Ambrose, Stephen

Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

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Don't miss this one!
First book to finish
Band of Brothers CD
Maybe better than the HBO miniseries
Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 074322454X

Amazon.com

As grippingly as any novelist, preeminent World War II historian Stephen Ambrose tells the horrifying, hallucinatory saga of Easy Company, whose 147 members he calls the nonpareil combat paratroopers on earth circa 1941-45. Ambrose takes us along on Easy Company's trip from grueling basic training to Utah Beach on D-day, where a dozen of them turned German cannons into dynamited ruins resembling "half-peeled bananas," on to the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of part of the Dachau concentration camp, and a large party at Hitler's "Eagle's Nest," where they drank the madman's (surprisingly inferior) champagne. Of Ambrose's main sources, three soldiers became rich civilians; at least eight became teachers; one became Albert Speer's jailer; one prosecuted Bobby Kennedy's assassin; another became a mountain recluse; the despised, sadistic C.O. who first trained Easy Company (and to whose strictness many soldiers attributed their survival of the war) wound up a suicidal loner whose own sons skipped his funeral.

The Easy Company survivors describe the hell and confusion of any war: the senseless death of the nicest kid in the company when a souvenir Luger goes off in his pocket; the execution of a G.I. by his C.O. for disobeying an order not to get drunk. Despite the gratuitous horrors it relates, Band of Brothers illustrates what one of Ambrose's sources calls "the secret attractions of war ... the delight in comradeship, the delight in destruction ... war as spectacle." --Tim Appelo

Amazon.com Audibook Review

The men of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, volunteered for this elite fighting force because they wanted to be the best in the army--and avoid fighting alongside unmotivated, out-of-shape draftees. The price they paid for that desire was long, arduous, and sometimes sadistic training, followed by some of the most horrific battles of World War II. Actor Cotter Smith--a veteran of numerous TV movies and Broadway plays--spins Stephen Ambrose's tale with almost laconic ease. Anecdote by anecdote, he lets the power of the story build. By the time the company has gotten through D-day and seized Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Bavaria, we feel we know as much about the men and their missions as we do about our own brothers. (Running time: 5 hours, 4 cassettes) --Lou Schuler

Book Description

As good a rifle company as any in the world, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, kept getting the tough assignments -- responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. In Band of Brothers, Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze, and died, a company that took 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office. Drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers' journals and letters, Stephen Ambrose recounts the stories, often in the men's own words, of these American heroes.

Download Description

Band of Brothers is the account of the men of the remarkable Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden, these men fought, went hungry, froze, and died, taking 150 percent casualties and considering the Purple Heart a badge of office. Stephen Ambrose tells the stories, often in the men's own words, of these American heroes, drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers' journals and letters.

Customer Reviews:

Don't miss this one!.......2007-06-11

The book the marvelous Band of Brother's mini series was extracted from is one great read. I've always trusted Mr. Ambrose histories and this is one of his best. A strongly reccommended read and I highly recommend watching the mini series Band of Brothers also. Excellent.

First book to finish.......2007-06-10

OK, I am not done with it yet, but will be in the next day or so. I have never found a book to keep my interest very long, even small books, but this one is a great book to read, action, true life experiences, and very informational. I have not seen the series in order yet, just when i can catch them on tv, but plan to after i finish this book. I would recomment this book to anyone.

Band of Brothers CD.......2007-05-31

I got this as a gift for my husband. He is really hard to buy for, but I struck a winner with this gift. He said that he really enjoyed listening to the cd. As he was listening, he could see parts of the movie in his mind.

Maybe better than the HBO miniseries.......2007-05-24

This book rules. I should read a lot more Ambrose, but I haven't. His command of the subject and the beautifully edited quotes create a multi-voiced narrative with depth and subtelty which nevertheless follows a stirring storyline. The book takes a little less time than the series, which is terrific, with complete excerpts of events such as the taking of Foy and the drop into Normandy. In terms of historical narrative, this is absolutely tops. One of the best-written nonfiction books I've ever read. I'm not terribly interested in WWII, but this book gets me really stoked to read more.

Band of Brothers.......2007-03-08

I watched the entire television series first. Then I bought the book and found it to be much better, in that it developed the characters more fully and the situations that they got into.

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West

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excellent
a compelling narrative of a courageous American's contribution
A little up-and-down in its narrative
There is no better overview
"men to match my mountains..."

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
Stephen Ambrose
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684826976

Amazon.com

A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever.

Book Description

In this sweeping adventure story, Stephen E. Ambrose, the bestselling author od D-Day, presents the definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Ambrose follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Thomas Jefferson's hope of finding a waterway to the Pacific, through the heart-stopping moments of the actual trip, to Lewis's lonely demise on the Natchez Trace. Along the way, Ambrose shows us the American West as Lewis saw it -- wild, awsome, and pristinely beautiful. Undaunted Courage is a stunningly told action tale that will delight readers for generations.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2007-06-24

This book is primarily about Meriwether Lewis and his role in the
expedition across the continent. Stephen Ambrose is phenomenally gifted in bringing history to life.
He sticks very close to the sources and only occasionally takes detours to make conjectures
about things about which the historical record is silent. Despite this the
book is a real page-turner. While Ambrose does an excellent job in describing the ups and downs
of the expedition, I do think that it is a very worthwhile reading the original journals.
I have only read excerpts, however, I believe they surpass even this book. Also, the recent PBS documentary
shows many of the locations described in this book. It is well narrated definitely worth seeing.

a compelling narrative of a courageous American's contribution.......2007-06-21

Many know the overall story of Lewis and Clark. Yes, those two strapping chaps who traversed across our country with that teenage Indian girl before anyone else did. Indeed, before reading Stephen Ambrose's near 600-page book "Undaunted Courage" I doubted how much truly "interesting" detail could exist in their journey. After seeing a few History Channel specials, I was convinced I knew the gist of their journey more than most, and felt that was probably sufficient. What else was there to really consider? As it is with most detailed historical nonfiction I read, I was surprised instantly. Not only did this book provide an intense examination of exploration in early 19th century America, but it is, in general, the most intriguing, intense, suspenseful, joyous, depressing, and inspiring book I've read in a long time. How Ambrose is able to exude such a variety of emotions in his writing I hope to one day discover. How Lewis was able lead people and conquer unknowns so successfully while fading so tragically I doubt I will ever be able to comprehend.

