5 comments about The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s over Germany (Nonfiction on Cassette).

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 Americans At War.

1. Ambrose was a prolific military historian and this book is a re-print of 15 articles he had published in various magazines over the years. Most are short and full of insight. The only one that I found tedious was the first one, concerning the Battle of Vicksburg in the Civil War - an irony for me considering that I love to study the Civil War.
   
   The articles about Eisenhower were particularly of interest to me - prior to this book I had a pretty low opinion of the man (a grandpa president who played golf throughout his 8 years of presidency) but Ambrose portrayed him in a different light and now I want to read more about him.
   
   Very readable, very informative book. Well-written history is always a pleasure.



2. This isn't really a book, or even an essay collection. Instead, the publisher decided to put this out when Stephen Ambrose was at the height of his popularity. It's a collection of magazine articles and essays that Ambrose wrote over the course of about 30 years. Some are long and detailed (the first piece, on the Vicksburg campaign, is about 40 pages long, and 30+ years old) while others are much shorter, and some are very new. One (the piece on The Christmas bombing in Viet Nam) is a reprint from MHQ, the article there in turn excerpted from Ambrose's bio of Nixon.
   
   For those who aren't familiar with my opinions (which is probably most of you) Ambrose isn't my favorite historian by any stretch of the imagination. He started out a conventional narrative historian and biographer, but tended to run with whichever trend or fad the historical community thought was cool that year. Crazy Horse and Custer, for instance, spends some time comparing the toilet training practices of the societies the two men grew up in, with of course the expected inferiority of white society highlighted when compared with that of Native Americans. A few years later, oral history became the watchword, and Ambrose essentially hitched his horse to that wagon for the rest of his career, writing five or six books that relied on this medium most or all of the time.
   
   Unfortunately, here we don't even get much oral history. These writings are mostly from the pre-oral history era of Ambrose's scholarship, and the newer pieces focus on historical pieces as opposed to oral history ones. As a result, we get opinions on such topics as George Custer (whom Ambrose despises; anyone who read Crazy Horse and Custer already knows that), MacArthur, Grant, Eisenhower (of course), and various other figures and topics from American military history. Some of the pieces are now essentially useless: one titled "The Cold War in Perspective" is so out of date now as to be a waste of one's time to read.
   
   That leaves us with some Ambrose opinions (many of them uninformed, at best) and a few pieces of good writing that cover topics you could probably find other material on. I wouldn't recommend this book to much of anyone, though there are a few pieces in it that someone might find worthwhile.



3. While this may not be some of Ambrose's best work, it is never-the-less very good stuff. As one reviewer pointed out, Ambrose is not only a pretty good historian, but he is an excellent teller of stories. That is a good combination. Ambrose writes popular historical books. This is good. With this collection of writings, and the many others of which he is responsible for, he has brought history to the general public, in a readable form, and not just let it molder in academic land. This is a collection of Ambrose's writings. It is not his more popular fist person interviews. This is not a collection of essays, rather, it is little bits of this and that, addressing America's fighting men and women throughout the years. He has done well here. Recommend this one highly.



4. "Americans At War" is another of Stephen Ambrose's works in which he focuses on topics and heroes which have formed the bases of prior books. Through them he tells the story saga of the American scenes on Mars' stage. Although he occassionally gets down to the common soldier, sailor and airman, this book deals largely with the leaders, consistent with Ambrose's belief that nothing is inevitable. Things happen because people make them happen.
   
   This book begins with the siege of Vicksburg, focusing largely on Ulysses S Grant. It continues with a very unflattering consideration of George Armstrong Custer. The sections on Dwight Eisenhower's relationship with George Patton and his role in the establishment of NATO make interesting reading. Ike is depicted as playing an indispensable role in laying a firm foundation for NATO, a role which I had not previously appreciated. The story of Douglas MacArthur also holds the readers interest.
   
   I found the section on atrocities to be particularly interesting. Ambrose skillfully contrasts those, such as Lt. Calley, who broke under pressure, with others, such as Meriwether Lewis, who did not break.
   
   The political leadership of FDR is examined for its failure to prepare America for World War II, before recovering in preparation for D-Day. Nixon's Christmas 1972 bombing of Hanoi is presented as being more directed at our reluctant South Vietnamese allies than our North Vietnamese enemies.
   
