinn County, which was and remains to this day, one of Tennessee’s most heavily Republican counties.
DeRose begins quite simply by giving us a list of players. Tracing their days as children and teenagers, he provides insight into how they became the men whose lives would converge on August 1, 1946. With this, we learn they were not strangers that history drew together in place and time to create a life-changing event. Most knew or were acquainted with one another. Some had known each other their entire lives. DeRose’s telling of the months leading up to the election of 1946 pulls the reader back like the hammer of a pistol.
DeRose bookends his telling of the Battle of Athens between two poignant quotes.
“Yes, we broke the law. And so did George Washington.” – Felix Harrod
Growing in Athens, I knew Mr. Harrod, one of the veterans returning to Athens after WWII, as a very humble and mild-mannered man who I saw in church or around town with never than anything less than a smile and kind word to offer. I held him akin to Mr. Rogers, who premiered when I was six.
“The real story of the Battle of Athens is about reconciliation, thankfully.” – Paul Willson
The grandson of Paul Cantrell, Paul Willson, is also my distant cousin as well as someone who is and has been so incredibly supportive of so many over the years.
Chris DeRose pulls no punches in his telling of the Battle of Athens. For me, it erased the often-heard mantra that these were just good old boys whose argument got out of hand. Thousands of rounds fired, a few sticks of dynamite tossed, and a mason jar or two of moonshine consumed. Still, no one was killed, and in the end, this was just another story of McMinn County boys being McMinn County boys. You could expect no less from men whose grandfathers had declared war on Spain a week before the United States of America instigated the Spanish American War. Erasing this dismissive pasha version of history, DeRose makes room for the most prominent outcome of the Battle of Athens. On August 2, 1946, these men and their families who had been opponents and enemies for so long began working together on a new project. They constructed a community and way of life we proudly call home.
With a political machine that would make Robert Penn Warren drool, Tennessee spent the depression and WWII years in the shadow of Memphian E.H. Crump. Evidence of Crump’s hand in East Tennessee, and especially McMinn County, was Paul Cantrell. During those years, Tennessee was a predominately Democratic state. However, much of East Tennessee was solidly Republican. Athens, halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, serves as the county seat for McMinn County, which was and remains to this day, one of Tennessee’s most heavily Republican counties.
DeRose begins quite simply by giving us a list of players. Tracing their days as children and teenagers, he provides insight into how they became the men whose lives would converge on August 1, 1946. With this, we learn they were not strangers that history drew together in place and time to create a life-changing event. Most knew or were acquainted with one another. Some had known each other their entire lives. DeRose’s telling of the months leading up to the election of 1946 pulls the reader back like the hammer of a pistol.
DeRose bookends his telling of the Battle of Athens between two poignant quotes.
“Yes, we broke the law. And so did George Washington.” – Felix Harrod
Growing in Athens, I knew Mr. Harrod, one of the veterans returning to Athens after WWII, as a very humble and mild-mannered man who I saw in church or around town with never than anything less than a smile and kind word to offer. I held him akin to Mr. Rogers, who premiered when I was six.
“The real story of the Battle of Athens is about reconciliation, thankfully.” – Paul Willson
The grandson of Paul Cantrell, Paul Willson, is also my distant cousin as well as someone who is and has been so incredibly supportive of so many over the years.
Chris DeRose pulls no punches in his telling of the Battle of Athens. For me, it erased the often-heard mantra that these were just good old boys whose argument got out of hand. Thousands of rounds fired, a few sticks of dynamite tossed, and a mason jar or two of moonshine consumed. Still, no one was killed, and in the end, this was just another story of McMinn County boys being McMinn County boys. You could expect no less from men whose grandfathers had declared war on Spain a week before the United States of America instigated the Spanish American War. Erasing this dismissive pasha version of history, DeRose makes room for the most prominent outcome of the Battle of Athens. On August 2, 1946, these men and their families who had been opponents and enemies for so long began working together on a new project. They constructed a community and way of life we proudly call home.
