Stephen Taber, A Rainbow Division Lieutenant in France: The World War I Diary of John H. Taber

A focused and balanced account of the firsthand experiences of an American officer in World War I, the original diary of John Taber provides a uniquely valuable window into life in the trenches and on the war's front lines in Germany and France. Sponsored by the United States World War One Centennial Commission.

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Lieutenant John Huddleston Taber was a New Yorker assigned to the 168th “Third Iowa” Infantry Regiment of the American Expeditionary Force’s 42nd “Rainbow” Division during World War I.

His diary provides a detailed narrative of a young officer maturing through his war experiences, from the voyage across the submarine filled Atlantic, to training in France, to front line combat. In a clear, unaffected voice, Taber records his dealings with superiors and enlisted men, billets in French and German towns, life in the trenches, intense shelling, machine gun fire, gas warfare, leaves to Paris, the occupation of Germany, and his return to New York.

STEPHEN H. TABER (Editor), the second cousin of John H. Taber, is a financial specialist on Brazil. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

JOHN H. TABER (Author) graduated from Columbia University in 1917 and was attached as a second lieutenant to the 168th Infantry (Iowa) of the Rainbow Division in World War I. He published a history of the 168th in 1925. He passed away in New York City in 1986.