   From individuals, Ambrose broadens the perspective to consider changes which World War II brought to Main Street America. His assessment of the Cold War, how it was fought, whether it was necessary, who won what and whether it was worth the cost lead the reader to make his own analysis. The conclusion on wars of the Twenty-First Century contain stimulating speculations, even though some of which were proven right and others wrong in the early phases War on Terrorism.
   
   Throughout this fairly short book, Ambrose educates the readers and invites us to draw our own conclusions, without hesitating to share his conclusions with us. It is certainly a worthwhile read.



5. Ambrose writes in a mostly accessible style which is not a bad thing, but this book is a mish mash of different magazine pieces that have virtually nothing in common and are quite uneven in quality. Further, some of his work is just pure opinion based on almost no real scholarship, (his arguments about the bombing of japan or the cold war come to mind). For armchair historians who think they "know" alot about history, Ambrose is the man, unfortunately his unfaultering US boosterism which results in obvious, moth-worn and erroneous conclusions will not really appeal to anyone else.

No comments about Undaunted Courage Part 1 of 2.

No comments about Undaunted Courage - Part II (Unabridged audiobook on 8 cassettes).

5 comments about The VICTORS, THE: Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II.

1. I have read most of the books by Ambrose and the material in The Victors is covered better in his other works. It isn;t bad, but the only reader who might find it interesting is someone who was looking to get into Ambrose's WWII works. Anyone else but the completists will probably not enjoy this book.



2. This covers the European theater from D day to the end.
   The futile battles of the Hurtgen forest are documented. A waste of men for nothing. We gave up our advantages of air power and tanks to fight in an impenatrable forest.
   What struck me over and over, was what the men fighting endured.
   The supply situation was what is was always in the military. Those in the rear get the gear. Those doing the fighting get the remains.
   In the battle of the Hurtgen forest, during a visit by Ike, a company of Rangers complained to Ike about the lack of cold weather gear. He got the Rangers cold weather gear, but not the other thousands of men doing the fighting.
   The same applied in the battle of the Bulge. The people in the rear out of the line of fire had waterproof, warm boots, and huge overcoats to keep warm. Those doing the fighting had summer uniforms, leather boots, and had to fight without benefit of fire to keep them warm, or get their food warm. The result was thousands of men with trench foot. The men went hungry a lot of the time due to impassible roads, so food supplies could not be brought up.
   The men who endured this were heros.
   Ike was the first to realize what Hitler was up to when the Battle of the Bulge started, and got Patton moving on a counterattack plan immediately, which succeeded.
   Thanks to Steve Ambrose, the suffering of the men who did the fighting is documented.



3. From the very beginning of the book I was enticed. I thought it was very well written and an enjoyable read. It includes stories and things I would have never expected. I thought the relationship between Marshall and Eisenhower was most interesting. I had not learned much about Marshall and Eisenhower's personalities. They were opposites yet worked very well together. Their relationship was based on trust. It is inspirational to hear of all that our soldiers went through during World War II. As someone looking back it helped me to better understand what went on and what the soldiers experienced first hand. I thought "The Victors" was a wonderful book and spanned over a good period of time. I would highly recommend it to others as a World War II informative book.



4. Unlike his other works, DDay, Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers, which cover specific elements of the European theater, The Victors tries to cover the period from DDay through the fall of Germany. As always, Ambrose demonstrated why he was one of the best story tellers. Unfortunately, as his preface pointed out, this was put together from the research he had done on his other books.
   
   If you are familiar with the three books mentioned in above, you will find a lot of overlap. I am sure he did some more original research for this, but the overall premise is very similar.
   
   The over-arching theme of the Victors is that the allied success was due to the flexibility of the US troops, in particular the LTs and other NCO's, and the regular soldiers. Their determination and ability to adapt to the changing situations on the ground, the antithesis of the Germans, was what helped carry the war in the favor of the allies. He also spends the beginning of the book on Eisenhower. Ike is the other piece of the puzzle that, despite some mistakes and flaws, he credits with putting together the largest military campaign in history - Operation Overlord.
   
   The only real criticism I would have is that the story line was somewhat disjointed. Stories are told seemingly for the sake of telling them, rather than having a real purpose. But I can overlook that since there is a lot of first person accounts that give the war a very human touch. And the stories you read about, make it very worthwhile.
   
   Aside from that, it was an entertaining read, just like all of his other books. His admiration for the courage of that generation is clear. And his talent for telling a story certainly shines through. If you are interested in more detail, I would recommend reading DDay, Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers first. If you are simply looking to pass the time on the train, as I was, you will find the time passing along much more quickly.
   
