5 comments about Six Silent Men...Book Three (101st Lrp/Rangers).

1. This work is all that is to be expected from a sequel to the first "Six Silent Men". I was not let down, as I so often am, with some of the small unit contact books. This work was all that I expected. The action was close to non stop. The depictions of contact were thrilling and heart stopping. I was with and rooting for the teams all the way. This book, as was its precursor,is top notch. After having read circa 110 books about this subject, you may take my word for this book's being an interesting read.



2. The LRRPS did. Time and time again the long-range-reconnaissance-patrols went out to "see" and not be "seen", and sadly, some individuals wouldn't return home.

   This is fantastic series of books covering the history and evolution of the LRRPS/LRPS/RANGERS during the Vietnam War.

   Rey Martinez, Kenn Miller, and Gary Linderer interviewed a great number of the surviving members of the LRRPS/Rangers to bring their history alive. While some members were able to tap into their memories, others wouldn't touch the pain from long ago. The authors did a terrific job bringing the histories together for a strong narrative.

   If anything, I found myself wanting to know more! What were they thinking? What were you feeling? I'm sure much ended up on the "editing room floor".

   The "SIX SILENT MEN" books are a very honest account if the units actions. They're packed with adventure and daring. While reading their books, I was filled with tension and dread, other times I had to laugh aloud, and a few times I became misty-eyed. You feel for the teams as they "will" themselves to become invisible while on patrol.

   Don't be mis-lead by a negative review. The reviewer misquoted the book. This I know since I pulled my copy off the shelf and checked the text. The reviewer claims the authors are liars --- NOT SO. A great number of books on the Vietnam War are written very honestly, and the publishers do "Fact Checking" before publishing these books. Read the review by Harold Nealy, who was a LRRP! His testimonial supports this fine series. If these books were embellished tales, then Vietnam Vets who served in the LRRPS/Rangers wouldn't hesitate to post a review here and let the truths be known. As you see this isn't the case.

   I have never met a veteran who has panned these books. Never.

   If you enjoyed this series, I would also recommend Jim Morris' WAR STORY, John Plasters' SOG, James Rowe's FIVE YEARS TO FREEDOM, Larry Chambers RECONDO, and Leigh Wade's TAN PHU.

   I had the honor of meeting Kenn Miller, Jim Morris, and John Plaster (and other Vietnam Vets) two years ago. They freely answered my questions. I was going to `buy a round' when one of them said, "Put your money away kid." I was 33, and that gathering was enjoyed by all.

   Read the books. You won't be disappointed! God Bless and Attack life!




3. ...This book is, as well as the others by Linderer an interesting recollection of his own experiences as well as experiences of others. Spend the bucks and you won't get disappointed. Try reading his other books to get a good sum of what he and his teammates experienced during Vietnam.
   Don't let yourself be blamed by such [bologna]. I mean, the war is long gone, Linderers and Chambers books are a recollection of their feelings, thoughts and experiences. Truly and honestly written. The way I understood it, this book and the other books aren't a recollection of commo details or other things. These are facts of men fighting a war not REMFs ... spitting on a good job and being jealous about what they could do. So buy this book or the others by Linderer and you will understand a lot more.



4. Excellent piece of writing from a guy who served with the team. As a UK reader, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the 101st LRRPs/Rangers in Vietnam.



5. I highly recommend any & all of Gary Linderer's books; all are packed with great recollections of our brave fighting men in Vietnam, and are fast reads. Once you start this book (Vol 3), you'll find it very hard to put down. Reading Vols 1 & 2 are not necessary, as each is a stand-alone account.
   
   I have enjoyed all of Mr Linderer's publications, and can recommend this one as well without hesitation. You won't be disappointed!

5 comments about Airborne.

1. You know, every now and then, something occurs that really gets the mind thinking. These generaly raise questions that range from little "Huh, I wonder why..." to the massive "Why, in the name of all that is good and pure don't we..." Well, this is one of those books. And I know you probably don't want to have to sit and read a super-long essey of a review, so I'll cut to the chase: Why, in the name of all that is good and pure, hasn't one of our presidents picked Tom Clancy as their National Security Advisor>



2. Tom Clancy must be the world's number one fan of the USA Military.

   And vice versa.

