Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose

Aug 15, 2009 nanto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-and-sociology, militer, nant-s-book, international-relations

Saya sudah dua kali membaca buku ini. Pertama kali saya begitu menggebu-gebu. Pun yang kedua kali.

Namun kemaren ketika saya akan membacanya untuk ketiga kalinya, saya berniat membuat review yang utuh dari awal hingga akhir buku ini. Namun ternyata buku itu masih belum tamat saya baca untuk ketiga kali dan catatan saya masih belum tuntas.

Buku ini menarik untuk diulas karena cakupan cerita yang tidak hanya menggambarkan suasana kompetisi di antara para Jenderal. Sejak D Day. Komando pasukan sekutu...more Saya sudah dua kali membaca buku ini. Pertama kali saya begitu menggebu-gebu. Pun yang kedua kali.

Namun kemaren ketika saya akan membacanya untuk ketiga kalinya, saya berniat membuat review yang utuh dari awal hingga akhir buku ini. Namun ternyata buku itu masih belum tamat saya baca untuk ketiga kali dan catatan saya masih belum tuntas.

Buku ini menarik untuk diulas karena cakupan cerita yang tidak hanya menggambarkan suasana kompetisi di antara para Jenderal. Sejak D Day. Komando pasukan sekutu terbagi dua antara Amerika dan Inggris Raya. Ketika Montgomery terlambat menguasai Cannes, maka banyak pasukan Amerika menganggur dan tidak bisa meneruskan operasi. Kebuntuan itu salah satunya yang membuat Eisenhower memanggil Jenderal Patton yang pemberang untuk melakukan terobosan guna keluar dari kebuntuan karena terlalu berhati-hatinya Monty. Patton yang semula dijadikan jenderal non-pasukan karena kasus penamparan ketika Operasi di Italia kembali aktif memimpin Pasukan Angkatan Darat Ketiga.

Diceritakan pula pertempuran Ardenes, yang merupakan bagian dari "the last offensive" pasukan Jerman. Dengan memanfaatkan kekuatan sisa, dan juga sasaran depo bahan bakar sekutu, pasuka Jerman bergerak. Pasukan pertama yang dikirim adalah pasukan SS yang berseragam pasukan Amerika. Namun, kelalaian kecil membuat gerakan pasukan penyusul itu terbuka ketika mereka ingin mengisi bahan bakar di stasiun pengisian, "petrol please!" He he he Kekhawatiran keselamatan Eisenhower membuat ia dipindahkan ke sebuah markas lapangan yang dirahasiakan.

Buku ini tidak hanya bercerita mengenai kompetisi para jenderal. Buku ini juga bercerita bagaimana prajurit di lapangan menghadapi situasi sulit medan pertempuran. Ketika baru saja mendarat di Normandi, pasukan sekutu berhadapan dengan pasukan Jerman yang terlindung baik dibalik pagar tanaman. Kondisi pertempuran ini juga mempengaruhi perbandingan mesin perang kedua pihak. Tank Jerman memiliki daya jangkau peluru dan ketahanan baja yang lebih baik dibandingkan Sherman Amerika. Namun di sisi lain, Sherman Amerika yang bajanya dibuat lebih tipis demi memudahkan pengangkutan di kapal, memiliki keunggulan dalam kegesitan bermanuver. Di medan tempur Eropa Barat ini juga, Sherman mengalami modifikasi yang merupakan kreatifitas mekanik lapangan Amerika. Mulai dari penempatan semacam gerinda penyapu ranjau di muka tank. Atau modifikasi lainnya. Hal serupa tidak terjadi di pihak Jerman yang peranan mekaniknya tidak dapat memberikan input langsung di lapangan.

Keunggulan Sekutu yang paling utama pasca keberhasilan pendaratan Normandi adalah terbangunnya komunikasi antara pasukan di darat (kaveleri dan infanteri) dengan pasukan udara. Jalur komunkasi yang memungkinkan infanteri mendapat perlindungan yang cukup, terutama dari udara, membuat mental pasukan sekutu jauh di atas mental pasukan Jerman. Terutama ketika udara cerah. Deru pesawat sekutu yang mengangkasa tanpa perlawanan dari angkatan udara Jerman (luftwaffe) merupakan teror besar bagi pasukan darat Jerman.

