Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall was an American military journalist, historian, and soldier whose work significantly influenced modern military training and tactical analysis. Born in Catskill, New York, Marshall served with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I before transitioning into journalism, where he specialized in military affairs.
During World War II and the Korean War, Marshall served as the chief combat historian for the United States Army. He published Blitzkrieg: Armies on Wheels in 1940, analyzing the rapid tactical maneuvers of the German Wehrmacht. Over his career, he authored more than 30 books, retiring from active service in 1960 but continuing to serve as an unofficial advisor and historian during the Vietnam War.
Marshall's most famous and controversial work, Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command, argued that fewer than 25 percent of combat soldiers actually fired their weapons at the enemy during battle. Although his research methodology and data have faced significant criticism and debate from subsequent historians, his broader conclusions regarding the psychological barriers to killing in combat and his recommendations for improving soldier training have remained highly influential.
