No comments about Citizen Soldiers, The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany: June 7, 1944, to May 7, 1945 (AUDIOBOOK) [CD].

5 comments about D-Day: June 6, 1944 -- The Climactic Battle of WWII.

1. I read WWII books as a hobby and have read many books on the subject of D-Day. I had read Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day and was unsure how Ambrose's book would stand up to that. However, I found Ambrose's book highly readable and quite good. He has a very magic way of telling stories and interjecting the veteran's oral history in with his own story telling. For that reason, I found the book to be quite good, entertaining and informative.
   
   However, there were two items which detracted from the overall objectivity of this book. The first was Ambrose's constant belittement of the Axis (German) forces. In many pages, he states how great we were; how bad they were; how prepared we were; how unprepared the Germans were; and on and on. If that's the case, why are there 9300+ cemetary markers in the American Cemetary in France?
   
   Secondly, Ambrose devotes only 5 chapters to the British and Canadian forces. And, these chapters were not nearly as long as the space devoted to the Americans. If the title of the book is subtitled as The Climatic Battle of WWII, then he should have devoted MORE space to the British and Canadian efforts than what he did. Or he should have subtitled the book as The Climatic US Battle of WWII.
   
   I think these issues take away from the overall quality and objectivity of the book.
   
   In saying that, the book would be an excellent primer for those not well versed in this battle as he does write well. For others, be aware of Ambrose's US-centric point of view.



2. this is the best book on D-Day ever written and also the most detailed, I loved it.



3. I packed this book for a long project assignment overseas. It did not disappoint. If you are looking for an excellent historical narrative, you've found it. It is too bad Stephen Ambrose is dead. All of his stuff earns a five-star review.
   
   This is history by the people who made it. It is also a good training document for anyone teaching young officers and soldiers.
   
   If this review was helpful, please add your vote.



4. There is little doubt that the success of the D-Day invasion was critical to the Allied efforts to defeat Hitler's Germany. However, the unprecedented scale of this assault is difficult to comprehend. Ambrose does a great job of breaking down the many components of this Herculean effort into a narrative that helps us understand the risks and accomplishments of that day. He describes the decision making, the planning and the training before moving on to his descriptions of the assault itself. He describes each element of the invasion, moving from beach to beach, highlighting the struggles and triumphs of the men who fought and died that day. The narrative is heavily sprinkled with quotes from the men who were there, and show the gruesome horror of combat as well as the surreal and occasionally humorous events of the day. This book is a comprehensive overview of D-Day, and provides an entirely accessible account for anyone who is interested in understanding the events of that momentous day.



5. No detail is omitted from this engrossing account of all the preparation for, and execution of this great battle of World War II.

1 comments about More Classic American Short Stories (Classic Fiction).

1. First off, here are the short stories included on the 2 discs:
   
   A Horseman in the Sky - Ambrose Bierce
   Regret - Kate Chopin
   Eclipse - James Fenimore Cooper
   The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky - Stephen Crane
   The Cop and the Anthem - O. Henry
   The Princess and the Puma - O. Henry
   The Whirligig of Life - O. Henry
   
   Read by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross
   
   Based on the name recognition of the authors, I was expecting much more. None of the stories were known to me (and probably not to anyone outside an english lit department). Two of the stories were decent, but the rest were unimpressive. Wasn't impressed with the readers either, as they tended towards over-acting (though perhaps the material lent itself to that).
   
   The two-disc set served its purpose of keeping me awake on a long drive to a fishing cabin, but little else. I did like the fact that I could stop between short stories, unlike a longer novel. On my last long trip, I was listening to Shadow Divers (great book!) and arrived at my destination in the middle of a dive emergency. Had to wait three days to learn the fate of the divers.
   
   Can't say I would really recommend this compilation, but if you're a voracious reader/listener who goes through books like candy, the price is hard to beat. Also might be more enjoyable to someone else for the nostalgic qualities.