   "Airborne" is another in the series of mutual admiration society books written by Tom beginning with Submarine, and progressing on through Fighter Wing, Marine, Armoured Cav and others.

   Each one is an in depth look at the men, equipment, training, tactics and history of a segment of the US Armed Services. Tom doesn't give a dry list of statistics, a few cutaway diagrams and photos, no this is hands-on stuff, straight from the people who use the weapons, supplemented by Tom's observations on a guided tour of the facilities and attendance at a training exercise.

   I'd give this a top rating, but for the graphics, which aren't up to the standard of earlier books. Many of the photographs, for instance, are literaly the size of a postage stamp.

   But that's a minor niggle, and there are some excellent photos, and diagrams.

   What comes across very strongly is the awesom esprit de corps of the Airborne. Far more than any other units, Airborne soldiers fight alone without the direct support of other arms, excepting maybe the airforce. But if an airborne force goes into action on the far side of the world, where friendly runways are few and far between, then they are very much on their own until reinforcements win through.

   The unique tactics of the airborne units are highlighted. The "LGOP" mentality, where Little Groups Of Parachutists form up and fight through to the objective. The way that subunits are divided up amongst aircraft so that if one aircraft doesn't make it, it doesn't take out an entire platoon or company.

   There's more, a lot more, and I particularly liked the historical chapters. Right at the end of the book is a glossary, almost de rigeur for the acronym-laden world of the military, and most valuable of all for those wanting yet more, a very comprehensive bibliography.

   This is a book that belongs on the shelf of any military buff, alongside Tom Clancy's other works. Highly recommended.




3. Being a former 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper I was very disapointed with the contents of Mr. CLanceys book. For all the history that the 82nd has very little of it was covered in this book. He also failed to cover much of the 82nds current capbilities and possible uses. In fact at times I felt like I was reading a book on COSCOM, or the Airforce instead of an Airborne unit. There is much more depth that could have been given to this book had he taken the time, but instead you get the impression that Mr. Clancey saw Ft. Bragg from a tour bus going down Ardennes street. If you've never been in the military or an Airborne unit then this will give you "some" insight, but if your interested in military history, or have been a paratrooper then this ones not for you. Mr. Clancey may be good at fiction but there's alot he could learn from historians like Stephen Ambrose or Shelby Foote.



4. Tom Clancy and John D. Gresham's Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force is the fifth entry in Berkley's "Guided Tour" series of non-fiction books about U.S. military units. As one might expects, the book zeroes in on the elite paratroopers of the "All-American" 82nd Airborne Division, their "tools of the trade," training, history and roles and missions.

   The 82nd Airborne is America's last true paratrooper division; its XVIII Airborne Corps partner, the 101st Air Assault Division ("The Screaming Eagles") traded in its parachutes for helicopters long ago. Along with the 101st, the 82nd Airborne is teamed with the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, giving the XVIII Airborne Corps both a powerful punch and flexibility.

   Clancy and Gresham describe practically every weapon, tool, uniform and aircraft employed in modern airborne warfare today in a clear and concise fashion. The authors also discuss the proud history of the 82nd Airborne (and airborne warfare in general) from World War II to Operation Restore Democracy (the 1994 mission to remove the military junta in Haiti) and the various aspects of life for the modern-day paratrooper, particularly the arduous training regimen involved in getting young men and women to jump out of, as Clancy wryly observes, "perfectly good airplanes."

   Airborne also includes an interview with the then-incoming commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Gen. John B. Keane and a Foreword by retired Gen. Gary Luck, who commanded the corps during the first Persian Gulf War in 1991.

   As in all the books of the Guided Tour series, Clancy includes several short vignettes to illustrate what the 82nd Airborne's roles and missions are. Of course, now that we are in a major conflict in Iraq (in which the 82nd and 101st Divisions are engaged) Clancy's choices for settings (Sudan and Belize) seem odd, but they make for good reading and explain how the XVIII Airborne Corps is used in combat situations.




5. I read his book on Marines and then the book on the Airborne. The problem that I have with Clancy is that he must hang out with the Public Relations officer where ever he goes. He gets the best possible answers and explanation for everything. So he is kind of right on just about everything but exactly right on just about nothing. I checked with a buddy from the Marine Corp. He had the exact reaction. Clancy should get down with the troops and find out what is really happening.