The book's title comes from a characteristic given to Meriwether Lewis both during childhood by a schoolmate, and, after his death, by Thomas Jefferson. It may seem strange that two friends of Lewis so separated from each other at such separate times in Lewis' life would choose the words "undaunted courage" to describe him, but if one is to simply observe the broadest aspects of Lewis' personality, such a description would only be expected. Indeed, the book is more of a biography of Lewis' life and his "undaunted courage" than a historical account of the journey itself. Certainly Ambrose dives into great detail of the journey, but it is always done through Lewis' eyes. The book begins with Lewis' childhood and ends with his death, giving the legendary expedition only about 3/5 of the book's content. This is not a downside by any means.

Ambrose's detailed description of Lewis' childhood, family, education, connection to Jefferson, and military history is not only valuable in understanding Lewis' complex personality, but is beneficial in understanding how Lewis was able to manage the expedition so well. From the very beginning there is a sense, as Ambrose hints at, that Lewis' upbringing prepared him for the unknown journey ahead better than anyone could've planned. The implicit vocational thoughts that come to mind are intriguing to say the least. Ambrose's pre-expedition account doesn't stop with Lewis biographical detail and, alongside his outline of Lewis' evolution from boy to man, he examines the economic and political aspects building up to the expedition from America's infancy to its firmer nationalism. This sort of context is not only helpful, but is essential for understanding the fair-weather friendship between the American people and the expedition before, during, and after the expedition. Details given, like Lewis' firm Democratic-Republican politics, may not appear a necessary issue in understanding the men as they pursue the landscape on the expedition, but in the pre- and post-expedition situations there is high relevance to Lewis' political relations with Jefferson as well as the influential Federalist voices at the time.

After outlining the events leading up to the expedition, Ambrose dives into the detailed planning Lewis put into the journey, his uniting with Clark on the Missouri River, and their party's expedition to and from the Pacific. Ambrose's narrative abilities had, up to this point, done well enough with the biographical and political context, but now, along with the heavy use of Lewis' highly narrative journals, they completely satisfied my reading wants. With the amount of Lewis' journals used in the narrative of the journey, one could even see the book as being written by both Ambrose and Lewis. Given that Lewis may be an even better narrative writer than Ambrose, the book is enhanced to the highest level of narrative historical nonfiction one could ask for. Accounts are always detail-abundant, and mostly firsthand in their variety of descriptions: relations with Indians both peaceful and bloody; songs sung and issues chatted around the bonfire; unique imagery of the plains, Rockies, and Pacific costal forests; hunting expeditions chasing and being chased by grizzlies; feasting on elk and buffalo; starving and scraping by on horse meat and roots; arguments turned to whipping and tribunals. Nearly every aspect one could want in an adventure is given with enough narrative vigor to turn its historical detail to an inspirational asset. Ambrose covers all sides of every account he is able to attain and after it all I felt as though I knew not only Lewis, but Clark and the rest of the party's members. I knew who was a good hunter and who wasn't. Who complained and who was helpful. Who Lewis liked and who he didn't care for. These are the types of details that make you feel a part of something (and to feel a part of the Core of Discovery is no boring trip).

After experiencing both the emotional peaks of success and the devastating disasters, I felt as though I didn't want the trip to simply return and have the book end. Perhaps Ambrose understands his ability to foster intrigue, because most of the detail he delves into post-expedition would probably feel unnecessary and boring without the companionship and connection to Lewis that is developed in the book. While the last leg of Lewis' life as a politician and national hero is probably the most emotional and depressing of the book, this section would not seem so intense and personal without understanding Lewis' somewhat supernatural vitality and leadership skills exhibited up until his return. Therefore, Ambrose wraps the book up in a successful manner I would think impossible, given the complexity of Lewis as a person. I felt as though every aspect one could inquire of Lewis was covered with such comprehensiveness and wrapped up with such clarity that even the most emotionally disappointing instances were covered in full by the artistic and historical impression Ambrose impressed. The reality of it all felt more inspiring than anything.

The book is quite long and took me a considerable amount of time to "plow through", but it never felt tiresome given Ambrose's ability to convey a wealth of information in a way that is concise with its detail and both paced and climactic. I recommend this book for any American whether or not you are interested in history. It reads better than any modern fictional novel would, but it is valuable in the way it describes the type of courage and determination that this country was built on and the fact that that brand of courage was not just some author's fabrication. It is by the daring and courageous efforts of men like Lewis and Clark that we are allowed to enjoy a country not only free from countries like Britain, Spain, and France, but one that ranges from coast to coast and from sea to shining sea.

A little up-and-down in its narrative.......2007-06-05

I have two favorite historians: David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose. When trying to describe their differences to my husband, I told him that David Ambrose is a tweed jacket with patches, a snifter of brandy and a roaring fireplace. Ambrose is a shot of whisky, jeans and flannel and an audience around a campfire. I appreciate Ambrose's style, for the most part, and knowing that he actually retraced most of the voyage in doing his research leaves me in awe of him. But the nature of this narrative is rather up-and-down, particularly working up to the party setting off from St. Louis. I recognize that the pre-journey preparations were important to telling the tale, but I got the idea that he was rather bored with it, and as a result the details weren't too compelling. I had to keep setting the book aside and coming back to it. But once he got to the story of the exploration itself, the momentum picks up, and so does his writing style. I appreciated his use of the actually writings of the Captains, but there were a few places where their entries were used too frequently in place of him conveying their story in a possibly more riveting style. But over all it was a well-written book, and I would recommend it to anyone that I already knew was interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition.

There is no better overview.......2007-06-03

These guys are my heroes. My interest started 11 years ago taking my son along the Columbia River following part of the trail. It has been non-stop from there. I have become an avid first edition collector of L&C and Mr. Ambrose's synopsis can only be topped by the generosity he showed the L&C Foundation. Once you finish reading Undaunted Courage many will undoubtedly want more. Dr. Moulton's synopsis makes a nice follow-up or delve into Dr. Moulton's rewrite of the full journals or if you have the $ find yourself a 1st edition of Thwaites. Earlier first editions, particularly the 1814 Biddle and 1807 Gass, while more valuable are very limited.

This story can only told better by Lewis and Clark. Those who want to see two sites that are as the were should visit Camp Disappointment and The Fight Sight by Cutbank, MT. Camp Disappointment still has as many mosquitoes as complained about by Mr. Lewis.

Fascinating reading and should be a first read by anyone looking to indulge themselves on a journey that hopefully will yield as much pleasure as it has to me.

Mr. Ambrose lives on with this fine piece of early Americana and I am ever indebted to him for enhancing the publics awareness of 29 of American's greatest heroes.

"men to match my mountains...".......2007-04-11

"Bring me men to match my mountains, bring me men to match my plains.... "(American poet Sam Foss, 1894)

This is the greatest story of early America I've read.

I received it as a gift right after 9/11 when I had a stack of books about the Middle East I'd acquired and looked forward to reading. I wasn't in the mood for what appeared to be to be a hagiography of Lewis and Jefferson.