November 12, 2020
While men were going off to war (though many were under 21 and couldn't vote) the people of Athens Tennessee's McMinn County lived under a totalitarian style government. People were intimidated into not voting, but that didn't matter because the local gangsters counted the ballots and stuffed the ballot boxes for their candidates. People were stopped in their cars and forced to pay off the deputies to NOT put them in jail. Deputies were known to beat up people (some hospitalized) just for the fun of it and shot those who disagreed with the Mayor or Chief of Police.
This was a patriotic community and almost everyone of the 18K inhabitants had one of more men in the services, some had as many as five. So while overseas fighting the Japanese and Germans, their families lived under a regime that would have made Hitler of Stalin proud. When these men came home, they heard the stories of beatings, embezzlement and extortion. They decided to take on this group head-on. They formed the GI ticket for office.
After picking a slate of people to run for office, they and their families were beginning to be intimidated by the local deputies for non existing violations. They had to pay and poll tax at the voting had to show a receipt for the tax payment. The deputies would tear them up an tell them the couldn't vote. On election day all the voting precincts were 'protected' by armed thugs hired by the Mayor and his crew.
After a day of total voter intimidation, the Mayor had all the ballot boxes taken to the government offices, his bank vault and the jailhouse. Members of the GI party poll watchers were held hostage to keep them from watching the count. They saw the electors counting marked ballots for the GIs being called for the Mayor, and piles of ballots added into the total brought in by Deputies. The GIs decided to fight fire with fire.
So began what was called the Battle of the Ballots, in August 1946. You'll have to read the rest yourself, but after it was over, no one in the town wanted to speak about it and for over 50 years no one spoke. Kids grew up in this town who never heard what their fathers and families had done. Now the story is told.
This was a patriotic community and almost everyone of the 18K inhabitants had one of more men in the services, some had as many as five. So while overseas fighting the Japanese and Germans, their families lived under a regime that would have made Hitler of Stalin proud. When these men came home, they heard the stories of beatings, embezzlement and extortion. They decided to take on this group head-on. They formed the GI ticket for office.
After picking a slate of people to run for office, they and their families were beginning to be intimidated by the local deputies for non existing violations. They had to pay and poll tax at the voting had to show a receipt for the tax payment. The deputies would tear them up an tell them the couldn't vote. On election day all the voting precincts were 'protected' by armed thugs hired by the Mayor and his crew.
After a day of total voter intimidation, the Mayor had all the ballot boxes taken to the government offices, his bank vault and the jailhouse. Members of the GI party poll watchers were held hostage to keep them from watching the count. They saw the electors counting marked ballots for the GIs being called for the Mayor, and piles of ballots added into the total brought in by Deputies. The GIs decided to fight fire with fire.
So began what was called the Battle of the Ballots, in August 1946. You'll have to read the rest yourself, but after it was over, no one in the town wanted to speak about it and for over 50 years no one spoke. Kids grew up in this town who never heard what their fathers and families had done. Now the story is told.
September 28, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
This was an amazing story. I had no idea this sort of bullying and mafiosa behavior had been going on in a small town in Tennessee. Prior to, and during the Second World War, in a place called Athens, Tennessee, people were bullied, controlled and killed at the whim of a self-appointed group of men determined to keep their places as officials in charge. They did so with little or no repercussions as the residents were in fear for their very lives. It became a way of living for ordinary citizens who only wanted to live peacefully.
But as happens in life, the more people have, the more they desire. The mob of officials became more and more powerful and arrogant taking what they wanted without regard to cost. And, again, as happens in life, some people decided enough was enough.
Young men returning from combat as the war ended, began to wonder what was happening in their town. What had they just spent months, even years, fighting for if not freedom? Why did they not have that freedom in their own country? Why were they allowing a select few to control and kill at will?
The seasoned veterans decided it was time to take back their city. The tale of Athens is an inspiring story of courage and determination. It wasn’t easy to step up again. This is a book that is a must read. The characters are real, the history is real and the description of what occurred is breathtaking. I would recommend this book to history buffs and citizens of all interests.
This was an amazing story. I had no idea this sort of bullying and mafiosa behavior had been going on in a small town in Tennessee. Prior to, and during the Second World War, in a place called Athens, Tennessee, people were bullied, controlled and killed at the whim of a self-appointed group of men determined to keep their places as officials in charge. They did so with little or no repercussions as the residents were in fear for their very lives. It became a way of living for ordinary citizens who only wanted to live peacefully.