   I spent 4 years with the 1st Brigade at the 82nd. LGOP to us meant "Lost Group of Paratroopers." This was pre GPS mind you. As for the 82nd taking shots from our Legged bretheran in the 101st. Notice it is they who feel the need to denigrate the real Airborne. In the 82nd we were always too busy to worry about what the legs were doing or what they thought.

2 comments about The Last Drop: Operation Varsity, March 24-25, 1945.

1. I was excited to finally see a book on Operation Varsity, which has not really been covered before in any great detail, I am still waiting. In all fairness Varsity did not have a lot of appeal for a book before since the whole operation took about two days however the drop (still the biggest in history) is worth a good look.
   
   The book is very focused on the British glider landings and if you are interested in the use of gliders at war, this book is a solid 5. Most of the book is taken from the magazine The Eagle and some first person accounts. The accounts are mostly British and the US chapters are rather slim. The fact the book is broken up by nationality and by glider/parachute and not in chronological order makes the book a tough read.
   
   For glider and hardcore airborne enthusiast I would recommend.



2. a book on Varsity, in English, that covers the exploits of both airborne divisions. I read this author's previous book and it's pleasing to see that the use of veterans' accounts (well over fifty) has, similarly, been made good use of in this book. Yes, there is more on 6th Airlanding Brigade's tasks, but the discrepancy in coverage is, honestly, explained by the author in his introduction. I find it difficult to see how the previous reviewer can say that `most of the book is taken from the magazine The Eagle' (it's the journal of the Glider Pilots Regimental Association). The author received permission to quote from it, and what he did quote were veterans' accounts. It is quite obvious that the book has been well researched to give the reader a balanced account of this rarely covered operation. I also think that the separating of the divisions' tasks into different chapters makes it easier to follow what happened in each divisional sector. All in all, it's a solid read and author and publisher should be congratulated.

5 comments about Land With No Sun: A Year in Vietnam With the 173rd Airborne (Stackpole Military History Series).

1. This is a stirring memoir written my a true American hero. He puts you in the heat of battle and the heat of the Central Highlands.No matter what you think of our involvement in Viet Nam, the guys who served there fought with great valor without a great deal of support from our National Command Authority.



2. I just missed Viet Nam as I was in the last year drafted. This is a heartfelt and sometimes humorous tribute to the men with whom CSM Arthurs fought. There are also some tales from other times in his storied military career. This book is really a series of vignettes rather than one long running story and the writing style is folksy, matter of fact making the book easy to read. There are some great visual pictures painted by CSM Arthurs...someone should make a movie based on this book.



3. Probably one of the three best books that I have read on the Vietnam conflict. Honest from a man who cared about his soldiers and never once thought about how it was for other divisions. Trully great.



4. The wolf has known me since I was born at Ft Campbell Ky,I am honored to call him a friend. He and my father were in the Army together,his book is an eye opener for those of us who had fathers fighting in the war.I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who would like an accurate assesment of the Vietnam war.



5. I served with CSM Ted Arthurs and he was the best Command Sergant Major one could possibly have served with.He along with the 4th Battalion Commanding Officers Retired Major General then Lt.Col.James H.Johnson and Retired Col.then Major Richard M.Scott and the excellent Company Commanders in the 4th Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) ie.Captain Ronald R.Leonard and Captain William J.Connolly,well you get the picture the 4th Battalion was expertly led by a group of men who respected one another. the harmony in the command group led to the overwhelming victory at Dak To.The NVA admitted to over 6 thousand dead.U.S.(Snoopy)Intelligence reports place the NVA losses at 10 to 14 thousand causing the 68 Tet Offensive to fail in the Central Highlands.CSM Arthurs played a pivotal role in the outcome of this important battle.

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

1. I'm not going to repeat what has already been said. I read the book recently and I wasn't disappointed. I will say that it is very interesting to compare Maj. Winter's perspective as an officer (Beyond Band of Brothers) to David Webster's as an enlisted man. David Websters book is particularly good because, he was a talented writer, and captured his perspective in such a natural way. It's good and worth the $14 list price.



2. Band of Brothers without the spit shine, or the real band of brothers. Nuff said.



3. A first hand account of WWII, its strains, its successes, its miseries, its eventual triumphs. A plea against the horrors of wars.