What a surprise when I found this to be the most readable, gripping, informative and inspiring book about American history I've read in my entire life. Far from being a hagiographer Stephen Ambrose describes his characters with all their flaws. His narrative of the heroism and genius of these real people will forever remain one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. The book has copious images of maps, paintings and photographs which help bring the story to life.

I could not put this book out of my mind until I'd completed it. Its fundamental theme is the effort and cooperation of two extraordinary men, Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis; to map and explore the breadth of the U.S. continent, including researching the native Indian population and the flora and fauna. This was all unknown territory. Lewis was the point man, and Jefferson oversaw the excursion from headquarters in Washington. Fortunate for us, a third exceptionally talented man, Stephen Ambrose, has brought this awesome adventure to life for our enjoyment and enlightenment.

Meriwether Lewis died by suicide at age 35. Perhaps, having lived on the edge of peril and experiencing the heady feeling of challenging the unknown for so long he simply couldn't adapt to settled society. (I was reminded of the lives and deaths of two other American adventurer/writers, Jack London and Ernest Hemingway.) Whatever the cause of this sad conclusion, the triumph of his brief life outshines the tragedy of his death.

Following is an extract from Jefferson's journal of 1813, paying tribute to Lewis: "Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose...of sound understanding and a fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him."

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics

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Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics
Mark Twain , Stephen Crane , Ambrose Bierce , and Jack London
Manufacturer: The Audio Partners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1572703032

Book Description

These ten classic stories from four of America's greatest authors of the 19th and early 20th century were selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities. The stories include Mark Twain's "The One-Million Pound Bank Note," "A Visit to Niagara," and "A Mysterious Visit;" Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel;" Ambrose Bierce's "The Eyes of the Panther;" and Jack London's "The Love of Life" and "To Build a Fire."

Customer Reviews:

Negative, negative, negative.......2007-06-11

I bought this selection because of the title, which credits the stories to Mark Twain. I would have loved ten of his stories! Unfortunately, the selections for inclusion (other than Mr. Twain's) were some of the poorest examples of American literature that I have read. They weren't even good irony; they were just depressing. I'm sure there could be a great collection of American short stories; these were certainly not that.

Wonderful! .......2007-05-12

I bought this and a few other books on CD for my husband who has a bit of dislexia (sp?) and has trouble reading. He was so engrossed in the stories that if he were near the end of one, he would sit in the driveway and listen until it was done. So then, by proxy, I know all of the stories and it seems like a wonderful 'read'. This is a perfect gift for someone who enjoys fine adventure literature by fine authors.

Successful Gift.......2006-12-13

I purchased this for my father along with a selection of other audio books. He reported that he liked this one the best. Apparently the selection of stories was excellent, and the reading was clear and expressive.

great honest review.......2006-02-21

honestly, I would never waste my money again on such a load of junk... so much better lit out there... go surf amazon.com to find some really good books

Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics.......2005-11-17

Book Description
These ten classic stories from four of America's greatest authors of the 19th and early 20th century were selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities. The stories include Mark Twain's "The One-Million Pound Bank Note," "A Visit to Niagara," and "A Mysterious Visit;" Stephen Crane's "The Blue Hotel;" Ambrose Bierce's "The Eyes of the Panther;" and Jack London's "The Love of Life" and "To Build a Fire."

We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance

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Well Written niche of WW2
A Norwegian Saboteurs's Story
Inspiring
Simply Amazing
Amazing

We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
David Howarth
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Two Survived

ASIN: 1558219730

Book Description

One of the most exciting escape narratives to emerge from the challenges and miseries of World War II chronicles Jan Baalsrud’s escape from Nazi-occupied arctic Norway.

Amazon.com

If this story of espionage and survival were a novel, readers might dismiss the Shackleton-like exploits of its hero as too fantastic to be taken seriously. But respected historian David Howarth confirmed the details of Jan Baalsrud's riveting tale. It begins in the spring of 1943, with Norway occupied by the Nazis and the Allies desperate to open the northern sea lanes to Russia. Baalsrud and three compatriots plan to smuggle themselves into their homeland by boat, spend the summer recruiting and training resistance fighters, and launch a surprise attack on a German air base. But he's betrayed shortly after landfall, and a quick fight leaves Baalsrud alone and trapped on a freezing island above the Arctic Circle. He's poorly clothed (one foot is entirely bare), has a head start of only a few hundred yards on his Nazi pursuers, and leaves a trail of blood as he crosses the snow. How he avoids capture and ultimately escapes--revealing that much spoils nothing in this white-knuckle narrative--is astonishing stuff. Baalsrud's feats make the travails in Jon Krakauer's Mt. Everest classic Into Thin Air look like child's play. In an introduction, Stephen Ambrose calls We Die Alone a rare reading experience: "a book that I absolutely cannot put down until I've finished it and one that I can never forget." This amazing book will disappoint no one. --John J. Miller

Customer Reviews:

Well Written niche of WW2.......2007-02-12

Story about a Norwegian named Jan who goes back to Norway in 1943 to protest the German occupation as an agent of sabatoge and organize resistance. Things go awry and he is forced to rely on the people there for help in getting thru to neutral Sweeden as the sole survivor of his group. It is very well written and a great story. Every bit of what Jan went thru, and it was unbelievable, seemed to be there. The writer some how transformed himself into Jan, it was so real. It may be tedious to some, but to others who are truly interested in what happened and what Jan and his helpers when thru; it was hard to put this book down. People who enjoy psychology and moderate to heavy deep thinkers would enjoy this especially. There is some action as well, but much of it dwells on how Jan gets thru day to day on the edge of death, sick and crippled and waiting for his saviors, and what his saviors go thru as well. Little piece of WW2 for those hungry for something different about that war, like me. Next Up, 'Seven Days in January'.

A Norwegian Saboteurs's Story.......2007-01-12

This book starts off with a real Hollywood type beginning, a crew of Norwegians saboteurs attempting to implant themselves back into Nazi occupied Norway after receiving training in England. As the team is landing, the Germans capture or kill the whole team, except one escapee, Jan Baalsrud. Jan performs heroics to escape the initial ambush, scaling icy cliffs, while wounded and barefoot, swimming bays to elude German search parties. Jan's goal is to survive and escape to Sweden
A non-fiction book can not twist stories the way Hollywood can. In this case the action is at the beginning. The remainder of the story is really the story of a frostbitten crippled man being stored in remote huts and ice caves, enduring the cold, while Norwegian patriots are scheming to provide him with food, transportation and safe passage to Sweden. The story of this hero's endurance becomes a little tedious. I did not find it a story of the ultimate endurance, but it is well worth reading. The lifestyle and landscape of small isolated fishing villages in Northern Norway during World War II is very interesting. The fact that Jan Baalrud was often stored with a sledge and some meager provisions in an ice cave for a week or two while his destiny was being planned by Nature's storms, German search parties and local villagers.