5 comments about Nothing Like It In The World: The Men Who Built The Transcontinental Railroad 1863 - 1869.

1. 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.



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



3. A good book about the rail road, Ambrose doesn't write with the same passion as he does Lewis and Clark. New insight (for me) into the Big 5 in California.



4. An Interesting book to read, a wonderful arrangement of facts. Once read you feel like you were alive during the building of the Transcontinental railroad, and had been following its progress in the local paper.



5. 'Nothing Like it In the World' by Stephen Ambrose
   
   As usual, Mr. Ambrose delivers his straight forward, from the gut narrative of the construction and story behind the story of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad - a feat that inarguably changed America in profound ways. Meet the colorful characters who forced this project through, by sheer force of will and gain better perspective of the magnitude of labor and sometime exploitation of workers, particularly the Chinese. The financiers & government officials come through in this work in all their glory and shame - some deserved, others less so.
   
   The power of the undertaking and dangers the workers faced, who truly are the main characters of this story, are exhibited in a voice as gravelly as that of Ambrose's own. The sheer enormity of this amazing feat is laid bare for the reader to digest and one is left feeling the passion of the original thought leaders of the RR down through the graders, spike drivers and general laborers who in an amazingly brief period of time changed the course of of American history in ways completely unseen.
   
   If there is anything lacking, it would be the story of the Indians who are described as often terrorizing the railway workers to the point where men had to arm themselves for personal safety. The context of the Indians' story is lacking in this book, however, the argument could be made that it is an entirely different story. For that important component I would suggest, perhaps Dee Brown's 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'.
   
   All in all, the reader is taken back to pre-Lincoln presidency and carried through all the subsequent sweat and toil until the last spike was driven ....and American commerce and transportation and direction changed forever. It's well worth your time and no matter your thoughts on Stephen Ambrose, he'll always deliver an easily readable, passionate account of his subject matter. 'Nothing Like it in The World' is no exception. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in American history or the old West.

5 comments about The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany: June 7, 1944-May 7, 1945.

1. I have always loved war novels and movies, however, I failed to ever learn about the facts of what really happened. All I ever learned was fiction. When I started reading this book, I found myself shocked, proud, disturbed, but moved. It takes you from the foxholes of the Bulge to the doctors in the field hospitals. Filled with first person accounts and photographs, Citizen Soldiers portrays life for the average soldier. It is also filled with intersting tidbits. Although it is a history book, it doesn't read like a textbook as Ambrose is a brilliant writer and historian. Even if you do not like history or war, I think you will find yourself intrigued. Thank you for reading my review. :-)



2. As a budding World War II scholar, I found this book to be one of the best I've ever read. Stephen Ambrose captures the imagination with cold, hard facts. He makes you feel what it was really like in the cold trenches of the Bulge, the frustration of the Hedgerows in Normandy, and the exuberance of rolling past the Siegfried Line and into the heart of Germany. A must read and a true companion to 'D-Day'.



3. The scandal regarding Ambroses's plagiarism come home to roost in this mediocre effort. The "book" is actually a collection of thinly related anecdotes, many less than a paragraph in length, haphazardly pasted together between the bindings. In fact, Ambrose in places plagiarized himself, cutting and pasting passages from his other publications. Moreover, it is apparent from the uneven editing and shifting writing styles that several authors were at work here, at least two of whom lack basic english skills. Themeless, incoherent, cursory, and on occasion simply wrong historically, this publication hardly merits the effort to turn the pages. In essence, while many of the little stories are interesting, the book fails on all levels. It is too cursory to be regarded as a serious history, yet lacks the coherence necessary to stand as a survey of the last ten months of the war. The writing style is too sophomoric to qualify as a "young adult" work, much less as "adult." Both the writing style and the depth of analysis are appropriate for preteens, but many of the anecdotes are too graphic and much of the language too salty for its inadvertently intended audience. It must be regarded a shame that those who purportedly heaped praise upon the work couldn't be bothered to read it first. Apart from several alleged quotations, there is nothing here that a college freshman couldn't accumulate by spending a few days in any decent university library.