4. I've read Band of Brothers, and I have the HBO series on DVD. Both excellent pieces of work. I've read Beyond Band of Brothers by Dick Winters, and also Brothers in Battle/Best of Friends by Guarnere and Heffron - both books are fascinating, in different ways. Winters fleshed out details of events I'd become familiar with, but his relatively impersonal style left me often wishing for more, while the Guarnere and Heffron memoir had the immediacy and personality of spoken recollections transcribed.
   
   I'm sure none of the men in Easy Company could have possibly imagined that 60 years down the track their names and deeds would be known to millions, and that many of them would be celebrities, writing best-selling memoirs, and travelling the lecture circuit.
   
   It's fascinating to have all of these different eye-witness accounts of the same shocking events.
   
   David Kenyon Webster wrote his memoirs long ago, and was never able to attract a publisher in his lifetime. Reading them now, I think I understand why. I can easily imagine his account seemed too blunt and unvarnished for the audience of the time.
   
   His writing seems very fresh and 'contemporary' - it's full of revelations and admissions that seem typical of a current-day author, whereas Winters, Guarnere, and Heffron all reflect the values and attitudes of men of that era. I have tremendous respect for all of these men, and I've been thoroughly engrossed reading all of the accounts of Easy Company, but Webster seems to have the clearest eye for, and ability to recall, important detail. He simply is the best at taking you deeper into the locations we have become familiar with via the Stephen Ambrose book, and the HBO series.
   
   He wasn't the best leader, or the best killer, or the most unflinching freedom-fighter, but for mine, he is the best story-teller in this amazing group of men. It's a real pity he didn't live to enjoy some recognition of this work.



5. I was interested in this book because it was written long before the fanfare and pop culture status that Easy Company gained from the Band of Brothers movies. This book gives a fresh and down to earth view of what it must have been like to be a member of the 506 PIR. It is a great first person account of life on the front and really conveys the turmoil that Weber experienced. If you are looking for a story about the 506th that is far and apart from the contempory accounts, this is a book for you.

5 comments about 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles in World War II.

1. 
   Like many here I was eagerly awaiting this new work by Mark Bando, who I consider the finest World War II airborne historian today. The five star rating here does not do this book justice, once again Mark Bando has give us a tremendous historical work on the famed "Screaming Eagles of The 101st Airborne Division " and its brillant record in combat in Europe from D-Day to the final surrender of Nazi Germany. You get a great colleciton of vintage photographs from the authors massive collection he has amassed over the last 30 plus years of research on the 101st. Many coming from the actual veterans themseleves. The author has spent the last 30 plus years going to 101st reunions and interviewing the men and collecting their rare stories for you the reader . In addition he has spent many years retracing the 101st Divisions battles in Europe and still today conducts tours from Normandy , The Bulge and the many places where the Screaming Eagles made history. This is one book for sure that any student of World War II needs in his or her collection. One can read the other fine reviews here.... I share their thoughts and this book by Mr Bando is one we should be greatful for. This book captures the amazing combat record of this outstanding division ! Well done sir !!!!!!!!!
   
   Thomas S. Colones
   Photojournalist
   WSPA-TV News CBS
   Spartanburg, South Carolina USA



2. Based on a previous purchase American Soldier, I have taken a chance and bought 101st Airborne as a gift for the same person (Teenage Grandson)it was very well received.
   On another note I disscussed with familiy and churchmembers the excellent selections from Amazon and the excellent custumer service, personally I no longer belong to a booklub and will not set foot in a bookstore.
   Go Amazon, we appreciate you and expecting the same customer service in
   2008
   Sincerely, a satisfied customer



3. The book is the very complete history of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. It contains many life stories of WW II veterans and many pictures in black and white, some of them have not been published before.
   Mark Bando in this new book has done an excellent work of relating the war actions of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy, Holland, Belgium and Germany. I can strongly recommend this book to all those who are interested in the history of the Second World War in Europe.