But as happens in life, the more people have, the more they desire. The mob of officials became more and more powerful and arrogant taking what they wanted without regard to cost. And, again, as happens in life, some people decided enough was enough.
Young men returning from combat as the war ended, began to wonder what was happening in their town. What had they just spent months, even years, fighting for if not freedom? Why did they not have that freedom in their own country? Why were they allowing a select few to control and kill at will?
The seasoned veterans decided it was time to take back their city. The tale of Athens is an inspiring story of courage and determination. It wasn’t easy to step up again. This is a book that is a must read. The characters are real, the history is real and the description of what occurred is breathtaking. I would recommend this book to history buffs and citizens of all interests.
November 10, 2020
This is definitely a book I have been waiting for! First of all, I wish to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC ebook. Second, I need to tell you that this true story is still alive and moving about the families of Athens, Tennessee. I lived there for 12 years in the 1980s and 90s, and loved to hear different residents talk about the “Battle of Athens”. While few of them were actually there at the time of the battle, all long-time Athenians could tell the story passed down from their fathers and grandfathers. It is a terrific tale of the return of WW2 veterans returning home to decompress after years of horrific war only to find that the freedoms for which they were fighting had long since left town. But these guys were no wild bunch of terrorists and looters. They were hardened fighters and had no patience with crooked politicians who had NOT served their county, much less their country, during the war. Chris DeRose did a wonderful job of thoroughly researching the backgrounds and incidents. It is a great chapter in the American passion for freedom and justice in a small town. I will buy this book and hope you decide to do the same!
December 4, 2020
In these tense days of ideological polarization and threats of political violence, the new book by noted historian and jurist Chris DeRose is a salve. He recounts The Battle of Athens, an armed encounter in August 1946 that pitted GIs recently returned from World War Two against a violent political machine that terrorized McMinn County in Tennessee.
The author paints detailed portraits of the heroes, ordinary people like Bill White and Otto Kennedy, and the circumstances that led them to take up arms against their local government. We meet Boss Crump, the corrupt politician who ran the state of Tennessee for decades, and the regional boss of McMinn County, Paul Cantrell, a former sheriff whose brutal deputies spread fear and resentment among the local residents.
Written in clear, engaging prose, this book reminds us that we have overcome political turmoil before and will certainly do so again. DeRose has given us a hopeful parable for our time.
A great holiday gift for those who love American history
The author paints detailed portraits of the heroes, ordinary people like Bill White and Otto Kennedy, and the circumstances that led them to take up arms against their local government. We meet Boss Crump, the corrupt politician who ran the state of Tennessee for decades, and the regional boss of McMinn County, Paul Cantrell, a former sheriff whose brutal deputies spread fear and resentment among the local residents.
Written in clear, engaging prose, this book reminds us that we have overcome political turmoil before and will certainly do so again. DeRose has given us a hopeful parable for our time.
A great holiday gift for those who love American history
September 7, 2021
The Fighting Bunch tells the story of cleaning up Athens TN which is the county seat of McMinn County hallway between Chattanooga and Knoxville. It was a small town that was run by a crooked political machine. After fighting for democracy overseas returning GI’s were stunned to come home and find how deep the machine had corrupted local politics. They decided to organize a slate on non-partisan candidates to run to clean up the town. To say the least the machine had other ideas which led to the GI’s raiding a national guard armory and having a shootout with the corrupt police and hired thugs. The story that unfolds is almost too crazy to believe and due to the threat of prosecution many of the men involved never spoke of their involvement. As they have all begun to pass away and people found things in various safes and other papers the story began to fold out. The author puts it all together and does a great job of looking at the chaotic struggle. This book will keep you engaged and despite its length you will end up flying through it to find out what happens next.
November 2, 2020
I think it would be a good thing if this book were required reading for all politicians, both before they take office and after they've been in office a year to remind them who they work for. I had never heard of this incident before which doesn't surprise me. History that goes against conventional wisdom is seldom celebrated.
A group of WWII veterans returning to their homes in Athens, Tennessee utilize their hard won fighting skills to take their town back from corrupt politicians that extended from their local "good ole boys" all the way to the governor's mansion. The corruption had been in place for generations, gaining strength until they controlled every inch of the county and city. But these veterans had had enough.