4. I happened upon this book at work over seven years ago and started it for lack of reading material. This book started my education into the world of the World War II. Ambrose not only tells you what happened in a time line that is easy to follow, he tells you about life for the average infantryman in the war. It is a must read for anyone studying the war, or a soldiers life in any war, for a hobby or for education. I have given this book as a gift to friends and family members who show an interest in World War II, and I consider it the best World War II book I have read to date after now reading over a hundred other books on this war and soldier's lives in battle. This book and Band of Brothers are by far my favorite two books on the subject.



5. This is a series of anecdotes about soldiers' lives. The author keeps his narrative moving and provides a nice mix of the big picture and vivid snippets. He generally lets the facts speak for themselves. It's a story of regular guys accomplishing something spectacular in a horrible situation. As a baby boomer, it is hard to imagine what WWII was like. This book helps me begin to appreciate the "greatest generation." The narration is excellent. The maps that come with the CDs are much too small. You will want to access to a good WWII atlas.

1 comments about The Stephen Ambrose World War II Audio Collection.

1. Stephen Ambrose is a wonderful story teller!! You can sit back...listen...and try to picture in your mind what our boy's went through!! Of course you have no idea what it was like unless you were there!!...But these CD's make you feel like you ARE there with these COURAGEOUS COMBATANTS!! GREAT STUFF!! Makes me PROUD I am a VETERAN!! Get it...You'll enjoy it!!!

5 comments about Band Of Brothers.

1. This gripping account immerses the reader in 101st Airborne's experience during WWII; all the way from training, to the eventual celebration at Hitler's nest. Ambrose primarily tells this tale through the trials and tribulations of Easy Company. Through first hand interviews, diaries, extensive research, and his own trip to the region, Ambrose is able to provide a unique and vivid narrative of war. While reading I often found myself cringing at disturbing depictions of battle, and even laughing out loud at some of E Company's quirky antics.
   
   Although World War II was such an epic battle, and seems daunting to grasp for someone who did not live through the times, Ambrose proves that taking a microscope to the history is perhaps the best method of understanding it. Ambrose writes this piece with a passion. Based on footnotes, it is clear he developed a strong bond with the men he interviewed, yet he also retains his objectivity and supplements the first hand accounts with the exhaustive research he has performed. The enthusiasm Ambrose shows for his subject is evident on every page. 'Band of Brothers' makes for an exciting page-turner, as well as essential reading for someone looking to get a grasp on the military history of the Second World War. My only complaint is that the book didn't go on long enough. If only every history book was so difficult to put down!



2. I bought this for my 16 year old daughter for Christmas. Everyone (adults) we know has asked to borrow it. It has a good reputation for being a true-to-life story. It seems to be the kind of movie (mini-series) people don't mind watching over and over.



3. Bought this book for my grandfather, a Paratrooper...and he really enjoyed this book. I would have given it 5 stars, but I didn't read it myself.



4. Like the movies "Saving Private Ryan" and "Gettysburg", this book (I haven't seen the HBO miniseries) left me fighting tears of pride as I understand my country's greatness and tears of shame as I understand the individual sacrifice such greatness takes, and wonder if I have done anything (let alone enough) to deserve this sacrifice.
   
   E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne spent two year's in training and staging, and a year in combat in Europe, landing behind Utah Beach on D-Day, then fighting under impossible circumstances in the Battle of the Bulge. The training, the combat, and the leadership of E company created indeed a remarkable bond of brotherhood not always reached under such difficult circumstances.
   
   As one of E Company's veterans told a grandson in answer to the question "were you a hero in the war?":
   
   "'No,' I answered, 'but I served in a company of heroes.'"
   
   Ambroses' Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany is also a classic. See my review there.