4. I think we are all lucky Mark Bando started interviewing World War II 101st Airborne veterans many years ago or most of these wonderful stories would have been lost forever. Several people have written great reviews to tell folks all about this book. I'm not a good writter so my review will be brief. Mark has more one on one interviews with WWII paratroopers from the 101st than anyone. I have 2 of every book he has written because the information is first hand from the veterans and can't be found anywhere else. Mark has inserted overviews of each battle so the average reader will still know where the action happened with out getting lost in each campaign. I can't recommend this book enough, there are great photographs, most have never been published. If you enjoy WWII actual accounts and history of the 101st Division, do yourself a favor and order this, you can even get it for free shipping from Amazon. What a great deal.



5. This is a fantastic book to be able to read and look at images never seen before in other WWII historical books. It is very interesting to read and be able to share with friends or family memebers who are interested in WWII history as well. Truly a beautiful book.

5 comments about Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends.

1. Great book. These guys are thoughtful and really funny, and Robyn Post does a great job getting it all organized.



2. Everything these older guys write is worth reading. They're living legends, regardless of their modesty. We've lived so well for so long because of what men like this did 70 years ago. Reading material like this allows us to never forget what they did, why it was necessary, and how forgetting could very easily cause us to have to repeat the whole thing again someday.



3. Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends
   
   This book is a must for anyone intersted in WWII. Just two Stand Up GI's Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron telling their factual stories as it was from their upbringing in the depression, to the front lines in Normandy, Holland, the Bulge, and the end of the war in Europe. If you want to know how it was, with no fluff, then this is a great read and,
   YOU ARE THERE!!



4. Throughout this whole book, I was constantly in tears. It truly brought to life what these men had gone through and the "bond" they formed. This really opened my eyes to alot about the war and this wonderful Regiment of the 101st Airbourne. Sad as it was of all they had to go through and endure; their strength and determination left me spell-bound. We should never forget anything about this turning-point in our History and all the sacrifices our brave men went through.



5. I really enjoyed this book. Have read all the other BOB`s related books and this is a great and worthy addition.
   
   Great insight into Wild Bill and Babe. Great characters, great fun.
   At the current price you cannot loose however I would spend a lot more because it is worth it.
   
   Looking forward now to reading Don Malarkey and Buck Comptons personal accounts due for release this month.

5 comments about Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters.

1. For anyone who watched the mini-series "Band of Brothers" this book fills in a lot of information that could not be used in the movie version. There are photos of the actual individuals during training and later, and gives a glimpse into why this group of airborne soldiers was one of the finest units in Europe during WWII. Dick Winters' commentary by itself is a tribute to the men he served with, and a look at an outstanding infantry commander who gave all the credit to the men he had the honor to serve with.
   
   This is a must-read page-turner that is very hard to put down after you start.
   
   Thank you Major Winters for an outstanding book and for your service during the war. You and the others of the Greatest Generation did nothing less than save the world.



2. You can always tell a hero... he's the one who will deny it to his last breath. I first found Dick Winters in Band of Brothers, like many others and was taken by the way he handled himself and inspired the men around him. His own book, telling his own story only further solidifys my admiration of the man and the way he lives his life. Anyone who has the same opinion will throughly enjoy his story. He's the kind of guy you wish lived next door.



3. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters
   Excellent piece of material about a couragous man.



4. Awsome book,Im a big WWII buff and I think this is one of the best books Ive read on WWII.These guys are the real deal.Get this book,you will love it



5. Major Winters has written not only a fabulous memoir of his role as company commander of Easy Company and later a Battalion Commander of 506th PIR, but he has also woven into it his very personal story as well as a wonderful manual for leadership that every man in a leadership position should follow.
   
   Like Stephen Ambrose's original book, Band of Brothers, Winters takes us through his entire experience with Easy Company and the 506th PIR from the start of training at Toccoa to the end of the war. Many of the stories Winters tells are the same, but here we get the insights into an outstanding commander's mind--why he makes the decisions he does and what he bases them on.
   
   Winters gives us insights into the individual exploits and abilities of the company's most outstanding men and also into the leadership at the company, battalion, and regiment levels. We get the same gritty stories of combat and heroic deeds that made the original Band of Brothers book and TV miniseries so compelling, but now we also get inside the mind of the commander and learn the psychology and the strategy that really makes a combat team, or any team, work successfully under extreme stress.
   
