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Aug 20, 2008

Dan rated it:

This was so good! Two thumbs up and a booya. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. I saw the HBO series and loved it so I decided to read the book. The book was great too because it gave more information on the war and the men involved. If you have not seen the series, watch it. Then you can call me and tell me how awesome I am for recommending it to you. The really great thing about the show and the book is that it is not all about war. It is the (very accurately) true story about the men of More...

2 comments like (11 people liked it)

Jun 09, 2008

Melody rated it:

AMAZING. I was cold when they were cold, tired with them, hungry with them, and relieved when they left the front lines. I felt like I was there the entire time and could not stop turning the pages. A historical, true, and educational book. Very insightful as to war and the minds of soldiers. Lots of specific military movements, language, and actions. And, of course, violent, bloody, and most everyone dies either in war or in old age.

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jan 18, 2012

Katie rated it:

I know this is the vaguest, most non-descript way to begin a review, but...this book is amazing.

A diligent researcher, Ambrose sifted through historical evidence and spoke with family members and, when still possible, the troops themselves--which is an invaluable addition to the book--to humanize the story and tell it as accurately as possible. It's an incredible story to hear, and while I would never say "it's like you're actually there," Ambrose does as good of a job as More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 14, 2011

Leila rated it:

For a history book Band of Brothers is very well written. It is easy for a non-military buff to understand and Ambrose does a great job of bringing the men of Easy to life. It's difficult for me to rate the book impartially because I have already fallen in love with the mini-series. Parts of the book were probably easier to understand because I had the series as a background. The one complaint I had was that, when describing military position and combat details, Ambrose often slips into a slight More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 14, 2009

Malquiviades rated it:

Just the stories told in this book made it really superb. It might be one of the best accounts on WWII. Might be it is, but for the annoying comments of Ambrose at every chapter, reminding the reader that they (US) won because the "democratic soldier" had the moral superiority over the German (Nazi) soldier. So, it is difficult to rate it properly.
To win a war or a battle has nothing to do with moral righteousness.
The book will be among the best on WWI if you skip Ambrose' More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Apr 10, 2008

Greg rated it:

I'd been meaning to read this for the longest time. It reads very quick, especially if you have seen the miniseries and already know the story of Easy.

A few things that jump out at you about real life vs. the miniseries:

Winters was not the golden boy HBO makes him out to be. He did not drink, but not out of any moral objection. He also did swear casually, which I found surprising. HBO goes out of its way to make Winters' language squeaky-clean. What the series gets right: More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 17, 2008

nanto rated it:

'From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he who today sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.'

-Shakespeare; "Henry V"

Membaca buku dan menonton sebuah film memang dua kegiatan berbeda. Namun untuk buku dan film tentang Easy Company 2/506th Regiment, 101st Airborne ini bisa dibilang saling melengkapi.

Ambilah cerita tentang pertempuran merebut meriam Jerman di Brécourt Manor set More...

17 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 18, 2007

Nathan rated it:

Stephen Ambrose was one of the most important historians of his time, and Band of Brothers is one of his greatest achievements. Ambrose wrote extensively about WWII in his life, and in his career his writing always showed a tender sympathy for the average man who fought in that war. His sympathies weren't with generals or politicians, but with the complex, diverse, cynically optimistic generation that fought and died on the Allied side. In Band of Brothers, Ambrose focused that fascination on on More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 22, 2010

Judy rated it:

Despite the recent controversy surrounding the validity of Stephen Ambrose's works concerning Eisenhower, Band of Brothers is a masterfully written history of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and their experiences in World War II. His detailed research into the lives of the men helps the reader to feel as though they truly know those soldiers. It is no wonder that the miniseries was made about this incredible unit. If you are into World War II history or in the military, this i More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 18, 2011

monamour rated it:

"From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."
-Shakespeare Henry V

This ranks as one of the most accurate portrayals of World War II, I have found. It gives the reader a vivid, raw, powerful, view of the men who served in the 101st Airborne, Easy Company, from D-Day to VE-Day. Not only their struggles and at times despair, but the bonds t More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 01, 2008

Trevor rated it:

This was a marvelous book. On the simplest level it is a great story about war and the feats of the 101st E company. Lots of shooting, lots of dying.

