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A Screaming Eagle #1
Currahee!
This acknowledged classic vividly portrays the tragic chaos of war accompanied by incredible acts of heroism in the midst of death and destruction.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
8 people are currently reading
2437 people want to read
About the author
Donald R. Burgett
15 books27 followersDonald R. Burgett was a writer and a former World War II paratrooper. He was among the Airborne troopers who landed in Normandy early on the morning of June 6, 1944 (D Day). He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division (United States), ("The Screaming Eagles"), and the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Burgett served in 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, 506th PIR as both a rifleman and a machine-gunner.
Burgett parachuted into Holland, his second combat jump, as part of Operation Market-Garden, and fought for 72 days behind the German lines. After just a few weeks rest, he was again sent into combat, this time at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 101st, along with Combat Command B of the U.S. 10th Armored Division (United States) and the all African American 969th Field Artillery Battalion successfully held out against nine German armored divisions during the siege of Bastogne. Burgett went on to fight through Operation Nordwind, on into Germany to the Ruhr Valley, the Rhineland, and Bavaria. While in action with the 101st, Burgett was wounded three times and had his M1 rifle shot out of his hands at least twice. He was one of only eleven men out of the original 200 in his company to survive from D-Day in Normandy to the war's end.
In addition to writing four books, he has also appeared in a number of History Channel specials on World War II.
Burgett's books are first-hand accounts of his time spent in the United States Army during World War II. Some were based on unpublished accounts he wrote immediately after the war, while others were compiled in later years.
Burgett parachuted into Holland, his second combat jump, as part of Operation Market-Garden, and fought for 72 days behind the German lines. After just a few weeks rest, he was again sent into combat, this time at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 101st, along with Combat Command B of the U.S. 10th Armored Division (United States) and the all African American 969th Field Artillery Battalion successfully held out against nine German armored divisions during the siege of Bastogne. Burgett went on to fight through Operation Nordwind, on into Germany to the Ruhr Valley, the Rhineland, and Bavaria. While in action with the 101st, Burgett was wounded three times and had his M1 rifle shot out of his hands at least twice. He was one of only eleven men out of the original 200 in his company to survive from D-Day in Normandy to the war's end.
In addition to writing four books, he has also appeared in a number of History Channel specials on World War II.
Burgett's books are first-hand accounts of his time spent in the United States Army during World War II. Some were based on unpublished accounts he wrote immediately after the war, while others were compiled in later years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 20, 2013
So, how do you rate a war memoir? Literary merit? Hardly.
Consider: there are numerous scenes in here that would have been considered over-the-top or unrealistic had you come across them in a fictional setting. Problem is: this really happened (or at least there is no reason to doubt the book's claim to authenticity). No dramatic flourishes here either; it's a fact-by-fact, straight as a razor, recounting of events.
It is imperative that you read the introduction by Martin Blumenson since it sheds some light on one or two inconsistencies (if you're the nit-picking type), taking into account that the author, as a frontline soldier, wasn't always aware of the bigger picture and is recounting events as he himself remembers them. This is his truth, and what a truth it is!
What this book sets out to do, it does exceptionally well. It's a snapshot, from a paratrooper's point of view, of those first chaotic hours of the invasion of France. If ever you've harboured some doubt that war is indeed hell, then this book should set you straight fairly quickly. It's often a harrowing read, especially since the events are (for the most part) depicted rather dispassionately.
As an intimate, first hand, account of men at war, I doubt if you could go wrong with this novel. There are some pretty bizarre situations in here, and the mind-set of the airborne soldier in 1944 takes some getting used to, but it was quite literally a case of desperate situations calling for desperate measures. These were people (boys) who were trained with one purpose in mind: killing! And kill they did (they were referred to by the Germans as the Butchers mit big pockets). Many of them died too. Read this and weep.
Consider: there are numerous scenes in here that would have been considered over-the-top or unrealistic had you come across them in a fictional setting. Problem is: this really happened (or at least there is no reason to doubt the book's claim to authenticity). No dramatic flourishes here either; it's a fact-by-fact, straight as a razor, recounting of events.
It is imperative that you read the introduction by Martin Blumenson since it sheds some light on one or two inconsistencies (if you're the nit-picking type), taking into account that the author, as a frontline soldier, wasn't always aware of the bigger picture and is recounting events as he himself remembers them. This is his truth, and what a truth it is!