   Winters closes the book with an update on the men at the time of writing, including some very moving personal letters. The last chapter is a brief exposition of leadership, closing with a one-page, 10-point summary of what makes a good leader under the heading, "Leadership at the Point of the Bayonet." The memoir is outstanding in every way, but this capstone chapter on leadership is of inestimable value.
   
   As I closed the book, I felt some of the same admiration for Dick Winters that his men must have felt. The world yearns for men of character and leadership, and when you've read his personal account, you'll recognize that this is the very personal inside story of a man's man--how he thinks, what he feels, and what makes him and his team so successful. Major Winters is clearly a gentleman and a leader of the finest caliber whose team achieved what they did because he was able to recognize and bring out the best in his men, and they in turn brought out the best in him and in each other.
   
   Do not miss this book. It may not have quite the polish of Ambrose's book, but it's more personal, more touching, and it's one of the best books about the war and combat leadership you will ever read.

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

1. " As a member of just such unit...I am impressed by how well Mr. Ambrose has captured the true essence of a combat rifle company", writes the New York Times about Band Of Brothers; a book that tells the story of the Easy Company, 506th Airborne Infantry Regiment (AIR), 101st Airborne Divison, US Army from the jump in Normandy, France to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
   
   Wow...Such a powerful, intense book. As you read every page, the book and plot are growing deeper and the fights more atrocious. It grabs you and force you to keep reading. Written by the author of Citizen Soldiers and so many other great novels, Stephen Ambrose. I recomend this book to any person interested in a great, passionate book about friendships, adventures, and the hardships of these heros.
   
   Hero...what is it? Is there a straight definition? I feel that these men of E company 506 AIR are all heros for the things they did. They never do anything for fame. They are the unrecognized, unknown heros of WWII whom play a massive part in our victory.
   
   Easy Company, 506th AIR, 101st Airborne Divison:
   rendezvous With Destiny



2. 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!



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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 comments about The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (The Liberation Trilogy).

1. I found this book to be one of the best telling of the American Army in the ETO. The Author has told the story with some very telling insight (He was with the Army on its march to Bagdad) Using both broad and small strokes, he has told the Story of one of the Army's toughest campaigns The Liberation of Italy & Sicily.
   I especially like the "Kitchen Details" for example on how some of the 36th Infantry Division went into Salerno with out having Weapons. Also he does a 1st rate job of telling of some of the key and otherwise interesting characters of this saga. (Ike, Patton, Kesselring, Alexander, Eric Severide, Darby, Ridgeway, Montgomery, Bill Mauldin) also interesting is the Military Politics like when Bradley sacked the Generals of the Big Red One . Or of the infamous slapping of the shell shocked Privates by Patton.
   Altogether, This Book is well worth the time and money if this is your interest in history. I can also highly recommended his other book of the trilogy- An Army at Dawn.



2. I did'nt learn my lesson from reading "Army at Dawn". I know war is hell, but my goodness Mr. Atkinson, this book seems so focused on the negative aspects of the struggle, even more so than "Army", that I'm skipping the third book. I think this is an unfair and unbalanced portrayal of the battle in Europe.



3. This is an outstanding book about the Second World War. A fine follow on to Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn.



4. This is another great product written by Atkinson in line with his masterpiece "army at Dawn". Again, the author covers all topics - the generals, the home front, political leaders and the war through the soldiers' eyes. His writing style is superb and captivating. This is history come alive. It has covered the Italian campaign seamlessly from the African campaign. This was one book I could not put down and truly was a page turner. It showed the progression from the American army of amateurs in African on their way to a veteran force to be reckoning with. Old leaders gone from the African campaign are now replaced with new exciting characters. The authors objective coverage of the controversial Mark Clark was excellent. Again as in the 1 volume, Atkinson focuses mostly on the Americans, secondly the British and distantly on the French and the Germans. His depictions of the battles are riveting and vivid - no movie would be able to paint and exciting and vivid a picture. I would rank this in my top 5 favorite books (history) of all time. I can't wait for the final volume on this trilogy. Mr. Atkinson - type faster!



5. To put it simply, boy can this guy write! He combines an immense wealth of detail with a brilliant facility for language. The amount of anecdotes, diary excerpts, and historical facts, interwoven with a story that is told with enormous empathy for the foot soldiers who suffered and died in Italy, is simply breathtaking.