Selain itu dicatat peran dari para perawat dan pelanggaran konvensi perang. Perawat merupakan pihak yang harus dihormati. Ada cerita dimana perawat dari satu pihak harus menolong korban lawannya. Selain juga ada catatan pelanggaran penembakan tawanan perang yang dilakukan oleh kedua belah pihak. Seperti tindakan pasukan Amerika yang menyuruh tawanan Jermannya berjalan dengan lutut di jalan aspal bersalju sebelum menembaknya. Hal itu dilakukan setelah mereka melihat mayat rekannya korban penembakan massal ketika Sekutu terdesak saat penyerbuan Ardenes.

Cerita pembangkangan juga terjadi. Bukan sekedar pembangkangan yang tidak perlu. Ada cerita seorang kapten (komandan kompie) yang menolak perintah dari seorang Kolonel (komandan brigade) dengan alasan senapanya beku dan tidak bisa menembak. Kesulitan dalam menjalankan rantai komando demikian bisa saja terjadi karena pihak perencana di belakang meja tidak cukup menerima masukan yang sepantasnya dari rekan mereka di lapangan. Seorang Jenderal di markas komandonya boleh berencana melakukan serangan dan memerintahkan untuk maju sekian mil per-hari. Namun kondisi di lapangan kadang tidak masuk sesuai dengan rencanya. Di sini Ambrose menceritakan bagaimana Sekutu (AS) membangun solusi dari kesulitan di lapangan itu.

Singkatnya, buku ini bukan cuma cerita para jenderal, tapi geliat perjuangan prajurit karena sumbernya yang kaya dari catatan pribadi prajurit dan perwira yang mengalami. Lain itu, buku ini juga bukan cuma buku perang, karena di dalamnya ada cerita bagaimana organisasi yang baik dan inovatif akan lebih mampu menghadapi situasi dan perubahan di lapangan. Masukan dari bawah tetap penting, meskipun organisasi itu bernama militer yang ciri utamanya adalah komando top-down.(less)

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Feb 05, 2009 Eric_W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-historiography

Ambrose, an incredibly prolific and readable historian, focuses in this book on the soldiers who made up the ETO (European Theater of Operations). It’s at first somewhat difficult to categorize. His analysis of the men who made up the army could almost be called cheer-leading of the most nauseating kind. But after he settles in, the reality becomes more apparent. They weren’t all great guys and upstanding citizens. He points out that some thirty percent of supplies coming into ports after the in...more Ambrose, an incredibly prolific and readable historian, focuses in this book on the soldiers who made up the ETO (European Theater of Operations). It’s at first somewhat difficult to categorize. His analysis of the men who made up the army could almost be called cheer-leading of the most nauseating kind. But after he settles in, the reality becomes more apparent. They weren’t all great guys and upstanding citizens. He points out that some thirty percent of supplies coming into ports after the invasion of Europe were stolen for resale on the black market. The picture of Milo in Catch-22 is not the grossest exaggeration. Racial problems were endemic at all levels, but Ambrose reserves his harshest judgment for the upper echelon commanders who remained clean, dry, and well-fed in the rear while front-line troops were asked to take objectives that often made little sense at great cost. Thousands of GI’s were lost to trench foot and frostbite during the winter because the boots they were issued were inadequate. Those in the rear got the good rubber-covered boots. The response of the brass was to insist that soldiers change their socks regularly, and threatened to court-martial anyone diagnosed with trench foot. The replacement system designed by Eisenhower’s staff sent inadequately trained men to the front where they often died needlessly. Had they been trained as units, with experienced sergeants and sent into battle as units fewer would have died, suggests Ambrose. British general Montgomery was clearly more interested in self-promotion than in becoming part of the team,, and Ambrose cites one example where Montgomery’s demands for more overall command had to be personally put down by Eisenhower. George Patton was obsessed with spit-and-polish. In one instance some officers just coming from the muddy front had been ordered to Third Army headquarters to get some badly needed maps. They were held up at the entrance to Third Army territory because Patton had issued orders to his MP’s that anyone entering had to maintain proper uniform standards of cleanliness, etc. It took the officers hours to get cleared and cleaned-up before they could get what they needed, holding up the offensive.
Soldiers soon learned that war was not all they expected. As others, like Paul Fussell and Gerald Lindeman (who explored the role of the American fighting man) have noted, war has been seriously overglamorized. Soldiers were psychologically unprepared for battle and the stress broke many of them down. Often they refused to take prisoners, shooting all Germans in the way whether under white flag or not. The war fundamentally altered the lives of those who survived the front lines. Americans, having never been bombed, cannot appreciate the horror of interminable artillery shelling and constant fear and deprivation.
Ambrose clearly admires what these soldiers for what they endured. In the end, the reason for fighting the war is exemplified by the tragic comments of a severely wounded German lieutenant who desperately needed a blood transfusion. Just as it was to be administered, the German insisted the medic certify there was no Jewish blood mixed in with the blood he was about to receive. The medic obviously could not, but pointed out that without the plasma he would die. The German died refusing to be transfused. They should have given it to him anyway.(less)

