Marshall, S. L. A.
Marshall, S. L. A. (1900–1977), military writer, journalist, army officer, pioneer of combat history techniques in World War II.Born in Catskill, New York, Samuel A. Marshall grew up in El Paso, Texas, enlisted in the army in 1917, and won a lieutenant's commission in France. He subsequently joined the National Guard. Marshall became a journalist in El Paso in 1923, but moved in 1927 to the Detroit News, from which, except during tours of army duty, he covered wars for forty years. Through his syndicated column and other publications, “SLAM” Marshall became one of America's best‐known military writers.
In writing battlefield history, Marshall's technique was to interview survivors, particularly enlisted men and junior officers, individually and in groups, soon after an encounter. He elicited and compared details and wrote up his findings almost immediately in a highly readable, anecdotal narrative style.
Two...
[The entire page is 632 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
