When the United States officially entered World War I in 1917, it was woefully underprepared for chemical warfare. In response, the US Army created an entirely new branch: the Chemical Warfare Service. The army turned to trained chemists and engineers to lead the charge-and called on an array of others, including baseball players, to fill out the ranks. The Gas and Flame Men is the first full account of Major League ballplayers who served in the Chemical Warfare Service.