But what really intrigued me were the depths the book dived to, and the delicacy Ambrose had dealing with the true intricacy's of combat. This book did not glorify the men, primarily because the men did not glorify themselves. It did not glorify war. Ambrose related well the men's views on the incompetence of the Army Bureaucracy, the ab More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 20, 2008

jennifer rated it:

If you want a good summary of E Company's experience in WW2 that also follows the HBO series fairly closely, this is an interesting, not overly tactical read.

Though, you should be warned that Ambrose editorializes quite a bit throughout the book, e.g., "because we were a democracy, we had better trained soliders and won the war..." and so forth. Statements like that smack a bit of triumphalism to me.

It's also very coarse prose--no elegantly written passages in More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 28, 2008

Nikki rated it:

A very interesting book start to finish. It opened my eyes to what every day life was like for American soldiers in WW2. I expected tales of bravery and heroics- which there were. I did not expect the darker side of war- gambling, drinking to excess, sexual conquests, looting- to be so prevalent among one of the most famous and elite divisions in the army. In my mind, I had idealized the citizen soldiers from America to an army like Helaman's stripling warriors. The heros in this book were More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Dec 11, 2008

Nathaniel rated it:

A compelling history of the Easy Company of the US Airborne--the personalities of the men really shine through the story, and the war mindset becomes more comprehensible to civilians. I'm watching the HBO miniseries based on this book, and it's also excellent.

My biggest issue with this book is its clunky writing and lousy editing. I can safely say that aside from self-published books, I've never seen a book with more typos and clumsy phrasing. Ambrose may be good at research, but hi More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 30, 2007

Sandi rated it:

I didn't start reading this book until after watching the HBO series. Soon afterwards, I traveled to Normandy and visited a number of important sites in the war. The movie and book definitely provide you with images of what things were like,
but there isn't anything like seeing them in person. I also discovered that one of my relatives was in the Easy Company and I was able to ask him some questions about it(although he doesn't talk much of the war). He's in the book, but chose not to More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Dec 08, 2011

Alex rated it:

Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose is about the brave men of the 101st air borne, easy company in World War II. The book tells all about the lives of the men of E company from the day they join to the day to the day the 101st was disbanded in November 1945. The company belonged to the 506th Paratroop Infantry Division (PIR). These were the men who parachuted in behind enemy lines on D-Day. Easy company was in every major battle from D-Day to The Battle of More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 08, 2011

Kimbolimbo rated it:

I listened to this book during work and during my commute...I figured I wouldn't make it through the whole story if I had to read it during my free time when I have a hundred other things to do. History just isn't my thing unless I am trapped in my car. I gained a new perspective of the men who fought in WWII. They became real men with real weaknesses and amazing strength...or just the ability to keep moving forward in horrible circumstances because they'd rather live than be blown up...or so More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 01, 2011

Jake rated it:

"Band of Brothers" by Stephen E. Ambrose is a compelling novel about a group of men who pushed their own limits and overcame adversity and the horrors of war. Easy Company is part of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. The men of E Company learned to fight not as a single hero but as a heroic team. Easy jumped into Normandy on the early morning of D Day. From there, E Company traveled throughout northern Europe from Normandy, France to Hitler's Eagles Nest in Berchtesgad More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 20, 2011

Nemo rated it:

The reason I chose to read this book was because I was first turned on to it by my 10th grade Humanities teacher Peter Jana. I have always had a liking for WWII that time in history fascinates me the most because war in general interests me and I wanted to read a book about a first hand experience or about a series of interviews with veterans and this book was the right one for me. Band of Brothers is a WWII book that Stephen Ambrose wrote. He pieced it together with the many interviews from mem More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 23, 2010

Kathryn rated it:

I should start out by saying that I'm not much of a history reader, especially war history. The fine details about dates, strategies, and the incredibly complicated who-reports-to-who army ranking system usually goes right over my head. So that should tell you a lot when I say this book has TONS of that, and it was still one of the best history books I've ever read.