Inspiring.......2006-11-01

A classic survival adventure tale taking the reader through the frozen reaches of Norway and Sweden along with the cultural study of the Laps people of the far north. Very difficult to put down and a rewarding theme of overcoming not just the Nazi pursuers but the wild and chilling glacier wilderness. It is a moving story of the bravery of common people caught in the clutches of a ruthless regime. The help they provided and the number of them that risked their lives for the well being of one man is inspiring. It will restore your faith in that inner spark of humanity that wins out over so much evil.

Simply Amazing.......2006-10-26

This is one of the most exciting books I have ever read. It can be read on many different levels:

The Espionage Level: being hunted by Nazis through the wilds of Northern Norway.

The Outdoor Survival Level: How he survived two avalanches, buried in snow for a week, cutting off his own toes after frostbite, cold-weather survival, travel in wild environments with minimal gear... its all here.

The Psychological Strength Level: How a person can survive against the greatest adversities known to man... endurance, how to endure. Not to just talk it, but to actually endure.
--------

As a mountaineer who was raised in a wild environment of small town Vancouver Island, survival in cold weather, cold water, and over snow and glaciers has been something that I was raised upon. All of his exploits are something that one who loves and has experienced the outdoors will be able to relate to .... how would you handle this case (forget about the fact that Nazi's are chasing you), how would survive being buried, semicomatose in snow for a week... ?

Despite the world's obsession on strength & endurance -- fantasized and read about -- more and more people are likely to take the easy way out of just about any adverse situation. Toughness of mind and body is intellectualised but rarely acted upon; the strongest thing your average modern person is likely to resort to is playing a video game, TV game adventures, reality TV and legal action against those you do not like... In this world people like Jan and his epic are a real inspiration. They have the courage to live their convictions and act out their moral convictions. They show us the importance of moral centre, and how people like him redeemed a generation of people, liberated a continent and delivered a world.

Amazing.......2006-08-17

This book is one of the few storys that make you think that anything is possible. The book is wonderfully writen the only downside is that towards the end of the book it feels like the story is a little repetative. A good read about survival in the arctic during WWII.

Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869

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changing face of America....
"Hmmm.....Railroads are Boring!" Right?
a wonderful journey back in time
Very Well Written, Factual and Fulfilling!
The Great race

Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869
Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684846098

Amazon.com

Abraham Lincoln, who had worked as a riverboat pilot before turning to politics, knew a thing or two about the problems of transporting goods and people from place to place. He was also convinced that the United States would flourish only if its far-flung regions were linked, replacing sectional loyalties with an overarching sense of national destiny.

Building a transcontinental railroad, writes the prolific historian Stephen Ambrose, was second only to the abolition of slavery on Lincoln's presidential agenda. Through an ambitious program of land grants and low-interest government loans, he encouraged entrepreneurs such as California's "Big Four"--Charles Crocker, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Leland Stanford--to take on the task of stringing steel rails from ocean to ocean. The real work of doing so, of course, was on the shoulders of immigrant men and women, mostly Chinese and Irish. These often-overlooked actors and what a contemporary called their "dreadful vitality" figure prominently in Ambrose's narrative, alongside the great financiers and surveyors who populate the standard textbooks.

In the end, Ambrose writes, Lincoln's dream transformed the nation, marking "the first great triumph over time and space" and inaugurating what has come to be known as the American Century. David Haward Bain's Empire Express, which covers the same ground, is more substantial, but Ambrose provides an eminently readable study of a complex episode in American history. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In this account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage, Stephen E. Ambrose offers a historical successor to his universally acclaimed Undaunted Courage, which recounted the explorations of the West by Lewis and Clark.

Nothing Like It in the World is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad -- the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks.

The Union had won the Civil War and slavery had been abolished, but Abraham Lincoln, who was an early and constant champion of railroads, would not live to see the great achievement. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle, and sweat, comes to life.

The U.S. government pitted two companies -- the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads -- against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomo-tives, rails, and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West or lugged across the country to the Plains. This was the last great building project to be done mostly by hand: excavating dirt, cutting through ridges, filling gorges, blasting tunnels through mountains.

At its peak, the workforce -- primarily Chinese on the Central Pacific, Irish on the Union Pacific -- approached the size of Civil War armies, with as many as fifteen thousand workers on each line. The Union Pacific was led by Thomas "Doc" Durant, Oakes Ames, and Oliver Ames, with Grenville Dodge -- America's greatest railroad builder -- as chief engineer. The Central Pacific was led by California's "Big Four": Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins. The surveyors, the men who picked the route, were latter-day Lewis and Clark types who led the way through the wilderness, living off buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope.

In building a railroad, there is only one decisive spot -- the end of the track. Nothing like this great work had been seen in the world when the last spike, a golden one, was driven in at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869, as the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific tracks were joined.

Ambrose writes with power and eloquence about the brave men -- the famous and the unheralded, ordinary men doing the extraordinary -- who accomplished the spectacular feat that made the continent into a nation.

Download Description

The Union had won the Civil War; slavery was abolished. Lincoln, an early champion of railroads, would not live to see the next great achievement. It took brains, muscle, and sweat in quantities and scope never before ventured and required engineers and surveyors willing to lose their lives in the wilderness; men who had commanded and obeyed in war; workers from China, Ireland, and the defeated South; and capitalists betting their money for possible great profit. The government pitted the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution.

Locomotives, falls, and spikes were shipped from the east through Panama, around South America, or lugged across the country. The railroad was the last great building project to be done by hand: excavating dirt, cutting through ridges, filling gorges, blasting tunnels. Nothing like this great railroad had been seen in the world when the last spike, a golden one, was driven in at Promontory Peak, Utah, in 1869, as the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific joined tracks. Ambrose writes with power and eloquence about the brave men who accomplished the spectacular feat that made the nation one.

Customer Reviews:

changing face of America.... .......2007-01-25

American dreams, greed, courage, innovation and daring make this a wonderful story of an event that changed the face of this country forever...