5. One of those books; I can't seem to put down. I'm thankful I have watched the movie, Band of Brothers, for I could "picture" everything that was happening though all these pages. This Regiment was truly remarkably determined and proud to be a participant in this long relentless war. How do you understand anything, unless you were there and have gone through all the circumstances? There are so many things we don't realize or understand and this book almost took you there to see what they had to experience. To be so proud and honored is an understatement for men like these and for all of our Military.

5 comments about The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45.

1. Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue: the Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s over Germany tells the heroic tales of the B-24 Liberators and their crews from the 15th Army Air Force in Italy flying over Nazi Germany in World War II. The Wild Blue begins with the stories behind each crewman who will eventually fly aboard the "Dakota Queen" and a few crewmen who will fly aboard other B-24s. The stories behind the crewmen are a very nice addition to the book as it is the crewmen who make the majestic B-24s fly and fight. The reader actually gets to meet George McGovern who eventually flies the "Dakota Queen". McGovern was born on July 19, 1922, and was attending his second year at Dakota Wesleyan when he heard that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. The combat stories are complete to the detail of what it is like to fly over Nazi Germany against flak and the occasional fighter, what it is like to be shot down, and what it is like to watch a fellow B-24 get shot down. Ambrose was able to give this amount of detail because of his interviews with approximately fifty B-24 crewmen and their families. Without those interviews, this book would be bland and very unreal. But it is enjoyable and very real. The Wild Blue is a book that I would re-read and recommend to those who are interested in history, World War II, aircraft, or to those who just want to know the feeling of being taken up into a B-24 and flown over Nazi Germany.



2. The Wild Blue is about the young men who flew the B-24 over Germany in World War 2 against all odds. Mr. Ambrose describes the heroism, courage, and skill with a lot of detail. He successfully makes you feel like you are in the great lumbering bomber in the hostile skies over Germany. He also describes how the Army Air Force (only after the war were the army and air force separate) recruited, trained and then chose those few that would undertake the most dangerous job in the war. The pilots, bombardiers, navigators and, the gunners of the B-24s suffered a 50 percent casualty rate.
   
   This book follows the lives of ten men from different towns and different backgrounds and watches them come together and form a team. The trust was important because up in the skies of Germany it was good to know that someone had your back. I believe that Mr. Ambrose captures that perfectly. He takes the reader along in the crowded, uncomfortable planes as the men aboard fought to the death through smoke and terrifying flack to reach their industrial targets in the Rhineland. Their goal was to destroy the German war machine.



3. This book is not about the men and boys who flew the B 24 it is a book about Mc Govern. Reading the book sort of makes you feel like he was the only man in the war. I purchased the book to read about all the men. The author could have even shown some about other men that did basicaly the same that became famous: Kennedy, Jimmy Stewert and others. He focused only on McGovern and I certinaly wonder how much he paid to get Stephen to write this book or is Stephen that much in love with Mc Govern. I can not stand the man now and will not ever knowingly buy another book of his.
   Mary Jo PottsThe Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45



4. The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose is controversial because some scholars point out Ambrose has lifted the work of other authors without placing said work inside "quotation" marks. That is a tragic error. Is it an error of omission or commission? I do not know. I do know it is ethically wrong. The book tells the story of former US Presidential candidate and US Senator George McGovern. It tells of McGovern's upbringing, his journey to college, the outbreak of World War II, his falling in love and marriage, his joining the US Army Air Corps, his training as a pilot, and his combat deployment and action where he was based out of Italy bombing the Axis war machine. It is written in Ambrose's wonderful narrative style. It is highly readable and entertaining. Read in January 2005.



5. Not up to par with the classic Ambrose WWII books.
   
   Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
   Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
   
   Ambrose seemed to mail this one in. It reads like a first draft that needs polish and upgrades.
   