I'll never know if I would have liked this book as much if I hadn't watched the HBO series first, but it did help to hav More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 25, 2010

Zachary rated it:

Stephen Ambrose was a master of the historical epic that read like a novel. Band of Brothers was arguably his opus. A raw, gritty WWII narrative that focuses on the men of Company E of the 101st Airborne from D Day to VE Day. Everything you read in here is true, historically researched and backed up by eyewitness accounts and quotes from the men who lived it. Reading this book will give you a new appreciation for the men who lived through hellish circumstances because they believed that free More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 21, 2010

Alex rated it:

This book is an amazing non-fiction story. One of my dad's friends recommended it to me because he noticed that I play a lot of war games. (Call Of Duty) He thought that I might as well learn what it really meant to be in war. And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. This story kicks off as a kinda of slow introduction, making sure that you really connect to each of the characters and understand their background. This particular book follows a group of soldiers named the E Company, 506 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 02, 2009

Daniel rated it:

Over the last month, I have been watching the HBO series in 3-episode sessions with my friends. Upon learning that it was based on a book (and not a 1,000-page tome), I decided to read it. The source material matches the silver screen's raw, gritty depiction of the 101st Airborn's journey from the training grounds of Taccoa to Berchtesgaden.

Ambrose's narrative style is mixed. It treats the actual battle scenes with much indifference, rarely sentimentalizing specific events as th More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 30, 2011

Cullen2012 rated it:

This book is about Easy Company of the 506th regiment in the U.S.A's 101st airborne division. It talks about there travels from camp Toccoa all the way to Hitler's Eagles Nest. It talks about there struggles from hunger to not being properly equipped for the cold weather. Most of the story takes place in the European Theatre.

I gave this book 5 stars because it has everything I like in a book. It has plenty of action, but it also makes you think. It gives a fantastic idea of what thes More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 12, 2010

T rated it:

Stephen E. Ambrose's non-fiction book, “Band of Brothers”, describes the historical journey of America’s Easy Company, the 506th Regiment, and the 101st airborne units as together they face the difficult challenges World War II has to offer. This book contains tons of historical information and provides an unforgettable, jaw dropping experience that will make you asking for more.
The members of Easy Company came from all over the United States in the summer of 1942. As they arrive, the comp More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 24, 2009

Alberto rated it:

I have been after this book for a pretty long while. I had seen the HBO miniseries first (several times, both on TV and after I got the DVD for Christmas), and I was really looking forward to read the whole story. Generally speaking, it is a very good book that offers a lot of insight regarding the time of Easy Company in the front. It reads fast, it is entertaining, and it's about WWII (so it can't get much better, hehe). Anyway, there are things that became full episodes in the series and that More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 12, 2011

Josh rated it:

Stephen E. Ambrose Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest LEXILE=unknown
What made this book interesting for me was how they travelled to almost everywhere ,fought in almost every major battle that the U.S. fought in Europe during world war 2.They were united at the beginning at camp toccoa by sgt. Sobel. They were the spearhead at operation market garden. They were in the frontlines at the battle of the Bulge. In More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 30, 2011

Cari rated it:

I watched the miniseries, then read the book, then rewatched the miniseries. I really think this helped in terms of understanding this whole world and the teminology and background for it.

I think the whole book is a great blend of personal stories and the bigger picture of the war. I like the way it explores not only the battles between E company and the Germans, but also between E company and the circumstances they were surrounded by, nature, and their own commanders. It's a defi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 07, 2011

Eva rated it:

Ik heb de serie Band of Brothers deels gezien. Ik heb de bundel thuis, maar eigenlijk nooit de tijd genomen om alles te zien. Ik weet wel dat de afleveringen die ik gezien heb erg veel indruk op me hebben gemaakt. Vandaar ook de keus om dit boek te lezen. De serie doet meer met me, maar wat is dit een geweldig boek. Ik ontwikkelde erg veel sympathie voor Winters en Webster. Vooral Winters maakte indruk op me. En hoe Ambrose de gebeurtenissen neerzet vind ik ook erg prettig. Niet zwaar geladen, More...

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Jan 09, 2012

Nathan rated it:

For someone who is new to reading military history and WWII this is an entertaining read. As the title implies, the author focuses around the men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne and describes the war from their perspective. The book is full of grimy details that serve to anchor the horrific reality of war into the minds of civilians far removed from conflict.

Ambrose is largely unconcerned with many of the questions historians ask. Instead, he asks the questions of a biographer. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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