"Hmmm.....Railroads are Boring!" Right?.......2006-11-07

I "read" this as a book on tape. I had this on my Mp3 player for quite awhile because I thought, "Railroad stories are boring!" But, I found that not to be true. Imagine a time when the "fastest" and "easiest" way to travel across country was by wagon, horse, and oxen going 20 miles a day! Then, you find out about a "train" that goes 18 miles an hour and you can just sit there and let it carry you and your stuff for hundreds and even thousands of miles! You don't even have to push your wagon over any rivers! You'd be pretty excited...yea! Then, there's these two Railroad Companies that are competing to see who gets the further in a given amount of time. The further each company lays track the more their profits in terms of land grands and fares will be. The only problems are that they have to tunnel through about 8 mountains, fight off angry Indians, build bridges over streams and rivers and fill in ravines, and get all the supplies and workers out into the wilderness so they can lay the tracks. Plus there are "the personalities" of the leaders and workmen to contend with not to mention how to finance the operation that will take about 6 years to complete at full speed. Yep, it's quite a story! Read it either in print or as a book on tape. Email: boland7214@aol.

a wonderful journey back in time.......2006-10-07

we loved this book - transported back to a time where our country was expanding - highly recommend

Very Well Written, Factual and Fulfilling!.......2006-09-24

Stephen Ambrose did a great job of explaining the complicated details that led to the miracle of the transcontinental railroad. Anyone who appreciates herculean feats and the web of intrigue surrounding their beginnings, eventual birth and their effect on our great country will love this story. A true five star book.

The Great race.......2006-09-10

An engrossing story about the companies and the men behind the building of the Railroad from Omaha to Sacramento. The US Government with its hands tied in the Civil war, sets up a competition between 2 private companies Union Pacific and the Central Pacific who start laying tracks from Omaho and Sacramento. The book details the progress through each state, with insight into the leaders and the workforce behind the construction. Then it reaches a fast pace once we enter Utah where the two tracks meet.
Well this railroad accelerated exponentially the immigration to the the west. The story of the construction is really a mix of great entrepreneurship, big business, railroad surveyors, wild life lovers. But elements like using/abusing an underclass for cheap labor but denying rights, overreacting to native peoples fear of intrusion into their land, insensitivity of big business/technology to native lifestyles may have some relevance even today and make us interospect what 'liberty' actually means.
The Author does a good job in keeping the reader interested, but probably is prone to exaggeration sometimes.
A good way to relive the railroad is to take Amtrak's California Zephyr (which skips wyoming, parts of utah,nevada) or to take I-80

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

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A favorite for all ages.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark
Great Historical/Adventure Literature
Hard to overpraise
Awesome Book

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)
Meriwether Lewis , and William Clark
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395859964

Book Description

In 1803, when the United States purchased Louisiana from France, the great expanse of this new American territory was a blank -- not only on the map but in our knowledge. President Thomas Jefferson keenly understood that the course of the nation's destiny lay westward and that a national "Voyage of Discovery" must be mounted to determine the nature and accessibility of the frontier. He commissioned his young secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead an intelligence-gathering expedition from the Missouri River to the northern Pacific coast and back. From 1804 to 1806, Lewis, accompanied by co-captain William Clark, the Shoshone guide Sacajawea, and thirty-two men, made the first trek across the Louisiana Purchase, mapping the rivers as he went, tracing the principal waterways to the sea, and establishing the American claim to the territories of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. together the captains kept a journal, a richly detailed record of the flora and fauna they sighted, the Indian tribes they encountered, and the awe-inspiring landscape they traversed, from their base camp near present-day St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River. In keeping this record they made an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and the writing of natural history. The Journals of Lewis and Clark, writes Bernard DeVoto, was "the first report on the West, on the United States over the hill and beyond the sunset, on the province of the American future. There has never been another so excellent or so influential...It satisfied desire and created desire: the desire of the westering nation."

Customer Reviews:

A favorite for all ages........2007-04-05

Living on the Columbia River most of my living years, Lewis and Clark are very important to me. This book has been and is still my favorite Lewis and Clark book that I ever did own. I am a Lewis and Clark enthusiast. I admire and love history especially anything to do with Lewis and Clark. They are amazing people of the past that any age group would be interested in learning about. They invoked my interest into the love and joy of learning about history.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark.......2007-01-09

This was a gift for Christmas for my husband who became interested in Lewis and Clark when the journals were published in our area paper. He was very pleased with receiving this book.

Great Historical/Adventure Literature.......2004-01-17

This would be, if I could do it, a two-part review. To the source material itself, the journals, I would award five stars out of five--six out of five, even, spelling errors and all, for it's absolutely superb stuff. I have read a fair bit in the adventure and exploration line of literature, but nothing as good as these journals for conveying what it felt like to be on such an expedition. Often, it is the little detail at the end of a day's entry that works the magic; for example, when you read several dozen times about the mosquitoes and gnats being "verry troublesome," or "exceedingly troublesome," it tells you something. As does Lewis's quiet contentment with a bellyful of fresh meat after a long and weary hike. And, as Stephen Ambrose notes in his moving and evocative foreword to this book, the fact that these are on-the-fly journal entries--not memoirs--means that the reader sees the good and the bad choices, the discovery that went on along the way. You will probably recognize at once, for instance, that not all grizzlies will be as easy to kill as the first one the corps encounters, but they don't know that, and you are there to read of their changing opinion of these bears as they meet more and more of them. So the raw material is first rate.
The second part of my review would be for the editing, and I would give that four stars out of five. DeVoto, for all his erudition, does make something of a nuisance of himself from time to time. In the first place, he was clearly writing for the "Manifest Destiny" camp of historians--an outlook now taken with a few grains of salt. Here he is, for example, commenting on the earliest hostile encounter with an Indian tribe, "Indian bluster immediately collapsed and from then on the terrible Tetons were mere beggars. The moral of the episode was that a new breed of white men had come to the Upper Missouri, one that could not be scared or bullied. The moral was flashed along the Indian underground faster than the expedition traveled. It explains why the captains were received with such solicitous respect by the Arikaras," etc (p.34). So there's a bit of that sort of thing to put up with. Also, for reasons I cannot fathom, DeVoto inserts bridging passages, paraphrases, in certain spots rather than using actual journal entries. One of these is the death and burial of the expedition's one fatality. How did the captains and the other men react to this? I would have liked to know that. There's another such paraphrase covering Sacagawea's incredible meeting with her long-lost brother. What did Lewis and Clark think of that amazing coincidence? We're not told by this book.
All in all, however, this is a magnificent read, and my quibbles above don't detract materially from its enjoyment. If I have one suggestion for anyone looking to read this, however, it would be to view Ken Burns's extraordinary PBS documentary on the expedition first; your library should have it.

Hard to overpraise.......2003-12-16

The powerful experience of reading this book leads me to search my memory for comparisons. This was an Event in my literary life, but comparable to what, whom? Canetti's "Crowds and Power," Eliot's "Middlemarch," Shakespeare's plays? All quite different. Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways?" Unfair to that book to compare. No, this was a singular experience, unlikely to be repeated in its, or any other, genre. I want to say it was the most moving and exhilarating tome by any NON-professional writers in memory.