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Apr 12, 2010 Idle Hippo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiksi, milter

Patton woke on Christmas morning, looked at the sky and said to himself, "Lovely weather for killing Germans." .. Hohohoho...

Selesai bagian 2 (Battle od the Bulge), masuk Bagian 3

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Beres dah bagian satunya, masuk bagian dua

So Patton said to Eisenhower. Stop Monty where he is, give me all the fuel coming to the Continent, and I'll be in Berlin before Thanksgiving. Monty said to Einsenhower. Stop Patton where he is, give me all the fuel coming to the C...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women

...more

In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it.

Amazon.com Review

Stephen E. Ambrose combines history and journalism to describe how American GIs battled their way to the Rhineland. He focuses on the combat experiences of ordinary soldiers, as opposed to the generals who led them, and offers a series of compelling vignettes that read like an enterprising reporter's dispatches from the front lines. The book presents just enough contextual material to help readers understand the big picture, and includes memorable accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and other events as seen through the weary eyes of the men who fought in the foxholes. Highly recommended for fans of Ambrose, as well as all readers interested in understanding the life of a 1940s army grunt. A sort of sequel to Ambrose's bestselling 1994 book D-Day, Citizen Soldiers is more than capable of standing on its own.

From Library Journal

Military historian and author Ambrose offers a sequel to his best seller, D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II (LJ 5/1/94). A skillful blending of eyewitness accounts (gathered mostly from the oral history collection at the Univ. of New Orleans's Eisenhower Center and from personal interviews) gives the reader an intimate feel of what war was like for infantrymen in the European theater of operations?from the beaches of France to victory at the Elbe River. Additional chapters on the air war, medics, and prisoners of war offer firsthand accounts on topics rarely described in traditional histories. The book complements Paul Fussell's Doing Battle: The Making of a Skeptic (LJ 8/96) and Michael Daubler's Closing with the Enemy: How G.I.'s Fought the War in Europe, 1944-45 (Univ. of Kansas, 1994). This well-written oral history would also make an excellent general text. Highly recommended for all library collections.?Richard S. Nowicki, Emerson Vocational H.S., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Jan 29, 2013 Marc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Picking up where he left off with his book on the invasion of Normandy, Stephen Ambrose takes us from June, 1944 through the end of the fighting in Europe in World War II. Told mostly from the perspective of ordinary American soldiers, the narrative is also sprinkled with some views of the other side as there are many German recollections as well. Major battles such as the breakout from the Normandy beachheads, Operation Market-Garden and the Battle of the Bulge cover a good portion of the book,...more

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Oct 02, 2012 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: completed

Though I only gave this one three stars, I think it is an excellent, excellent book. The material covered is extremely educational. I only thought I understood the war and the Battle of the Bulge, but this book helped me figure out some of the whys and wherefores of battles, withdrawals, losses, etc. The author educates..

And while his purpose is to educate.. when it comes to readability, this one was really hard to finish. Sadly, it read a bit like a textbook, with much of the material coming a...more Though I only gave this one three stars, I think it is an excellent, excellent book. The material covered is extremely educational. I only thought I understood the war and the Battle of the Bulge, but this book helped me figure out some of the whys and wherefores of battles, withdrawals, losses, etc. The author educates..

And while his purpose is to educate.. when it comes to readability, this one was really hard to finish. Sadly, it read a bit like a textbook, with much of the material coming across as instructional, and while this is not likley to be a problem for all-- it just was almost too textbookish for me to thoroughly enjoy.

The author doesn't seem to make apology for some of the opinions he has formed of the persons in the book, even though his opinion is primarily formed from anecdotal experiences of veteran G.I.'s and not necessarily fact. The final chapter describes his friendship with veteran G.I.'s during his teenage and young adult years and much of his opinion appears to have been formed from those anecdotes. There is nothing wrong with that because those guys were really there.. but there were times that I felt that the author should express THEIR opinions as clearly THEIR opinions.. rather than simply adopting their opinions as his own.

