REVIEW ESSAY

“Burn, Bomb, Destroy: The German Sabotage Campaign in North America (1914 - 1917)

Reviewed by Erik Jens, Director of National Intelligence University's European Academic Center. Prior to joining NIU, he served as a signals and human intelligence collector-_first as a U.S. Army enlisted linguist and later as an intelligence officer and DoD civilian, completing five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds a BA degree in English from UCLA and a JD from the University of Michigan. Erik teaches intelligence collection, history, and law and ethics. He has contributed several excellent book reviews and articles to AIJ
in the past.

“Burn, Bomb, and Destroy is a highly readable. Thoroughly researched account of a too-little-remembered episode in early 20th century U.S. history. Overshadowed in history by America's 1917 entry into the Great War and direct military confrontation with Germany, the latter's 1914-1917 sabotage campaign was vicious and effective.” - Erik Jens

What people are saying about “Burn, Bomb, Destroy”

“The book arrived mid Monday morning and I finished it late Tuesday afternoon. The book held me in rapt attention, these days that is difficult because of my age. I resented enforced breaks to my reading - except those for food. The book gave me exactly what I wanted - an enthralling, detailed history of German sabotage in the USA prior to the latter’s entry into the Great War. The writer’s experience as a detective and bomb disposal officer , his interest in the history of the bomb in America adds to this history illuminating the events he is describing so much so that I felt I was actually present at them.

The writing suits me. It is direct, clear and precise. Not once did I feel the writing got in the way of the events and personalities being described. Writing is, to me, the key component in a history book. Writing must hold the reader’s attention no matter how good the research or the subject’s perceived apparent interest. I’ve read too many history books on seemingly interesting topics that thanks to the writing I’ve wanted to throw the volume against a wall or just abandoned reading it. The presentation here of the writer’s research is what makes it so readable. History is my favourite subject and I think this author could give writing lessons to some British academic historians.

The book encloses closely linked sabotage events into specific chapters which makes them straightforward to read and grasp. The link between events are the characters we meet and their roles. Each chapter is interesting yet the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts.

I’d read several American histories written over the last twenty years that describe the events in America during 1914-17 but they lacked the details I craved. The information here filled those innumerable knowledge gaps and enhanced my grip of events.

I was reminded how many law enforcement agencies there are and therefore how difficult it was to correlate information between them during investigations. In addition I understand in 1914 one in ten Americans were either German born or first generation Americans, which made their adherence to Germany understandable as was their willingness to work against the Allies/Britain’s interests.

I have been reading about the Great War since the mid 1950s and it’s only in the last ten to fifteen years, that I’ve realised how vital America was to Britain through the whole 1914-18 period.

How and why America entered the Great War intrigued me. Specific and general histories emphasise the vital role the Zimmerman Telegram played in America’s decision to go to war in 1917. Those books paid little, if any, attention to what is described in this book to that war decision. As I read this book I felt these sabotage events must have had an impact on that 1917 decision. Interestingly the author raises the same point.

I have been fascinated by spying and intelligence since Burgess and MacLean disappeared from Britain in 1951. I have concentrated on British books written on/by secret agents and historians from The First World War till now. They have naturally (?) a bias towards Britain and Britain’s achievements (and failings). I wonder do British histories when describing the importance of the Zimmerman Telegram’s to America’s war decision oversell it because they are unaware of the events described here?

I understand this historical subject sadly is little known even in America. This writer’s re-discovery of the events that occurred in this intriguing period of history needs to be incorporated into the mainstream histories of the Great War. As for the impact Zimmerman on the US’s War decision can this book spark a revision?

I liked the book’s physical presentation its typeface is particularly clear and the paper is good quality. it enhanced reading this history to make it sheer pleasure.”

“Michael Digby is technically astute and a compelling author who consistently manages to compress the verbose, technical, and complex into a concise, easily readable, and enjoyable narrative. Frequently the story entails several threads, but Digby stitches them together so the reader maintains clarity without becoming lost and disorientated. A mix of stunning revelation, to those previously uninitiated, and expertly told detail that explains and enhances through a well-crafted and logical flow; this book’s appeal will range from period enthusiasts to those who are simply looking for an exciting and historically accurate account.”

“I purchased a copy of this book at an Arson and Bomb Investigation conference last week. The preface and the introduction had me hooked before I started reading chapter one. Not only is this an exceptionally well-researched story and a great historical read, it is also a must-read for anyone currently in the emergency preparedness, intelligence, or homeland security business. How the German military and government ran the intelligence and sabotage components of their operations is a textbook look at the process current groups will and are using to operate away from the electronic grid. If you are not in the security or preparedness business, it is an excellent military history text. Highly recommend.”