   The interesting part of the book is when it centers on George McGovern, yes the ultra-liberal Democratic candidate for President who got a mere handful of votes in the 1972 election, who was a B-24 pilot in the War!

5 comments about Undaunted Courage : Meriwether Lewis Thomas Jefferson And The Opening Of The American West.

1. I got this book for my birthday, picked it up, and enjoyed every page. It is a great way to learn more about the founding fathers of this country and have some real-life adventure as well as tragic thrown in throughout. Those things that we now take for granted once required risk of life to achieve. Great Read!



2. The history of the Voyage of Discovery is one of the outstanding feats in American history. No one has told it better than Stephen Ambrose. This is a must read even if you don't enjoy history.



3. I will keep it simple. Next to the Holy Bible ~ best book I ever read. I have since then read several of Stephen Ambrose's books and highly recommend them. He and his family put many years of research in before writing any book. I have travelled across the country all the way to Cape Disapportment as a result of reading the book and following the trail. Everything Mr. Ambrose claimed in the book is accurate, very interesting, and provides us a heritage for our country that everyone should be proud of.



4. What I liked best about this book is that it reads like a neighbor telling you all about his favorite nephew. Ambrose's descriptions and judgments and asides have almost an avuncular feel. If this is not your thing, the book will probably bug you.
   
   What I liked least about this book is Ambrose's unquestioning high regard for Jefferson, but since Ambrose's attitude reflects that of Lewis's, I can go with it.
   
   The outtakes of the journals, the excellent maps, and the good-natured commentary combine to make me LIKE the characters. I feel familiar with them after reading this book. I am impressed by their accomplishments, and feel I know them as people much better.
   
   It is also clear that Ambrose knows the areas where Lewis and Clark explored. Many of his notations tell how the area described look to present-day canoers or hikers, and he gives highway exits and directions to some of the less-remote campsites and overlooks. Ambrose's love for the beauties of western America comes through, and they add to the fond tone of the book.



5. Historical novels are one of my favorite types of text, and I have been an avid reader of Stephen E. Ambrose through his World War II works. Every American child knew about Lewis & Clark and the Louisiana Purchase (Thank you Schoolhouse Rock), but this book brings to life the true and amazing task these men went through to help open America into the vast and great nation she is now.
   
   After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France, President Thomas Jefferson, a man of knowledge and curiosity himself, issued a continental exploration Corps of Discovery to travel to the Pacific Ocean. If you could imagine walking across your own state, now imagine walking (horse/canoe allowed) across the country, no roads, no cellphone, no Walmart, no bathrooms, no electric lights, wild animals...the grizzlies read like monsters, potential attacks from hostile natives, the weather...it is unimagenable that any human could have survived or endured such hardships!
   
   It is important to realize that Lewis and Clark were the leaders, but also traveled with a large group of brave men, unique and talented in their own respects, including the female Native American Sacagawea and her baby, plus the sad tale of York, Clark's slave who shared the pain, dangers, and loyalty, but received none of the rewards, promises, or respects afterwards...this subject raises my ire, so I will not continue on York's betrayal by Clark.
   
   Regardless of whether you read this as pure history, this book reads like an adventure tale like Krakauer's Into Thin Air, a testament of man versus nature, the book is also a cultural exploration as the "White man meets the Red man" no disrespect meant. On so many levels this book will offer insight, information, and entertainment that few books balance so well. So you might as well read a good tale and actually improve your own academic knowledge.
   
   Thank you and keep reading.
   John Dae Min

5 comments about Great American Stories: Ten Unabridged Classics.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. This was the first time purchasing stories on CD and I loved it. I don't spend alot of time in my car but sometimes talk radio is too hostile and music isn't stimulating enough but these stories were perfect. It got me through snow storms and traffic by taking away to different places and times. I would recommend to everyone.



5. I bought this for my dad as he has started listening to literature on XM Radio. So far he loves it. I was a little disappointed in the selection of stories. I thought it would be the more well known stories, but so far he likes them.