I appreciate the fact that the author didn't try to demonize most of the characters in the book. Okay, admittedly, all he had to do was quote Patton a few times-- most of us already knew he was a pompous, crass, egomaniac... Or describe the hesitancy of British General Montgomery... but he describes Eisenhower in a balance view and gives him credit both for great loss of life and preventing great loss of life.

The author also describes how the United States went about adapting to warfare as they went. The G.I.'s worked to adapt tanks for battle in hedgerows or against pillboxes. One story I found really humourous. The Sherman's cannon could not penetrate the armor of some enemy tanks (Tigers?) but one tank commander found a way to capture those tanks without penetrating the armor. He fired White Phosphorous shells at the ports and the resulting smoke made the German tank crew believe that their tank was on fire and they exited with their hands up. He did this twice in one battle without causing any actual damage to the enemy tanks. The author describes this well.

Also, the author pointed out that a large number of our own G.I.'s were from German families. Some even spoke German. He tells of some of these men switching uniforms for special operations and sneaking through enemy lines. Cool stuff.

Also, the low incidence of rapes committed by our soldiers is credited to an army justice system that was swift and called for execution of convicted rapists. While the Russian army on the Eastern front moving towards Berlin was guilty of thousands of atrocities, the German people were grateful and surprised that the Americans did not tolerate or participate to any real extent in such activities, primarily because of the Army's justice system.

I'm certain that there are books that are more fun to read.. the organization of this book was very strong. There may be books that describe the ETO of France, Belgium, Germany, etc. in a better way, but this, in my opinion, would be a good place to start for those who want to understand how D-Day and the conclusion of the European portion of World War II was fought and won.

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Dec 20, 2011 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, war

A history of the U.S. Army in World war II, specifically the European Theater, from D-Day to VE-Day. Very readable, with lots of awe-inspiring anecdotal reminisces from both American and German infantry and pilots; it’s also clear and informative on the types and abilities of weaponry both sides utilized.

Ambrose is, of course, a patriot, almost a jingoist. While the book is very critical of the egotistical and apparently unreasonable Montgomery, it could do with a bit more critique of Patton, wh...more

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Aug 08, 2011 A.L. Sowards rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, wwii-nonfiction

I've been thinking a lot about story structure lately. How many wonderful stories (books or movies) have a structure something like this: Hero reluctantly gets involved in a struggle. Hero faces setbacks, makes mistakes, takes a few steps forward and then a few steps back. Hero learns, grows, and changes on way to achieving goal. Hero has to make some sacrifices, but comes out on top.

I love Stephen Ambrose. He makes history read like a good novel. Citizen Soldiers was packed with information. It...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Jimmie Kepler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E. Ambrose in the late 1990's shortly after reading Band of Brothers and D-Day, both also by Ambrose. I reread this book in 2005. I listened to the audio book version in 2006. The book describes how these "citizen soldiers" came to be soldiers, and what they did once they were. There is some overlap with his other titles about World War II. The book follows the battles right after the allies left the beaches of Normandy, all the way through France into German t...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Dwain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this book four stars because it is one of the best histories of World War II I have ever read despite occasional episodes of fierce language. There wasn't a lot of bad language but it was intense when it was present.

Ambrose brings richness, life, and new perspectives to a subject that has been written to exhaustion. He relates all of the expected events and gives enough detail to understand the strategic and tactical situation. He helps the reader to understand the causes and effects of...more I gave this book four stars because it is one of the best histories of World War II I have ever read despite occasional episodes of fierce language. There wasn't a lot of bad language but it was intense when it was present.

Ambrose brings richness, life, and new perspectives to a subject that has been written to exhaustion. He relates all of the expected events and gives enough detail to understand the strategic and tactical situation. He helps the reader to understand the causes and effects of the different happenings, but he also brings the human experience into each event. Ambrose relates several experiences, usually told in the person's own words, for each major event that helped me understand not just the historical significance, but what it was like for the men and women who went through the experiences. For example, while telling about the first days of the Battle of the Bulge, Ambrose includes diary entries of both German and American soldiers that explained how they each felt about the quick change of direction in the campaign.

Citizen Soldiers also includes sections about the airmen of the European theater, the medics and nurses, black soldiers, and the American casualty replacement system. These sections added perspectives that I do not usually encounter in military history. As an example of this, Ambrose includes a letter from a nurse in the theater that was published in "Stars and Stripes." The letter is the nurses expression of her admiration for the soldiers she treated. Ambrose also includes the reactions of some of the German civilians who lived in cities when some of our bomber crews landed among them. As you can imagine, they were not very friendly to those who were destroying their homes and killing their families.