What this book sets out to do, it does exceptionally well. It's a snapshot, from a paratrooper's point of view, of those first chaotic hours of the invasion of France. If ever you've harboured some doubt that war is indeed hell, then this book should set you straight fairly quickly. It's often a harrowing read, especially since the events are (for the most part) depicted rather dispassionately.
As an intimate, first hand, account of men at war, I doubt if you could go wrong with this novel. There are some pretty bizarre situations in here, and the mind-set of the airborne soldier in 1944 takes some getting used to, but it was quite literally a case of desperate situations calling for desperate measures. These were people (boys) who were trained with one purpose in mind: killing! And kill they did (they were referred to by the Germans as the Butchers mit big pockets). Many of them died too. Read this and weep.
June 4, 2020
Look. In strange, perverted world of today, people give thumbs up and get all incontinent with emojis for green vomit of other people dogs and New Age pink breakfasts.
So there's no option other than 5 stars for real life account of key historical events in which people died as easily as, say, gods giving them thumbs down.
The events in this book are relatively short, but mind blowing. They would have been even if they were fictitious, which of course they are not. It's cold, hard, bloody, torn-viscera reality of quite a recent past.
And now I found this is only one book in the series, following the same guys. I'm super excited about it because it's like the series of best war documentaries projecting directly inside my head.
So there's no option other than 5 stars for real life account of key historical events in which people died as easily as, say, gods giving them thumbs down.
The events in this book are relatively short, but mind blowing. They would have been even if they were fictitious, which of course they are not. It's cold, hard, bloody, torn-viscera reality of quite a recent past.
And now I found this is only one book in the series, following the same guys. I'm super excited about it because it's like the series of best war documentaries projecting directly inside my head.
January 16, 2023
“At its conception and activation, the 101st Airborne had no history, but it had a “rendezvous with destiny.” We kept that rendezvous with destiny, and we gave it a history.”
Burgett’s memoir is a frank and gruesome account of his “seven days in Hell”. Spanning from combat training to a week after the invasion of Normandy, Burgett makes it plain from the start that the glorified vision of battlefield heroics could not be further from the reality, and the transformation Burgett undergoes from basic training to his return to England speaks for itself. With grisly detail and sincerity, Donald Burgett recounts what we would consider unimaginable as simply a job that needed to be done.
Burgett’s memoir is a frank and gruesome account of his “seven days in Hell”. Spanning from combat training to a week after the invasion of Normandy, Burgett makes it plain from the start that the glorified vision of battlefield heroics could not be further from the reality, and the transformation Burgett undergoes from basic training to his return to England speaks for itself. With grisly detail and sincerity, Donald Burgett recounts what we would consider unimaginable as simply a job that needed to be done.
October 21, 2011
I never had the chance to talk to anyone who participated in D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II. But, having read this autobiographical account of Donald Burgett's experiences in the 101st Airborne Division, I've come close.
Burgett writes this book as if you were his grandchild, walked into his living room, handed him a beer, and asked, "Grandpa, what did you do in the war?" He opens up and tells all. The good, the bad, the heroic, and the humbling. And this one man's personal account brings you closer to the reality of what the war must have been like.
This book covers Burgett's experiences from training through the Normandy campaign. He wrote three others to, I suspect by the titles (Seven Roads to Hell, The Road to Arnhem, and Beyond the Rhine) cover the rest of his W.W.II stories. I look forward to reading them some day.
Because I did not have the chance to hear stories like these firsthand, I'm thankful that these were written down.
Burgett writes this book as if you were his grandchild, walked into his living room, handed him a beer, and asked, "Grandpa, what did you do in the war?" He opens up and tells all. The good, the bad, the heroic, and the humbling. And this one man's personal account brings you closer to the reality of what the war must have been like.
This book covers Burgett's experiences from training through the Normandy campaign. He wrote three others to, I suspect by the titles (Seven Roads to Hell, The Road to Arnhem, and Beyond the Rhine) cover the rest of his W.W.II stories. I look forward to reading them some day.
Because I did not have the chance to hear stories like these firsthand, I'm thankful that these were written down.
November 11, 2011
This was a fast paced, quick read that I enjoyed. It's the first book in a series of 4 telling the author's story of being a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne during WWII. This book covers his initial jump training, his time leading up to D-Day, D-Day itself, and the subsequent battles that followed over the next few days. The author doesn't delve into bigger issues or about the war as a whole. He simply tells you what he himself went through, so it's very action-packed. He doesn't hold anything back, so he relates gory details also. I look forward to reading his subsequent books
June 13, 2020
Currahee! or As Eagle Screamed
I will never tire reading stories about the brave men and women of World War II, although, I have a soft spot for the 506th Regiment, 101 Airborne Division. This book series are memoirs from Donald Burgett, a rifleman for A Company.
