August, 2026
Published
384
Pages
28 b&w illus. 6 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.
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About Bourque's Barton’s War
Major General Raymond O. Barton commanded the US 4th Infantry Division from July 1942 until December 1944 in the European Theater of World War II. Suffering from a severe ulcer, he relinquished command, returned to the United States in early 1945, and died in 1963. Stephen A. Bourque first mined Barton’s papers for his biography, Tubby: Raymond O. Barton and the US Army, 1889–1963 (UNT Press, 2024). Among these many hundreds of letters and documents was a sixty-six-page typed manuscript of events between March 1944 and April 1945. Compiled by his aides-de-camp and military assistants, the daily entries identify General Barton’s activities while training in England and commanding his division during the landing on Utah Beach; during the capture of Cherbourg and the liberation of Paris; and during the bloody fighting along the German border in the Schnee Eifel, the Hürtgen Forest, and Luxembourg. This diary, edited by Bourque with commentaries and explanatory footnotes, describes Barton’s daily travels and exposes his intensive interaction with superiors, subordinates, and other American leaders. Few World War II division commanders left such a historical record of their command tenure.
Augmenting the edited diary are other documents that provide context and explanation, including the 4th Infantry Division’s “Narrative History.” Written primarily by the 4th Division historian, it has not previously appeared in print. In addition, other documents—such as the 4th division’s daily and monthly after-action reports, unit orders, and unit journals—provide evidence that the commander was engaged in the day’s action. In addition, Barton’s extensive letters and military documents offer insight into his role as a commander. Where the narrative history lacks sufficient detail, Bourque has added his own comments.
Barton’s War is an unprecedented window into the daily activities of an American combat division commander, providing historians, military officers, and historic travelers a detailed accounting of this prominent commander.
About the Author
STEPHEN A. BOURQUE is a Professor Emeritus at the US Army Command and General Staff College. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1992 after twenty years of enlisted and commissioned service, with duty stations in the United States, Germany, and the Middle East. After earning a Ph.D. at Georgia State University, Dr. Bourque has taught American and European history at several colleges and universities, including Georgia State University, California State University-Northridge, and the University of Kansas. He lives in Columbia, Missouri, with his wife, Debra.
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Barton’s War: The War Diary of Major General Raymond O. Barton, 4th Infantry Division, March 1944-January 1945
384 pp. 28 b&w illus. 6 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.