As a final note, Ambrose does a wonderful job showing that there were good and bad among both sides. He talks about kindness showed by German soldiers and civilians, as well as their atrocities. He also talks about atrocities committed by GIs, as well as the kindness the showed. He forcefully drives home the point that there was good and bad among both sides.

Overall, strongly deserving of high praise.(less)

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Mar 09, 2013 Kevin Wilkinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finally an Ambrose book not about some politician who just happened to contribute to the war. This was a well written account of the American action in the European theater of operations. I did enjoy the book however it was written from the point of view that the Americans won the war. There were a few instances where it was suggested other nations failed or were not a courageous as American soldiers which I found somewhat critical. I find this typical of Ambrose writing in general. I don't thin...more

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Jul 17, 2009 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm on a little world war II kick right now and I realized that this book would basically tell me what my grandfather and Kate's grandfather were doing in 1944. Turns out, things were not that fun for them. Although, thank god my grandfather was in the anti-aircraft part of the army, because if he had been in the front line infantry, according to this book, chances are I would not be around. There are lots of great first-person stories of the war here, although it is a little jumpy all around be...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Cari rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Citizen Soldier. In some ways I liked it more than Band of Brothers. The history at the beginning, while being a bit repetitive, really gives an idea of what it was like to march through the Hedgerows. The description of the battles and the battle plans is easy to grasp without a lot of outside knowledge and I liked the way the book was divided up by topic and period during the war.

Probably my favourite chapter was the medic chapter, as I have a personal weakness for that field...more

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Aug 24, 2012 David Bird rated it 1 of 5 stars

When people know you like history, especially military history, you are probably doomed to get Ambrose books. And so I did, and dutifully read it. The fault of Ambrose is not bad prose (he can write a passable sentence), but in his perspective. I forget the exact line, but the effect is definitely that of "There is much that is good, and much that is original. But that which is original is not good, and that which is good is not original." The fault of plagiarism leveled against Ambrose I mind l...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Donette rated it 3 of 5 stars

This account of WW2 covered the fight from the Normandy beaches to the bulge and then the surrender of Germany. A nearly 500 page book depicting a little less than a year of WW2 but somehow I felt that not all could be covered. I was amazed at the stories both personal and objective of both sides of the fight.

Noteworthy quote by Ernie Pyle, "For me, war has become a flat, black depression without highlights, a revulsion of the mind and an exhaustion of the spirit." He then goes on to say, "If on...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Brien rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book took me forever to read...almost a month! It's not that it's very long (just under 500 pages), but that it's dense. It probably wasn't the best choice for a 'summer read' - but it was still a pretty good book.

Ambrose (who wrote the awesome book "Band of Brothers") is a military historian for military historians. If you're out of the look (like I am), some of the details in his book can get heavy and difficult to handle. Once I decided to read this book as a collection of thousands of s...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Patricia L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book gave me a real education of the GI's experiences during WWII in the European Theater of Operations. The only thing I found lacking was the descriptions of those in tanks. We read of all other specalties but this. My Dad was one man in the tanks (and shot out of 3), but sadly, now that I'm interested, he is no longer living. He never talked of the war, except for his joyful time hosted by hospitable Belgians.

I wish this book could be read by every high school or college student so the...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars

What were you doing at age 18 or 19 or 20? Probably not participating in an historic invasion with steep probability of injury or death at the hands of determined and well armed opposition. I don't know if I could have done it. Yet young men, plucks from America's cities, towns and farmland did exactly that...and triumphed. Ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary feats of valor and heroism. It will never be too late to remember these men and be thankful for there sacrifices.

Ambrose does a...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Jack rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ground-level narratives lend an authenticity and immediacy that gets lost in other media: Digging trenches into frozen ground to spend the winter night in the Black Forest? Sick, cold, tired, hungry and scared...and you can hear your enemies scant feet away in the pitch black, doing the same thing? Kind of makes me rethink just how tough my toughest winter Boy Scout trips really were. :)

Cutting through ancient hedgerows, set up with cross-fire machine gun killing fields also gives you pause. Th...more

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Oct 23, 2011 John Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Possibly one of the best books I have ever read. The first hand accounts of every day soldiers from both sides of the war gives a unique history of World War II that at times had my heart lifted in pride for what these people accomplished and moved me to tears by thier sacrifice. This book should be required reading for every High School history class if for no other reason that maybe if teenagers today realized that 80 years ago people not much older than them were will to fight and die to stop...more

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Jul 05, 2008 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Was a good book and very informative, seemed to drag in a few places, but other than that a good read.

