"It has long been accepted wisdom that Germany's infantrymen possessed superior tactical ability relative to their Anglo-American adversaries in World War II. Now, drawing on newly available information, Stephen Lauer unpacks that assumption, exploring the conscription, classification, and training methods of the US, British, and German infantries from 1919 through 1945. How did conscripted citizens become foot soldiers willing to fight, and even die, for each other in the face of brutal physical and mental demands? How was it decided which men to assign to combat units? How did each nation engender the social bonds that were essential if soldiers were to succeed-and survive-in their small unit milieus? Addressing these questions of manpower quality, Forging the Anvil is a landmark study of the key factors that influenced the creation of World War II infantries and sustained them in the crucible of close combat"-- Provided by publisher.

Forging of the anvil --The United Kingdom : lowering selection standards -- The United States : raising selection standards -- Germany : learning from World War II -- The United Kingdom : fighting a defensive war -- The United States : mobilizing for war -- Germany : fighting an offensive war -- The United Kingdom : consolidating recruitment and induction -- The United States : improving infantry quality -- Germany : fighting the anvil.