Through the diurnal accounts are discerned a spectacular natural panorama, an early American mind-set, an anthropology of native North Americans, and--as unexpected as they were inadvertent--self-portraits of two temperate, honest and altogether winning protagonists. Their spelling is atrocious (though we are happy the editor left it uncorrected), but as these were, after all, early 19th century gentlemen, they are characteristically eloquent, in the best sense of that word.

All the praise for these Journals is deserved. One needn't be a particular student of history to appreciate them--they are rewarding on many, many levels.

Awesome Book.......2003-09-25

You have to read this book to consider yourself an American Citizen. This is a great book about a great time. It takes out all of the boring facts and figures and tells you the story of the greatest expedition of all time.

Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany

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I had no idea...
An entertaining and highly informative read
Ambrose: Right on The Money Again
Thank You
A great survey of the Army that defeated Fascism...

Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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ASIN: 0684848015

Amazon.com

Stephen E. Ambrose combines history and journalism to describe how American GIs battled their way to the Rhineland. He focuses on the combat experiences of ordinary soldiers, as opposed to the generals who led them, and offers a series of compelling vignettes that read like an enterprising reporter's dispatches from the front lines. The book presents just enough contextual material to help readers understand the big picture, and includes memorable accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and other events as seen through the weary eyes of the men who fought in the foxholes. Highly recommended for fans of Ambrose, as well as all readers interested in understanding the life of a 1940s army grunt. A sort of sequel to Ambrose's bestselling 1994 book D-Day, Citizen Soldiers is more than capable of standing on its own.

Book Description

In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it.

Customer Reviews:

I had no idea..........2007-06-13

...that the winter of 1944-1945 was so horrific for the average G.I. on the front. A truly excellent read. The fact that Ambrose really admired and respected the "Greatest Generation" is clear from this book - and highlights why we must respect and admire them as well.

I especially appreciated his defense of the 1950's "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" towards the end of the book. The so-called conformity of the 1950's wasn't a weakness or fault. It was a societal strength. I have always suspected this, but didn't know why. Ambrose explains it.

God Bless the World War II vets - among whom was my own father.

An entertaining and highly informative read.......2007-05-13

This illuminating book covers the WWII European Theatre from the top down, from FDR, Churchill, Stalin & Hitler to Ike, Monty, Patton & the German High Command to the grunts in the foxholes on both sides of the line. Very interesting & well written with both facts and anecdodtal stories.

Ambrose: Right on The Money Again.......2007-04-07

Once again, Ambrose captures our attention on the subject of World War II. For this particular book, Ambrose doesn't focus on one unit, like Band Of Brothers, instead he focuses on all members of the United States Armed Forces that participated in the European Theater of Operations. Aptly titled, Citizen Soldiers. This book gives a very full insight to the behavior and feelings of the various people in various units as the the Allied forces pushed their way from Normandy to Germany. Vivid details of random battles, and a lot of information about the regular every day soldier who carries out orders, not the generals that give them. Nice change of pace. I recommend this book to anybody seeking more information on World War II, or any military history buff. Because of language, I would only recommend this to a mature 13-16 year old.

Thank You.......2007-03-11

This was a great transaction. There is a picture of my grandfather in this book!! Awesome product!

A great survey of the Army that defeated Fascism..........2006-06-22

The point of this book is that the United States, after watching the first few years of the war, became, itself, a massive war-power of nearly unparalleled strength.

The book describes how these "citizen soliders" came to be soldiers, and what they did once they were.

It is full of valuable historical information. (For instance, the number of American men classified as 4F, or unfit for military service, is astoundingly large. Primarily this is attributed to poor nutrition due to the depression.)

Like most WWII Ambrose books, there's some overlap with his other titles.

However, this is a great, encyclopedic volume that details the war in europe and how Americans were critical to that victory.

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Eisenhower - From Beginning to End
Ike, Ike, Baby
The Best on Eisenhower
Somewhat lacking in what made Eisenhower so great
Fast moving and well written

Eisenhower
Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Paperback

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Pegasus Bridge

ASIN: 0671747584

Book Description

Stephen E. Ambrose draws upon extensive sources, an unprecedented degree of scholarship, and numerous interviews with Eisenhower himself to offer the fullest, richest, most objective rendering yet of the soldier who became president. He gives us a masterly account of the European war theater and Eisenhower's magnificent leadership as Allied Supreme Commander. Ambrose's recounting of Eisenhower's presidency, the first of the Cold War, brings to life a man and a country struggling with issues as diverse as civil rights, atomic weapons, communism, and a new global role.

Along the way, Ambrose follows the 34th President's relations with the people closest to him, most of all Mamie, his son John, and Kay Summersby, as well as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Harry Truman, Nixon, Dulles, Khrushchev, Joe McCarthy, and indeed, all the American and world leaders of his time. This superb interpretation of Eisenhower's life confirms Stephen Ambrose's position as one of our finest historians.

Customer Reviews:

Eisenhower - From Beginning to End.......2007-05-26

I was 9 years old when "IKE" was elected to the highest office of our land. At that age all I knew was "IKE" was the hero of WWII and collected his campaign buttons, which I wish I still had. At 63 I saw Mr. Ambrose's book and thought it time to acquaint myself with the man who had been my President through my formative years.
"I was not disappointed." Mr. Ambrose, though being very pro-Eisenhower, had a handle on the soldier and statesman. There were things that "IKE" did, according to Ambrose, that I didn't agree with but that no less was his decsions. Living in the 50's and during "IKE'S" tenure, I was no worse for the wear. The biography gave me a better insight into those years. It was my conclusion that Eisenhower did more to keep this counrty solvent and from war, which cannot be said of most of his sucessors.
Excellent read from page one to the last page.....

Ike, Ike, Baby.......2007-05-25

When Dwight David Eisenhower left the presidency he was one the few men to leave more popular than when he entered, but most observes believed that he had abdicated nearly all his duties to his subordinates. Since then things have changed. With access to the declassified papers of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, historians now see Ike as a man in control of the decision making process, delegating only the implementation of his policies. The dean of these revisionist historians was the late Stephen E. Ambrose. A military historian and a former editor of "The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower" who was recruited to this project by the former President himself, Ambrose was well-qualified to write this study.

Ambrose originally wrote a two-volume account that was published in the early 1980s to a good deal of public acclaim. This one volume work is a condensed version. Despite suffering some controversy towards the end of his life over his slipshod citations methods (a long-time characteristic of his work), Ambrose has produced an important and original work of history. Although new work in the field has dated potions of this book (Carlo D'Este's military biography, which concludes with the end of World War II, is better and more detailed on the first half of Ike's life) this book is still the best single volume biography on Eisenhower.

