Customer Rating:  
Summary: A disappointment from a talented author
Comment:
In this book, Ambrose crafts a narrative out of recollected war stories of a company of American paratroopers. It's surprisingly unemotional for a war story, largely because the participants aren't characterized very well. The company commander, Dick Winters, and a few others come alive in this story. Unfortunately, most of the men get about the same treatment as the enlisted man in StarTrek episodes who is doomed to die on the planet. When death occurs, it's more matter-of-fact than it should be.
The best part of the book comes, surprisingly, in training camp. Ambrose has time to introduce the regiment to us, and does it well. The most depressing part of the book comes when the war is over. One man after another succumbs to automobile accidents, drunken debaucheries, or cases of mistaken identity.
So, this book was a disappointment. I'm sure that the men thought of themselves as a band of brothers but the reasons for that friendship don't come across at all well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: MUST READ - Excellent depiction of Special U.S. Warriors
Comment: Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a fantastic and real account of Easy Company, 101st Airbourne called into every crucial battle Against Germany in WW-II...never rested enough, no winter clothers, not enough food to eat, they endured the unendurable especially holding the line during the "Battle of the Buldge".
Better than the HBO Series of the "Band of Brothers" both are enjoyable although the book is much more accurate/see Biggest Brother above, an escellent 5 STAR read as well
Customer Rating:
Summary: Review: Band of Brothers - Simply Excellent
Comment: Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers has been much praised and I want to add my praise to that chorus. It is the story of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from their training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Bavaria.
They were at the tip-of-the-spear in numerous key engagements of the European Theater of Operations - Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and beyond.
By the end of the war, Easy Company had spent well over 120 days on the very front lines in combat conditions. The size of the company at full-strength was 140 men. Of the men who fought in the unit, 48 were killed in action, and over 100 wounded, some wounded multiple times.
Several themes run through the story. One of them is the tight camaradery of soldiers fighting side-by-side: "Comrades are closer than friends, closer than brothers" (p. 19). Another is the vital role of leadership in battle. Lt. Harry Welsh's opinion was: "officers go first" (p. 36). That was Capt. Dick Winters style as well-the story revolves a great deal around him-and it was recognized by all: "'Follow me' was his code. He personally killed more Germans and took more risks than anyone else." (p. 155).
One should not assume that Ambrose is denigrating any other unit that saw action in the key battles Easy Company participated in. Rather, understand that he is providing a view into the experiences and actions of combat for the American fighting men of the Second World War through the eyes of a small-unit that fought in numerous key engagements of the war and proved their mettle in battle through their leadership, comradeship, lives, and blood.
Band of Brothers renewed and deepened my appreciation and thanksgiving for the men and women who fought to end the evil that was the Nazi Empire. There is a reason that the Nazi Swastika does not fly over the capitols of Europe today and it is in large part due to the willingness of warriors like the men of Easy Company. Citizens who loved peace and yet responded to the call to arms. They were willing to pick up a rifle and learn to stop the enemy and drive him back. And in battle, when home was distant and ideals driven from the mind, they always found a reason to stand, fight, and sacrifice if for nothing else but the brother standing next to them.
I commend to you, Band of Brothers, it is well-written, flows easily, and is a wonderful testament to the American fighting men of the Second World War.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Comment: I first got into Band of Brothers (BoB) after the DVD set was released. But I decided I wanted to read the book version to get more of the details (and there is A LOT left out). However, I picked up the audio version so I could listen to in during my commute to and from work. And it REALLY passes the time. Keeps you districted from the horrible traffic but not so much from driving itself. Definitely recommended for that purpose.
My only gripe is that this is the abridged version and I still feel like I missed a lot of the details I was looking for. So if you want to get the full effect...read the book. But if you want something more entertaining that talk radio or the same 20 songs over and over again - this is a GREAT fit!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great story...
Comment: I highly recommend this book. I bought it because of the Band of Brothers TV series. I got hooked with the story. I enjoy reading novels and documentaries about WWII, but this book is different than a novel. It is plain record of events that took place in real life. Amazingly told and related. Greatly structured and written in a fashion that is pretty easy to read. The story evolves like the best of the novels. You really get attached to the characters and get to know them prety well. Great job by Ambrose.
This is a must if you like army stories, want to read a good book, and by the way learn some history about one of the greatest soldier group and events of the greatest of wars in history.
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