The Commission for Relief in Belgium —

       The Little-known True Story: During World War I (1914-1918), the American-led Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) and its Belgian counterpart, the Comité National (CN), did what was thought to be impossible — save from starvation an entire nation that was trapped in the middle of a world war. The CRB and CN initiated, organized, and supervised the largest food relief the world had ever seen. Nearly 10 million Belgians and northern French trapped behind German lines were saved from starvation during four years of the Great War. Young, idealistic Americans volunteered to go into German-occupied territory as CRB delegates to guarantee the imported food would not be taken by the Germans. These humanitarian crusaders were committed to helping the civilians and maintaining strict neutrality as they watched the Belgians suffer under the harsh German regime. The relief efforts faced huge logistical challenges, international intrigues, and internal conflicts between the CRB and CN leaders. It is one of America’s greatest humanitarian efforts that few know of today.

Yanks behind the Lines — This 300-page book published by international book publisher Rowman & Littlefield is the distillation of more than 10 years of work and my previous two books into a concise and fascinating overview for general readers. Covering August 1914 until May 1917 when the last Americans had to leave Belgium because of America’s April entry into the war, Yanks is structured thematically, providing chapters for all the critical issues while interweaving intriguing personal details about individual Americans and Belgians. (Preorder direct from Rowman and Littlefield or from Amazon.) See reviews and book blurbs.

Behind the Lines — A Kirkus Best Books of 2014, the book was described as “An excellent history that should catapult Miller to the top tier of popular historians.” (I’m still waiting for the catapult!) It details the war’s chaotic first five months (August-December 1914), the complexities of starting the CRB and the CN, and the initial civilian resistance to the harsh German rule. Order at Amazon.