Part I in Burgett's series, Currahee is his memories from basic training, traveling over to Ireland to prepare for D-Day, jumping just behind the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, to a drop zone that was miles away from where the men were supposed to be dropped, and then the fight for the area of Carentan, France. Every soldier's story is different. One can never tire from reading these stories.
Burgett had a few unique situations. In training camp, he broke his leg on one of his first jumps -- causing him a few weeks delay -- although he was still able to catch up to the US D-Day invasion. Burgett found himself in many hedgerow skirmishes, which were some of the most deadly fighting situations against the Germans. There were many times the men had to charge out of ditches and face a hidden enemy behind these hedgerows.
We kept running straight at the enemy. It was like a dream--no, more like a nightmare. We were running for all we were worth, but standing still, getting nowhere. The hedge at the far end of the field seemed as far away as before.
Troopers sneaked along the hedgerows, found spots that would be easy to cross . . . Word was passed down from man to man to fix bayonets. We were going over the top. It sounded screwy, like something out of a movie . . . Grenades were thrown over the hedges . . . some were well over twelve feet high.
While Burgett was wounded , he and his four bunkmates (or stablemates) Phillips, Benson, Liddle, and himself all survived.
I think it's good that we keep these memories alive for these brave soldiers.
I will never tire reading stories about the brave men and women of World War II, although, I have a soft spot for the 506th Regiment, 101 Airborne Division. This book series are memoirs from Donald Burgett, a rifleman for A Company.
Part I in Burgett's series, Currahee is his memories from basic training, traveling over to Ireland to prepare for D-Day, jumping just behind the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, to a drop zone that was miles away from where the men were supposed to be dropped, and then the fight for the area of Carentan, France. Every soldier's story is different. One can never tire from reading these stories.
Burgett had a few unique situations. In training camp, he broke his leg on one of his first jumps -- causing him a few weeks delay -- although he was still able to catch up to the US D-Day invasion. Burgett found himself in many hedgerow skirmishes, which were some of the most deadly fighting situations against the Germans. There were many times the men had to charge out of ditches and face a hidden enemy behind these hedgerows.
We kept running straight at the enemy. It was like a dream--no, more like a nightmare. We were running for all we were worth, but standing still, getting nowhere. The hedge at the far end of the field seemed as far away as before.
Troopers sneaked along the hedgerows, found spots that would be easy to cross . . . Word was passed down from man to man to fix bayonets. We were going over the top. It sounded screwy, like something out of a movie . . . Grenades were thrown over the hedges . . . some were well over twelve feet high.
While Burgett was wounded , he and his four bunkmates (or stablemates) Phillips, Benson, Liddle, and himself all survived.
I think it's good that we keep these memories alive for these brave soldiers.
August 22, 2013
Excellent memoir, honestly written, truly a no holds barred look at training and the fighting in Normandy as seen by Burgett. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2019
A very enjoyable Normandy WWII Memoir, especially for those who really enjoyed Band of Brothers. The author, Donald Burgett was in the same Parachute Infantry Regiment, just in a different Battalion and Company. So his enlistment, training, and D-Day memoirs cover much the same ground. But the author's personality makes for vary different story, although in most scrapes, he's pretty much at another flank of the Easy Company guys. These Airborne Memoirs begin to meld into a very vivid story. I read this almost in one sitting(a plane flight), it's that good.
It's every American Para's story of D-Day. The drop zone mistakes, the landing zone misses, the water covering half the road on the men's maps. The small groups gathering- the muddled command and then the general playing havoc with the Germans. You get to see all the training prove useful and the men grow through the experience of doing their jobs really well against strong odds. When Burgett is wounded and evacuated, you know he's done his part. And there will be more installments....
Although there is some graphic violence and gore, a junior reader over 11 should be able to learn from this book. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, as much fun learning about the period as I've had in a while. I think Scenario/Diorama ideas will come from reading this book- and if not it's well worth reading on background. Even if you only want to read it to learn what other parts of the "Band Of Brothers" Regiment were doing at the same time- its time well spent. A strong recommendation.