I absolutely loved this book. The details leading up to and after the uprising set the stage perfectly for the readers to see through the eyes of these young men and make the same decision they did....we're not going to take it any longer.
A group of WWII veterans returning to their homes in Athens, Tennessee utilize their hard won fighting skills to take their town back from corrupt politicians that extended from their local "good ole boys" all the way to the governor's mansion. The corruption had been in place for generations, gaining strength until they controlled every inch of the county and city. But these veterans had had enough.
I absolutely loved this book. The details leading up to and after the uprising set the stage perfectly for the readers to see through the eyes of these young men and make the same decision they did....we're not going to take it any longer.
October 24, 2020
An entertaining history of an armed rebellion of American GIs against a crooked political regime in EasternTennessee. The town, led by young men recently returned from the battlefield in WWII, took up arms to insure a fair election.
The best part of the book is the end. Rather than gloating over their success, the GIs took positions in public service and made peace in the town. The enemies became friends and moved on.
This true story is almost like fiction. The storyline moves well, although it is hard to keep up with the characters at times. It also seems unreal that the uprising is accepted rather than forcefully put down by government forces. It is not a narrative that could be repeated.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The best part of the book is the end. Rather than gloating over their success, the GIs took positions in public service and made peace in the town. The enemies became friends and moved on.
This true story is almost like fiction. The storyline moves well, although it is hard to keep up with the characters at times. It also seems unreal that the uprising is accepted rather than forcefully put down by government forces. It is not a narrative that could be repeated.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2020
Simply Excellent! 1930's-40's Athens, Tennessee was in the grip of a corrupt political machine. Repeated efforts and requests were made to the US Government to stop the overwhelming voter fraud and intimidation, with absolutely no results. WWII veterans from all branches came home to find their home town still being terrorized and intimidated by corrupt officials. In addition to very well documented accounts of corruption and violence, this is the inspiring story of the veterans - their WWII exploits, and on their return, how they banded together to save their town. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars
Want to read
November 7, 2020This is a pretty remarkable story that I had never heard about before. War veterans came home to a corrupt political system and fought to restore power to the people. What an incredible story this is and it blows my mind that I had never heard of this before.
These guys held an armed rebellion in our country to restore the broken system. Did you get that? An armed rebellion against the government on US soil after WWII. I've been a history buff since high school and I never once had heard about this before.
It is a truly remarkable story and these guys are heroes for standing up for what is right against a corrupt system.
5 Stars, you need to read this book, it is incredible.
These guys held an armed rebellion in our country to restore the broken system. Did you get that? An armed rebellion against the government on US soil after WWII. I've been a history buff since high school and I never once had heard about this before.
It is a truly remarkable story and these guys are heroes for standing up for what is right against a corrupt system.
5 Stars, you need to read this book, it is incredible.
November 27, 2020
"The only successful armed rebellion on US soil since the American Revolution"--if that makes you say, "Wait, what?" then this book is for you. Political corruption in local government and police came to a head in Athens, Tennessee after WWII, and a group of GIs had to take matters into their own hands. Then they mostly avoided talking about it for the rest of their lives, leading the author down many rabbit holes to try to find out what really happened. The book could have used a bit more structural editing, but the story is very much worth knowing.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.
September 28, 2020
The Fighting Bunch is a exciting piece of a historical story that many have never heard of out know if back in 1946 in Tennessee. I had never hear of this before. The research on this true story is outstanding,exciting and challenging to read. The many men who fought for freedom not only overseas come back home to find this,our country is being taken over. Time to vote,these men have to fight to take back out homes,our country from men who want control. Fantastic reading you will not believe what happened in that state and how they had to band together! Received this from Net Gallery!
October 7, 2020
This was a quick read and a wonderful one about a group of WWII veterans fighting abroad for democracy who came home to find that their county was run more like the dictatorships they were battling against than the ideals they were fighting for. What a fascinating story that was largely hidden for decades! The author backs up the story with many primary sources, including some from the people involved in the "Battle of the Ballots." (My copy was received courtesy of Net Galley.)
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