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Alvin C. York (1887-1964) - a devout Christian, conscientious objector, and reluctant hero of World War I - is one of America's most famous and celebrated soldiers. York is credited with the capture of 132 German soldiers on October 8, 1918, in the Meuse-Argonne region of France - a deed for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. At war's end, the media glorified York's bravery, but some members of the German military and a soldier from his own unit cast aspersions on his wartime heroics. Historians continue to debate whether York has received more recognition than he deserves. In Alvin York, Douglas V. Mastriano sorts fact from myth in the first full-length biography of York in decades. He meticulously examines York's youth in the hills of east Tennessee, his service in the Great War, and his return to a quiet civilian life dedicated to charity. By reviewing artifacts recovered from the battlefield using military terrain analysis, forensic study, and research in both German and American archives, Mastriano reconstructs the events of October 8th and corroborates the recorded accounts. Winner of 2015 William Colby Award