   I purchased the book at the Newark Penn Station Bookstore. I recommend the bookstore and the book.



5. A point of view seldom seen: the kids in the field who had to grow up very quickly. With a strong sense of duty and honor they lived up to their moniker, The Greatest Generation.

No comments about D-day Parts 1 and 2 : Complete Unabridged 18 Tape Audio Book Set.

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

1. Steven Ambrose's "Citizen Soldiers" is a front-row seat and a bird's eye of the last year of WWII, from D-Day to VE-Day, June 6, 1944 to May 7, 1945. The story seemed to be in real-time as it reflected thousands of interviews with injured soldiers just off the battle fields, and eventually stored at the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and through some interviews Ambrose did later himself with the participants, including the Germans. The feel of the book was immediate and often visceral; you felt like you were there seeing things for the first time.
   
   It was a great unvarnished history lesson, warts and all, of life on the front lines as well as back in the command headquarters. Most of these guys had no idea what they were getting into, but did their duty as best they could. As the War ground on, the untested replacements were high school grads or college students with no experience at all. They were sent to the front cold-turkey, with no prior orientation from vets who had been there, often not even knowing anybody they were fighting with. Ambrose pounces on this fact and calls it almost criminal. Meanwhile, the generals were very much behind the lines and calling bold shots, which is another gripe that Ambrose made. The guys in the foxholes were cold, isolated, shot at, with no idea of what would happen next; the outpost foxholes were often within 100 meters or so of the enemy. There wasn't an evening-to-dawn break as in the American Civil War, when Johnny Reb and Billy Yank actually met, talked, and exchanged items. In WWII, the enemy would try to shoot you if he could at night, which, of course, added sleep deprivation to the list of miseries.
   
   It was the total air superiority, outstanding radio ground-to-ground and ground -to-air communication, and the impressive technology and mass-production of the US that eventually won the war. Also, the Allied leadership and the average GI's were so much more flexible, learn-on-the-fly and "entrepreneurial". Hitler, of course, was a terrible military leader who ignored his own intelligence reports, while Ike was sound at every step, even if maybe a little cautious. Patton was clearly the best commander of WWII, energetic, imaginative, always innovating. Monty was portrayed as too cautious and defensive, not very effective, and retaining his rank only because of Allied political pressures; while, Patton said he would resign if they ever asked him to fight a defensive battle. It was interesting that Ike may have been the only one initially pleased by news of the Battle of the Bulge counteroffensive; he saw it as the Germans exposing themselves - - finally. (It's easy to understand that today when you think of the shadowy Al Qaeda forces; it would be great if we knew where they were). Also, Ike took great care to cut the German supply lines, while protecting his own. The Allied supply lines were longer but stronger and steadier, and they even had an under seas pipeline of fuel from England, called PLUTO. It was just a matter of time before the full power of the Allies gathered against the crumbling Germans. Ike also had the great foresight to call in the media near the end, as soon as he himself saw the horrific results of the atrocities at the concentration camps; he wanted to make sure the world didn't think it was just made-up.
   
   The impetuous for driving the tired, cold Allied front-line GI's were the V1's and V2's raining down on London, and the fear of new German secret weapons being developed. A lot of the Bulge was attrition type of warfare, including the Operation Market Garden, presented as such in "A Bridge Too Far" movie. It was a meat-grinder for sure.
   
   There was a lot about life on the front lines and the attendant emotions. They were real heroes on both sides; nothing could have prepared them for what they went through, and many suffered from battle fatigue for which they usually got a 24-hour break. There were good guys and bad guys on either side of the conflict. I was glad that Ambrose was so even-handed. I've seen too many movies (mostly of the Pacific War) where the Americans were glorified and the enemies were demonized. "Unit cohesion", more than anything else, kept the men going; they were willing to die for the other guy. You had to admire their guts. There were also a fair share of "jerks and sad sacks" that tried to rob or work the system to their advantage, or find a way out of doing their duty.
   
   There was not a lot of Allied sympathy for the burning German towns because of the havoc brought by Germany on the rest of Europe in WWI and WWII, and WWI ended before German towns were attacked. But the truth of the matter is that the townspeople had nothing to do with the conflicts. They were victims too.
   
   It was a complex and fascinating story, well-worth the read.