In the presidential years it is no surprise that Ambrose concentrates on world affairs. Ending the Korean war was the first foreign policy issue that Ike had to address. Despite the unsatisfactory end of this conflict, many American leaders still favored the use of military force in other hot spots. Each time a crisis broke out, be it Dien Bien Phu, the repeated incidents in the Strait of Taiwan, or Berlin, Eisenhower opted for a peaceful resolution. Ambrose gives him good grades for his sound judgment but also for keeping his diplomatic options open during these tense moments.

The civil-military relationship is another area where Ambrose gives Eisenhower a positive assessment. The President was reluctant to approve massive new arms appropriation programs, fearing the damage deficit financing would due to the economy. He also worried that a huge military-industrial complex would turn the United States into a police state. If that happened it would not really matter who won the Cold War. In order to achieve the proper balance between ends and means, Eisenhower came to depend on nuclear weapons, getting "more bang for the buck." Depending on nukes resulted in his administration favoring the Air Force, which led to stringent criticisms from the other services. Ike ended up firing Matthew Ridgway as Army Chief of Staff. Another Chief-of-Staff Maxwell Taylor wrote a critical book about Eisenhower's defense policy after he retired. Civil-military relations were actually quite polarized in the 1950s and I think Ambrose is wrong in giving Eisenhower good marks on this topic.

Domestic politics was an issue Eisenhower had to address one way or another and Ambrose covers this topic as well. In these matters, he tends to be more critical of his subject. At a conference I attended, I saw Ambrose discuss his writing. He said he "loved" Eisenhower and knew that he had to be critical of him in some area for anyone to take his book seriously. That criticism comes mainly in the area of civil rights. The President met with black leaders only once during this eight years in office. He never understood the desires of black Americans for full access to the privileges of citizenship and sympathized more with white southerners. Still, he did his job and finished desegregating the military, signed the first civil rights bill since reconstruction, and enforced a court order to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ambrose, though, is right when he argues that Eisenhower could have done more if he had wanted to do more.

Economics receives little attention in this book, even though Ambrose approves of what Eisenhower did. The American economy grew and Ambrose believes it was because Ike kept the budget balanced. In the end, Eisenhower gave the people what they wanted: peace and prosperity. Something they had not had since 1929. Given the importance of economics to Ike's success--the absence of an in-depth study is serious weakness.

Ambrose's admiration of Eisenhower is readily apparent and sometimes gets in the way. His biography of Richard Nixon is better, because Ambrose did not like his subject and that forced him to concentrate on his professional objectivity.

These issues aside, this biography is a wonderful study of Eisenhower. Ambrose says we were "damned luck to have him." Indeed, we were.

The Best on Eisenhower.......2006-11-03

The 1950's were definitely NOT boring. Read EISENHOWER and see what they were all about. Ambrose writes beautifully. FIRST RATE!

Somewhat lacking in what made Eisenhower so great.......2006-01-02

If you are looking for a biography which describes a development of a great individual, this book leaves a lot wanting. For example, only about 10 pages are dedicated to Eisenhower's all important West Point years. His years at West Point were extraordinarily dear and important to his development, as indicated by his desire to be buried at West Point. What made Eisenhower such an extraordinary General and President despite not having extraordinary intelligence and talent? I do not think the book answers this question clearly.

The book, however, is comprehensive. His important relationships with key individuals in his life are well contemplated and analyzed. Finally, Stephen Ambrose is a fluid writer and reading this book was a pleasant experience. Overall, this is worthwhile book if you want to know most things about Eisenhower. Just don't think it will allow you to have an intimate understanding of the development of an extraordinary individual.

Fast moving and well written.......2005-10-12

Quite interesting and readable biography, probably not for experts but an excellent starting point to get your Ike on. History's been increasingly kinder to his presidency as the years go by, and certainly Stephen Ambrose makes the case for his achievements. It's also fascinating to discover that Ike saw no combat in WWI (much to his dismay), and that even just a few years before Pearl Harbor (after nearly three decades in the Army) he'd expected to rise no higher than colonel (and that not until 1950). Definitely a story worth reading.

Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich

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Parachute Infantry
An up and down affair...
Great book
Wonderful account of American paratrooper's experiences
An Excellent Book

Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
David Kenyon Webster , and Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385336497
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Book Description

David Kenyon Webster’s memoir is a clear-eyed, emotionally charged chronicle of youth, camaraderie, and the chaos of war. Relying on his own letters home and recollections he penned just after his discharge, Webster gives a first hand account of life in E Company, 101st Airborne Division, crafting a memoir that resonates with the immediacy of a gripping novel.

From the beaches of Normandy to the blood-dimmed battlefields of Holland, here are acts of courage and cowardice, moments of irritating boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, and pitched urban warfare. Offering a remarkable snapshot of what it was like to enter Germany in the last days of World War II, Webster presents a vivid, varied cast of young paratroopers from all walks of life, and unforgettable glimpses of enemy soldiers and hapless civilians caught up in the melee. Parachute Infantry is at once harsh and moving, boisterous and tragic, and stands today as an unsurpassed chronicle of war--how men fight it, survive it, and remember it.

Customer Reviews:

Parachute Infantry.......2007-03-21

Cold hard facts as seen by someone who was there,and came back. The names are all the same,the blood is all red,ordinary people who gave their all and won!

An up and down affair..........2007-02-21

First off, I approached this book with expectations that were too high and at times I found felt disappointed. As a big fan of the mini series, "Band of Brothers", in which his character is clearly portrayed, I expected his account of the war to be smartly written with better insight and descriptions, making it into a page-turner. At times this held true, with his accounts of the the first plane ride on D-Day, directly following the drop and later in the war. In between were a lot of moments that dragged.

It's important to know right away that his portrayal in " Band Of Brothers" was not very accurate, nor were some of the battle scenes, according to Mr. Webster, who I tend to believe. He was actually wounded twice and the first time happened shortly after D-Day. So early into the book, the momentum shifts when he takes us back to a memorial service for fallen servicemen that he attended, by order, while healing. It was described in detail, dragged and took me out of the momentum of the story that he built up through D-Day.

Once he returned to the front lines, the book gathered momentum and got into some type of rhythm. Many of the details regarding who he was friendly with, their personalties, chain of command issues and problems, and his feelings and approach to battles were interesting. I did find myself lost, however, regarding two main issues. One was the description of the directions they were traveling. I felt lost and had trouble getting a mental picture of the battle sites, which leads to the second issue. Assuming that the reader will understand many of the terms he used, either military or geographic. A brief one-time explanation of terms that he used over and over in the story would have helped me, but perhaps be as much of a problem for others. Particularly the geographic ones like the difference between a berm, ditch, trench, slit trench as well as others, and hedges, raised road, dikes and many others. Particularly the relationship to how the soldiers used them to their advantage or disadvantage. Again, I was confused directionally and geographically and therefore had trouble imagining the battle scenes.