It's every American Para's story of D-Day. The drop zone mistakes, the landing zone misses, the water covering half the road on the men's maps. The small groups gathering- the muddled command and then the general playing havoc with the Germans. You get to see all the training prove useful and the men grow through the experience of doing their jobs really well against strong odds. When Burgett is wounded and evacuated, you know he's done his part. And there will be more installments....
Although there is some graphic violence and gore, a junior reader over 11 should be able to learn from this book. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, as much fun learning about the period as I've had in a while. I think Scenario/Diorama ideas will come from reading this book- and if not it's well worth reading on background. Even if you only want to read it to learn what other parts of the "Band Of Brothers" Regiment were doing at the same time- its time well spent. A strong recommendation.
May 18, 2024
The author was reportedly a member of the 101st Airborne during the Normandy invasion and afterward. I don’t mean to besmirch or deny the reputation of the author, but to me he seemed more of a video game creator in which every shot at a bad guy strikes him in the forehead and every burst from a machine gun leaves the target split in two, entrails dragging in the dirt. That is just the impression I get from reading this entry into what is called by the publisher the World War II Library. Some of the details are interesting: how the paratroopers were trained, how they had to fold their parachutes in order to make sure that they would open when necessary, etc. But time after time a Nazi pops his head up around a hedge and Burgett blows him away with a shot to the head. Just not possible. Every shot is fatal, every wound festers into disaster—except for Burgett’s, of course. He heroically recovers and returns to service to fight on with his brother troopers—the “baggy pants guys”. I have been reading a lot of WWII and other battle stories lately and this is the first one that, to me, lacks credibility. I will meekly retire to my domestic mysteries and return to the wars when I have cleansed myself of the skepticism of reading this account.
July 7, 2017
This is a very good first-hand account of a paratrooper's training and combat with the 101st Airborne before and during the early days of the European invasion. Donald Burgett shares graphic descriptions of battles and their aftermath, and these memories are the "highlights" of the book, emphasizing the atrocities of war without glorifying them.
It serves as a useful parallel narrative to the more-known Band of Brothers, covering similar timeframes and battles but without overlapping personnel.
It serves as a useful parallel narrative to the more-known Band of Brothers, covering similar timeframes and battles but without overlapping personnel.
June 12, 2020
Currahee! by Donald R. Burgett is an account of the World War II Normandy Invasion as told by a Paratrooper. He tells his experiences from boot camp through the war fighting in Europe and particularly the battles fought in France after dropping by parachute into enemy lines and fighting Nazi soldiers.
This is an account told by a soldier who fought battles in an historic battle that contributed to the American Allies to win WWII. This account is worth reading and it will provide an insight to what happened during this war.
I highly recommend this book.
This is an account told by a soldier who fought battles in an historic battle that contributed to the American Allies to win WWII. This account is worth reading and it will provide an insight to what happened during this war.
I highly recommend this book.
November 19, 2024
I seldom read books very quickly but this one, although not a great tome, I finished in 3 days! To say it’s a page turner is an understatement. If you have any interest in World War Two theme this book is a must. The author has you riveted from the start, whilst you never really get to know the characters, Burgetts fellow Paratroopers, it is so well written you just have to keep turning. It is brutal and does not sugar coat the horrors of war. This man and his fellow Troopers are hero’s, one and all. A must read!
April 23, 2025
Call it 3.25 stars. Interesting examination of the very different personalities of airborne troops (different from the personalities of other soldiers, that is). Chip-on-the-shoulder types fit right in. As tough in training as Marines, I expect, and perhaps tougher.
Some of the combat exploits related have a ring of BS, but BS is standard operating procedure perhaps in this mileau.
Am reading the author’s follow-up account of his experience in the ill-fated “Market-Garden attack into The Netherlands — The Road to Arnhem
Some of the combat exploits related have a ring of BS, but BS is standard operating procedure perhaps in this mileau.
Am reading the author’s follow-up account of his experience in the ill-fated “Market-Garden attack into The Netherlands — The Road to Arnhem
March 18, 2022
My fascination with world war 2, coupled with a factual POV diary like telling of the landing at Normandy made this a winner.
Horrific is the word that comes to mind when talking about what these men experienced. We really don't know how easy we've got it.
It covers Donald's decision to join the war, his training as a paratrooper and the battle of Normandy.
A review can't so it justice to be honest. Anyone with an interest in WW2 on any level should read this.
Horrific is the word that comes to mind when talking about what these men experienced. We really don't know how easy we've got it.