2. Call me a late bloomer but I never had much of an interest in history or World War II until fairly recently. The light went on for me after I read Playing with the Enemy by Gary Moore. Shortly after finishing that book I asked a good friend of mine, who happens to be a history buff, what he recommends for me to read next. I was looking for a great overview of the war but something that felt engaging and doesn't read like a text book. He suggested Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers and I'm glad he did.
   
   The thing that makes Citizen Soldiers so special is that Ambrose spent so much time and effort interviewing so many WWII vets. You truly get a feel for the horror they went through and the challenges they faced. What an incredible generation indeed. The interviews and excerpts that are liberally spread throughout the entire book give you the feeling that you're right there chatting with these heroes. Now that I've finished reading it I need to check back in with my buddy to see what he recommends next, although it's hard to imagine any other book that could stack up to this one.



3. Maggie Joyce, an idealized young American living in post World War II London, is an avid fan of Jane Austen and specifically Pride and Prejudice. Taking advantage of her stay in England, she attempts to learn the true identities on which Jane Austen's characters in P&P were based. There is a story within a story when Maggie falls for another American working in London. Rob McAllister flew B-17 bombers during the war and is carrying some of the scars from that war which affect their relationship.
   
   If you are a devotee of Miss Austen's P&P, then this book is a must read. There is also a lot of research on Regency Era and England immediately after the end of WWII.



4. Ambrose has a great writing style of interweaving the basics of battlefield strategy and tactics in enough detail to explain the historical significance of events, while keeping the focus on the men who fought the battles.
   
   This book, like Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest (see my review here), consists primarily of anecdotes from first-hand accounts of front-line soldiers on both sides of the front, and this is where it gets its impact. Truly, it need not be said, that here was America's greatest generation, a phrase which has gotten its upper-case appelation from another author's book, and is richly deserved.



5. Just like a book from Barnes & Noble. Perfect Quality. No issues. No complaints. Delivered before it was supposed to be and arrived early. Great!

1 comments about Great American Stories/Cassettes (Brooklyn Botanic Garden Publications).

1. A timeless collection of must-have-read literature. The compilation is of the highest quality, the presentation most satisfactory. Particularly suitable for students, many of us older people will also enjoy new encounters with old friends. amazing how the impact of those stories grows with one's own age. Highly recommendable!

5 comments about Pegasus Bridge.

1. This is a book about glider troops from the UK. I wondered if I would be able to be engrossed in this book to the same degree I was engrossed with the story of E company in Band of Brothers.
   
   I was.
   
   This is a fascinating story about our allies and their preparations for D-Day. Great stuff. If you like Band of Brothers, you'll like this one as well.



2. The late Steven Ambrose made his mark as an historian by bringing the citizen soldiers of the mid-20th century United States to the forefront of American consciousness. With Pegasus Bridge he does justice to our British allies, relating the absolutely critical roles played by British paratroops and glider infantry in securing the eastern flank of the Normandy beachhead; a feat comparable, but with different objectives, to what the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions did at the west of the beachhead. Ambrose has the knack for portraying events in an artistic fashion while maintaining a scholar's worth of history. A worthwhile read for those with an interest in the Normandy invasion, airborne operations, or even history in general.



3. exciting and interesting story though some parts about the preparation and training for the mission a bit teidous at times. This book sparked me into purchasing a Dvd copy of the "longest Day".



4. I have been an Ambrose fan for many years and this book, while not as well known as "Band of Brothers" is equally compelling. This is an impeccably detailed account of one of the most daring feats of the Normandy invasion, written in the author's typical easy to read style. We are rivited in place on a glider drifting in through the flack as the pilot frantically searches for a landing. Then we are clawing our way through the night and charging onto a bridge deep in enemy territory. I visited Pegasus bridge a few years ago and had chills running down my spine reading the account of the action at the memorial. I had equal chills reading this book. A must read for anyone in interested in WW2 and, specifically, the many acts of heroism surrounding the Normandy invasion.



5. I found this to be an excellent book. It was both informative and engaging; something we've come to expect from Stephen Ambrose. I am not an historian, but I have seen and read many interviews with the principle figures in the book. I believe their personal stories agree - even in the smallest detail - with the story told in this book. In short, if you like history, France, England, Ambrose, or engaging stories you will like this book.

5 comments about D-Day June 6, 1944 : The Climactic Battle of World War II/Cassettes Abridged.

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.