Eventually, the book improved a great deal. Lots of great stuff about being in the forward position as scouts and the "real" story of what is called, "Operation Pegasus" in BOB. The actual operation was different in many ways from it's portrayal in the mini series. Definitely be prepared and look forward to what really happened, instead what looks good. The truth is much more interesting. In fact, try to forget all about what BOB portrays before reading this book, if in fact you are looking for a connection. Just them them happen naturally. I love his honesty regarding his personal approach to and feelings about this war and their operations. I suppose the dull moments of the book reflect the war in a more realistic fashion, it's just not what I expected.

I found myself even more engrossed as the war was winding down, from his perspective, which of course is very specific. I learned a lot about what really went on with soldiers as they moved across Germany and Austria kicking people out of their homes at each stop, which there is a term for that I cannot think of at the moment. He described many fascinating stories about the soldiers and how they dealt with the aftermath of the war when they were suddenly "regular" human beings again and not soldiers in the horrors of battle.

Mr. Webster had quite and experience and reading about it was at times dull but at many other times thrilling. Most of all it was the real thing and he wrote about it in a very human and honest fashion. I really recommend this book. I would suggest, however, to approach his accounts without any preconceived notions of what World War II was like, especially for the soldiers and most of all his view. In the end, it is the truths about the heroism and horrors of war from the soldiers perspective that is the most important. They are risking their lives for us and we should listen to what they have to say, above all others.

Great book.......2007-02-01

An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
by David Kenyon Webster
Is a great book, you relly feel the inside presence of the author it's if he's taken you back to WW 2 living the all experience from his personal view.

Wonderful account of American paratrooper's experiences.......2006-12-31

This book is one of the best memoirs from the Second World War. It comes from an American's (David Webster) point of view. He was a paratrooper in the famous 101st Airborne Division and fought through Normandy, Market Garden, Germany, and to Berchtesgaden (Hitler's Eagle's Nest). He was one of the original Toccoa men and his writing is that of a professional (writer). He was very educated, went to Harvard, and this book shows that. I would recommend this book to anyone interseted in the 101st, the E.T.O., or WWII. A highly fascinating account.

An Excellent Book.......2006-11-10

This book is excellent. It is unique because it is a description of war by a low-ranking paratrooper who also happened to be a scholar and gifted writer. Many men lived the experience but couldn't verbally and vividly communicate it. This is a must read for those wishing to understand combat as near as possible without being there.

Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy

Average customer rating:

The book I took to Normandy June 6th, 2004.
Outstanding!
Raw truth
a gripping account of part of a single soldiers journey
Currahee!

Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
Donald R. Burgett
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440236304
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Book Description

Seven days in hell

In June 1944, the Allies launched a massive amphibious invasion against Nazi-held France. But under the cover of darkness, a new breed of fighting man leapt from airplanes through a bullet-stitched, tracer-lit sky to go behind German lines. These were the Screaming Eagles of the newly formed 101st Airborne Division. Their job was to strike terror into the Nazi defenders, delay reinforcements, and kill any enemy soldiers they met. In the next seven days, the men of the 101st fought some of the most ferocious close-quarter combat in all of World War II.

Now Donald R. Burgett looks back at the nonstop, nightmarish fighting across body-strewn fields, over enemy-held hedgerows, through blown-out towns and devastated forests. This harrowing you-are-there chronicle captures a baptism by fire of a young Private Burgett, his comrades, and a new air-mobile fighting force that would become a legend of war.

Customer Reviews:

The book I took to Normandy June 6th, 2004........2007-06-15

While most young men today are thinking about "getting a leg over" or what kind of car they should drive, Don Burgett went to war. This is his story.

He wanted to join the army at seventeen but his mother balked at the idea. So he filled out a voluntary induction notice and on his 18th Birthday he joined the army. He promptly volunteered for an exciting and new form of combat by joining the paratroopers.

This book chronicles the daily life of a man whose body and mind where forged to form one of the finest fighting men this country ever produced. He served as part of the legendary 506h PIR of the 101st Regiment.

This book is a priceless gem of American history and a priceless first person account of D-Day from the perspective of a common soldier. It is outstanding in every way. It's an easy read with a gripping story first published in the 1960s.

Among the more interesting aspects of this book are the harsh training in Georgia, the pre-assault preparations, and the assault. Burgett's descriptions are vivid and compete including mention of a Japanese officer's body (I'm still trying to figure this one out), bloody bayonet assaults, Germans entrenched in the hedge rows of Normandy, a charge by horseback and ghastly wounds.

This book is the real deal. If you only read one first person account of the war, then this is the book to read. I've read the series three times and it never gets old.

Mr. Burgett if we ever meet, dinner is on me. Including the Calvados, sir.

Outstanding!.......2007-04-21

Still stands the test of time as a true World War 2 classic! No glamour, just gritty and truthful experiences from an 18 year old who jumped into Hell and lived to tell about it.
This book has been understandably used as source material for other World War 2 books. A must have for any library!

Raw truth.......2007-04-10

Great book to gain a glimpse of what it was really like for front line soldiers in WWII. Nice length, not a big 2" thick book. So many veterans don't want to ever discuss the happenings, and this book shows you why.

a gripping account of part of a single soldiers journey.......2007-04-08

This is one of the best first hand accounts of combat ever written. Within a mere 200 pages
the author manages to bring across the harrowing ordeals the paratroopers went through
preparing for and then invading Normandy. I have heard stories about the same war from my
grandparents, and what I found amazing is that the book feels like a transcript of such stories,
and I mean this in a good way. My grandparents recounted their experiences in the form of a series of
anecdotes, observations, and remembrances of small details that may have seemed insignificant a the time,
but stuck in their minds for more than 50 years. This book has the very same feeling, with
the remarkable exception that Donald Burgett is unflinching in his description of the horrors
of combat, as well as his reactions to it.

Be sure that you have set aside a few hours when you start reading the book, because it
is almost impossible to put down.

Currahee!.......2007-01-13

The book Currahee is about an army division in World War two. It shows the struggles and terrifying experiences of each soldier. These men in 7 days fought some of the most ferocious combats in World War two. The experiences of these men were shocking but true. This book portrays World War two like it really was.

I didn't really like or hate this book, it was in between. This book had a lot of boring parts, but also had a few good parts. This relates to The Pearl because the villagers were fighting Kino for the pearl and that was over a stupid reason and in the war we fought for a stupid reason when we could have just kept the peace like in The Pearl. I would recommend this book to someone who likes war history

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