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Jul 29, 2009 Jake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, military

One of now three Stephen Ambrose histories I've done on audio while driving cross country. Honestly, I have a hard time imagining that reading Ambrose in print could be more fulfilling.

This book is a great record of the real soldiers on the ground doing the hard work. If you think you know what World War II was like because you watched Saving Private Ryan, you are mistaken. This book is more thorough and comprehensive than any film could hope to be. But like great film it grabs your interest an...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars

I bought this book because it was about the time and place in WW II where my Dad fought and was wounded somewhere in the Rhone River Valley. From D-Day until May 1945 was a horrific time to be in Germany. This book details the hardships, tragedies, heroics, mistakes by both sides and utter destruction of a country. It is no wonder to me now that Dad never wanted to talk about his service there as a 20 year old. I remember asking him one time if he thought he killed anyone, and he said "I hope no...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Aaron Johansen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my first WWII book and so far, so good. Ambrose tells the story of the War in Europe from the eyes of the ordinary, everyday soldier. So, unlike other historical books I've read, this one does not focus on the "major" players. I'm about 100 or so pages in. The time period is around August of 1944. The battle of Normandy is over and the Allies have advanced some. I'm enjoying learning about WWII and will add this subject to my rotation (Revolutionary times, Civil war and now WWII) all to...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Barry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

What a read! Explores the Great war from the point of view of the grunt,not just Generals but a focus on the men in the field. My Dad was one of those guys- and I never really was able to capture the deprivations he endured before Steve Ambrose gave the stories wings. What a compelling series of narratives- and the comparisons to other historic events- like why this was worse on the grunts than the Civil war, or Napoleon's retreat from Russia were totally unexpected. If your family was connected...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Mark Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: All

Shelves: history, military, world-war-ii, european-theater

A wonderful book, by a wonderful author. Although it jumps around in sequence from time to time, I found it to be a much better write than his "D-Day" book, which made me dizzy with the jump arounds. This book goes into detail about how citizens became Soldiers in the best army in the world. It covers the period 7 JUN 1944 to 7 MAY 1945. Wonderful articles, and interviews, pepper the story. Ambrose evokes the suffering of warfare, fighting in the cold and wet, gruesome wounds, combat exhaustion,...more

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Apr 06, 2009 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whatever else Ambrose does, he does his homework. There's enough primary material in this book to make it worthwhile just for that, for telling the story of the men and women who were there. It's hung together with enough filler material to make it interesting and coherent, and enough background to make it accessible to those without a solid grounding in WWII history. It stands out as perhaps his best book about the period, simply because it focuses on the people, not the action, which is enough...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, world-war-ii

What is the fascination we have with war? Is it the disturbing realization that humankind can descend into such madness? Do we seek out the horrific? Or perhaps there’s something more. In Ambrose’s Citizen Soldiers, I admired the resiliency, ingenuity and humanity of our soldiers in a time when chaos and inhumanity reigned. Because World War II history is already known, I won’t consider the excerpts I’m about to include as spoilers. I hope to give you a small sense of what I enjoyed and learned...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Heather Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

WW II has always been interesting to me anyway, and this book was an excellent way to understand (from personal experiences) what happened on the European front of it. I really, really loved Ambrose's way of combining very personal accounts of the soldiers on the front lines up through the ranks to those making the big decisions. I also really enjoyed his writing style; though he goes into great detail, he is still easy to read and understand. It's easy to get the generalities of the war and how...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Matt Hartzell rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: history

This was my second Ambrose read after Band of Brothers, and it was exceptional. In Citizen Soldiers, Ambrose primarily uses the first-hand accounts of a select number of American infantry and non-commissioned officers as a cross-section of the US Army that liberated Nazi Europe. The accounts given by the men Ambrose interviewed are moving, humorous, heart-wrenching and ultimately inspiring. There is no comparable civilian experience to total war, but Ambrose does his best to draw the reader into...more

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title link	preview: Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
avg rating	preview: Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany Goodreads rating: 4.14 (7954 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49251.Citizen_Soldiers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348778025l/49251.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49251.Citizen_Soldiers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose[/url]

Citizen Soldiers: The U S Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany

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