Well-written and interesting account of the American response to chemical weapons during WWI. In The Hellfire Boys, Theo Emery traces the development of gas weaponry, the military response, and the impact these weapons had on the people inventing them and the soldiers using them. Emery also recounts the shifting public perception of chemical warfare following the war, as well as the offshoots of chemical weapons research that still exist today. Emery has clearly put a lot of research and thought into the book based on the detailed accounts and many personal anecdotes from people involved in the American chemical weapons programs that were included in his writing. Although this is a bit of a slow read, The Hellfire boys is anything but boring and I would absolutely recommend this book.

This ARC was provided complements of NetGalley. My thanks. Gratitude sent to Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. for making this pre-release available.

The author exposed me to the silent killer of World War 1 - poison gas. A dreadful piece of history. It was America's first introduction to a weapon of mass destruction. Many within the country protested its development - its use. Certainly, there had to be a more humane way to disable or kill. Theo Emery devoured mountains of research that enabled me to come to grips with all aspects of its intended use. Horrid. It was a painstakingly, interesting journey, yet, appalling at the same time. We had hit a new low. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had paid the ultimate price in Europe. Land of the walking dead. Look no further for the Bible of poison gas in times of warfare. This is it.

International treaties banning life threatening gases were signed in 1899 and 1907. With the advent of World War 1, they did little good. Not worth the paper they were written on. Germany took the lead in its deployment. France and Britain were not prepared to respond in kind. They rallied to establish their own poison gas programs. Not quick enough. This unfortunate delay cost them thousands of their countrymen's lives. The race was on.

Germany was behind the first gas attack of World War 1. It occurred on April 22, 1915 in the quiet town of Ypres, Belgium. Quiet no longer. Chlorine gas had made its deadly debut. That historic attack spirited the birth of chemical warfare. The allies were desperately, clamoring to establish their own chemical weapons programs. No choice. America remained neutral. For the time being.

President Wilson promised to keep America out of the war. Good intentions. America's resolve was soon tested. On May 7, 1915, a German U-Boat sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania. Of the 1198 that perished, 123 were Americans. The country outraged, moved a step closer to war. With impunity, Germany began sinking U.S. merchant ships. Many lives were lost. America could no longer stand on the sidelines. Finally, on April 6, 1917, the United States of America declared war on Germany. Tears fell.

America's peaceful standard of living changed overnight. German citizens were barred from being within a half-mile of any military or Naval installation. Enemy aliens were blatantly told: "obey the law; keep your mouth shut." A similar sequel would be repeated 24 years later.

Primarily, there had been three known types of gases used on the battlefield when the United States entered the war. Of all, the most lethal were asphyxiants or suffocating gases. Initially, the ones of choice - chlorine and phosgene. Death occurred to those unfortunate men in the most violent way imaginable.

On another front, America was consumed with gas mask design, manufacture and tests for battlefield effectiveness. Time was of the essence. Suitable masks could not be delivered to troops quick enough. The war would not wait. Little time was available for research. Some mask designs were taken from the French, some from the British. It was a daunting task.

Mustard gas became the gas of choice. It took center stage. Unlike other gases that were carried away with the wind, it lingered for days. The perfect war gas. It reigned supreme.

"Mustard was a blister agent called a vesicant. When it came in contact with skin, pustules formed hours later, often in spots where the skin was most tender. The blisters caused agonizing pain as the skin separated from the underlying tissue. Clothing didn't provide protection: for liquid soaked through cloth and leather to the skin underneath. To make matters worse, it was still extremely toxic if inhaled, even in small quantities, and caused terrible inflammation of the throat and lungs. It caused temporary blindness if it came into contact with soldiers eyes. It could be lethal in high concentrations, but the vast majority of cases with long-lasting injuries took exposed soldiers off the battlefield for eight weeks or more. While it had a distinctive smell, it could be faint and was easily masked with other gases."

On American soil, many experiments were performed with mustard on humans and animals. Dogs, the animal of choice. Inhumane. Animal rights groups protested vociferously. Their voices fell on deaf ears. The testing went on. Volunteers were sorely needed to test the efficacy of gas masks. Still in early development. Many patriots stepped forward. All experienced permanent, debilitating illness of varying degree. All in the name of research. In the name of war. Their names, their sacrifices, not mentioned anywhere in the annals of history. Better to forget it ever happened. That, we can't.

In 1997, the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had been adopted. It contained tighter control over the manufacture of chemical weapons. Another worthless treaty. In 2013 Syrian forces attacked a suburb in Damascus with poison gas. Corpses of men, women and children were strewn everywhere about the village. They perished a savage death. Two years later another attack followed with mustard. In the early part of 2017, the half-brother of the North Korean president was killed with a poisonous agent. There's no indication that chemical warfare has ended. History has a way of repeating itself. All we can do is hope for the best. Plan for the worst.