It covers Donald's decision to join the war, his training as a paratrooper and the battle of Normandy.
A review can't so it justice to be honest. Anyone with an interest in WW2 on any level should read this.
April 29, 2024
2.5 Stars. The first part of the book ‘Training for combat’ was good and insightful. I enjoyed it.
However I struggled with the style of the rest of the book. In my opinion it would’ve greatly benefited from chapters or even dinkuses (***) to show a passing of time or change of scene, as the paragraphs were too long, and with so much happening from one sentence to the next, there was no time to process anything.
However I struggled with the style of the rest of the book. In my opinion it would’ve greatly benefited from chapters or even dinkuses (***) to show a passing of time or change of scene, as the paragraphs were too long, and with so much happening from one sentence to the next, there was no time to process anything.
October 7, 2024
An interesting story of training for the Parachute Infantry and the author's later deployment on D-Day (and thereafter). Little to no real illumination of his fellow paratroopers, they largely just remain cyphers with no differentiation other than by last name. Band of Brothers this is not, Band of Acquaintances is more the feeling I got.
Still, it is nice to hear another version of the well-known story.
Still, it is nice to hear another version of the well-known story.
February 18, 2017
My first serious introduction to WWII, read in 2015. John Keegan in The Second World War gives the reader an excellent and balanced one-volume analysis of this crucial historical conflict. At 500 plus pages, it is not a short read. However, it is presented with a clear prose and provided me, as a beginner, enough material to understand the events and inspired me for further readings.
May 16, 2019
An roaring tread filled with amazing anecdotes, enough in fact to leave me wishing for evidence and citations to support them.
I've now read all four of Burgett's books, and am glad I did. This title is less bitter, for lack of a better word, than Burgett's later tales. Perhaps because he's deal with less rear-echelon riff-raff at this point in his narrative.
I've now read all four of Burgett's books, and am glad I did. This title is less bitter, for lack of a better word, than Burgett's later tales. Perhaps because he's deal with less rear-echelon riff-raff at this point in his narrative.
February 28, 2022
Impactful look at just a minute set of things soldiers/troopers went through to fight WWII. I can't say I would have the same courage faced with the same situation. The little personal stories are what make the book stick - dropping homemade grenades down the chimneys of their fellow troopers and a herd of sheep blowing up after tripping their booby trap line.
February 2, 2024
One of a trio of books Burgett wrote of his service with the 101st Airborne Division. This one details the Dividion's jump into Normandy on D-Day. The other two detail the Arnhem and Bastogne campaigns. Excellent account of the ordinary paratrooper in the trenches of World War II. I will be seeking out the other two books.
September 26, 2017
This is an excellent memoir! The author tells his story from his military training as a paratrooper to fighting battles he was in during World War II in Normandy. I felt that his way of telling his own story made it more real to me.
February 17, 2020
A powerful account of war. The author recounts basic training, preparation for battle, and parachuting in to Normandy just ahead of the beach landings on D-Day in a brutally straightforward manner, no sugarcoating here. I had to remind myself at several points that this was not fiction.
April 24, 2022
Gran libro sobre las experiencias en combate durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial de Donald Burgett.
Muy detallado, fácil de leer y muy dinámico...asombrosamente realista sobre la preparación previa al Dia D y sobre sus días de combates en Normandía.
Muy detallado, fácil de leer y muy dinámico...asombrosamente realista sobre la preparación previa al Dia D y sobre sus días de combates en Normandía.
May 29, 2023
This is an excellent accout of one man's involvement in D-day. The matter-of-fact tone of the book is what really makes it for me.
He just states what he did, what he saw, and doesn't make any big deal about it. WOW!
He just states what he did, what he saw, and doesn't make any big deal about it. WOW!
December 24, 2024
Rounded up from 3.5 (fix this Goodreads!). This WWII memoir is told in such an aw shucks, matter of fact manor that you can almost miss the horror of it all. But it's there, in Private Burgett's insouciant tone and in such rapid fire manner I finished the book in two settings.
February 8, 2019
paratroopers perspective of normandy
May 28, 2019
Not really a Band of Brothers book, since he's from A Company, but still a really great autobiography of D-Day.
December 28, 2022
One of my favourite books, well written, fast paced. Can’t recommend enough if you’re interested in ww2 or if you enjoyed band of brothers
January 29, 2023
Experiences that are simply terrifying.
July 28, 2025
It was just okay.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews