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Bootprints: An Infantryman's Walk Through World War II
"In what promises to be one of our country's final World War II memoirs, Bootprints has saved the best for last! Winebrenner and McCoy walk you through the worst imaginable, life along Northern Europe's front lines!" -Rick Bartholomew, "Nam Magazine" "A truly moving tribute, Bootprints speaks for not only one, but for all GI's! ... This fighting man's anthem reminds us that war is the most savage and uncivilized undertaking humanity shall ever endure!" - Ralph M. Knox, author of "The Emperor's Angry Guest" "I couldn't put Bootprints down, finishing it the day I started! ... Experience life in the Army Infantry through Recon Sergeant Hobert Winebrenner's eyes--the destruction he saw, the death and filth he lived with daily, the comradeship and heroism he'll never forget. ... It's a vivid, engrossing account!" - Neil Case, syndicated newspaper columnist "Bootprints marches you into battle with the true heroes of the war, those who won the victory. ... Winebrenner and McCoy tell it like it was--the horror and hell of it all! It's the best book I've ever read about life and death at the front!" - William M. McConahey, author of "Battalion Surgeon"
308 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2005
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 19, 2017
Bootprints is Hobert Winebrenner's story (Michael McCoy wrote for him) of his experience in WWII. In telling his tale, Mr. Winebrenner opens before the war and tells about being drafted into the army. Interestingly, once he'd completed training he was asked to train the next batch with the promise that he'd go to officer training school. Fortunately (or not), Mr. Winebrenner was given the option to become a sergeant at Ft. Sill working with forward observers and training them on basic infantry weapons. After doing this for awhile, Mr. Winebrenner was assigned to the M Company (the heavy weapons company), 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division and sent to Europe.
After spending short period of time training in England, the 90th ID was sent to fight in the hedgerows of Normandy. It is in this time period that Mr. Winebrenner's tale picks the pace that he follows throughout the rest of the book; chapters about a series of battles, with sub-chapter that tell of particular parts of the battle (interestingly more often than not Mr.Winebrenner tells the exploits of others). Chapters include the battles thru the hedgerows of Normandy, recovering from wounds, Operation Cobra and the race across France, breaking into Germany, the Battle of the Bulge, and the battle for Germany. To close things out, Mr. Winebrenner closed out by telling us about the men he served with and what happened to them after the war.
Reading this book I was torn many times between four and five stars. By the end of the book it had become a strong 4.5 star book. If there are weakness's in it, they're very few and far between. The strengths are many; Mr. Winebrenner paying tribute to his mates, many of the stories are exciting, and the details are exact. Because the strength's, I have to give this book the nod to 5 stars! Mr. Winebrenner, thank you for your service!
After spending short period of time training in England, the 90th ID was sent to fight in the hedgerows of Normandy. It is in this time period that Mr. Winebrenner's tale picks the pace that he follows throughout the rest of the book; chapters about a series of battles, with sub-chapter that tell of particular parts of the battle (interestingly more often than not Mr.Winebrenner tells the exploits of others). Chapters include the battles thru the hedgerows of Normandy, recovering from wounds, Operation Cobra and the race across France, breaking into Germany, the Battle of the Bulge, and the battle for Germany. To close things out, Mr. Winebrenner closed out by telling us about the men he served with and what happened to them after the war.
Reading this book I was torn many times between four and five stars. By the end of the book it had become a strong 4.5 star book. If there are weakness's in it, they're very few and far between. The strengths are many; Mr. Winebrenner paying tribute to his mates, many of the stories are exciting, and the details are exact. Because the strength's, I have to give this book the nod to 5 stars! Mr. Winebrenner, thank you for your service!
March 27, 2016
A GI’s Journey through Europe …
I always enjoy reading the different perspectives offered by individual accounts of war. While some accounts can be straight-forward and somewhat dry, others are deeply personal and revealing. Hobert Winebrenner’s BOOTPRINTS falls into the latter category. I felt this war memoir was uniquely personal and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I found BOOTPRINT’S different from most personal accounts of combat I’ve previously read. First of all, Winebrenner’s war experiences seem more diverse (and interesting) than most others. Second, rather than a designated photo insert in the middle, the book is thoroughly illustrated throughout. Third, this book appears to be written with a purpose other than simply telling one man’s account of war. BOOTPRINTS reads much like a personal unit history for the families of those who served with Winebrenner. A substantive memorial for the families of his fellow soldiers who did not survive the war and a way to share the experiences for the families of those who made it through. The author’s sincere desire to pay tribute to the buddies he lost weighs heavy from beginning to end.
Winebrenner served in the 358th Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division (part of Patton’s 3rd Army). While his regiment landed on Normandy several days after the invasion, it saw considerable action in some of the Western Front’s most significant operations. Winebrenner’s experiences included clearing the Normandy hedgerows, closing the Falaise Gap, the siege on the fortress of Metz, multiple river crossings (including the Saar, Moselle and Rhine), the Battle of the Bulge, pushing through the Siegfried Line, Germany and eventually into Czechoslovakia, where it liberated the Flossenburg concentration camp. As eventful as Winebrenner’s journey through Europe truly was, BOOTPRINTS is not a chest-thumper, but a personal memoir that not only explains the misery of combat, but the deep bonds experienced by those sharing such misery.
Humbly written, the author downplays his extensive personal experiences (which included a temporary stint as a POW, as well as earning 5 Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and a Silver Star). Instead, Winebrenner prefers to honor those he served with and takes great care to let readers know who these men were, especially those who were killed. His attention to the personal details of these men reminded me of how Ernie Pyle wrote “Brave Men” … no mere listing of names, we actually get to know who these men were before their lives ended. The author takes great strides to honor them so they are not forgotten. Furthermore, most every KIA soldier introduced in the book is accompanied by a photo insert. The abundance of personal wartime photos that pepper each chapter is another detail that separates this war memoir from others.
The experiences Winebrenner recalls are quite interesting. Made a POW within days after arriving at the front, the author details a fortuitous moment in which a German sergeant mercifully stops another Nazi from murdering Winebrenner and his fellow POWs … an event that would repeat itself (from the opposite perspective) later in the war. I found the daily activities (miseries) that occupied the soldiers between combat to be particularly insightful. From receiving cotton ankle socks instead of the needed heavy wool socks during the Battle of the Bulge to seeing General Patton up-close and personal. The accumulation of filth from not bathing for a month. The miserable and dangerous river crossings that seemed to happen one-after-another. The stories are told from an enlisted man’s perspective, which means we get a clear picture that winning the war was not necessarily the result of brilliant strategy as it was the resolve and ingenuity of the common foot soldier. The story of linking up with the Red Army to put a halt on the Soviet Union’s attempt to consume all of Germany was one of the more insightful stories in the book as the meeting between the Russians and the Americans was not as rosy as all the pictures seem to indicate.
Closing the book, the author graciously details the after-war lives of his buddies who survived. I always enjoy these type of chapters as they illustrate how diverse military units truly are. Sadly, most of the men who survived the war had passed before BOOTPRINTS was penned … Sgt. Winebrenner, himself, passed in 2009.
BOOTPRINTS is an excellent account of an American Army unit’s exploits from Normandy to the war’s end. The meticulous details provided by the author offer a unique perspective of how GI’s lived, fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany. One of the better World War II memoirs in my personal library.
I always enjoy reading the different perspectives offered by individual accounts of war. While some accounts can be straight-forward and somewhat dry, others are deeply personal and revealing. Hobert Winebrenner’s BOOTPRINTS falls into the latter category. I felt this war memoir was uniquely personal and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I found BOOTPRINT’S different from most personal accounts of combat I’ve previously read. First of all, Winebrenner’s war experiences seem more diverse (and interesting) than most others. Second, rather than a designated photo insert in the middle, the book is thoroughly illustrated throughout. Third, this book appears to be written with a purpose other than simply telling one man’s account of war. BOOTPRINTS reads much like a personal unit history for the families of those who served with Winebrenner. A substantive memorial for the families of his fellow soldiers who did not survive the war and a way to share the experiences for the families of those who made it through. The author’s sincere desire to pay tribute to the buddies he lost weighs heavy from beginning to end.
Winebrenner served in the 358th Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division (part of Patton’s 3rd Army). While his regiment landed on Normandy several days after the invasion, it saw considerable action in some of the Western Front’s most significant operations. Winebrenner’s experiences included clearing the Normandy hedgerows, closing the Falaise Gap, the siege on the fortress of Metz, multiple river crossings (including the Saar, Moselle and Rhine), the Battle of the Bulge, pushing through the Siegfried Line, Germany and eventually into Czechoslovakia, where it liberated the Flossenburg concentration camp. As eventful as Winebrenner’s journey through Europe truly was, BOOTPRINTS is not a chest-thumper, but a personal memoir that not only explains the misery of combat, but the deep bonds experienced by those sharing such misery.
Humbly written, the author downplays his extensive personal experiences (which included a temporary stint as a POW, as well as earning 5 Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and a Silver Star). Instead, Winebrenner prefers to honor those he served with and takes great care to let readers know who these men were, especially those who were killed. His attention to the personal details of these men reminded me of how Ernie Pyle wrote “Brave Men” … no mere listing of names, we actually get to know who these men were before their lives ended. The author takes great strides to honor them so they are not forgotten. Furthermore, most every KIA soldier introduced in the book is accompanied by a photo insert. The abundance of personal wartime photos that pepper each chapter is another detail that separates this war memoir from others.
The experiences Winebrenner recalls are quite interesting. Made a POW within days after arriving at the front, the author details a fortuitous moment in which a German sergeant mercifully stops another Nazi from murdering Winebrenner and his fellow POWs … an event that would repeat itself (from the opposite perspective) later in the war. I found the daily activities (miseries) that occupied the soldiers between combat to be particularly insightful. From receiving cotton ankle socks instead of the needed heavy wool socks during the Battle of the Bulge to seeing General Patton up-close and personal. The accumulation of filth from not bathing for a month. The miserable and dangerous river crossings that seemed to happen one-after-another. The stories are told from an enlisted man’s perspective, which means we get a clear picture that winning the war was not necessarily the result of brilliant strategy as it was the resolve and ingenuity of the common foot soldier. The story of linking up with the Red Army to put a halt on the Soviet Union’s attempt to consume all of Germany was one of the more insightful stories in the book as the meeting between the Russians and the Americans was not as rosy as all the pictures seem to indicate.
Closing the book, the author graciously details the after-war lives of his buddies who survived. I always enjoy these type of chapters as they illustrate how diverse military units truly are. Sadly, most of the men who survived the war had passed before BOOTPRINTS was penned … Sgt. Winebrenner, himself, passed in 2009.
BOOTPRINTS is an excellent account of an American Army unit’s exploits from Normandy to the war’s end. The meticulous details provided by the author offer a unique perspective of how GI’s lived, fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany. One of the better World War II memoirs in my personal library.
August 20, 2016
An interesting read and a rare find due in part to the descriptions of some shenanigans the author got up to while at the front, but mainly for the meticulous efforts either he or the coauthor/editor went to with finding photos of nearly every single serviceman (both survivors and KIA) Winebrenner mentioned by name. That's unheard of! They also did legwork to find out what happened to many of them after the war--again, a rare thing.
Don't expect a lot of deep philosophizing in this memoir--it's pretty simply written, broken up into little segments, and liberally peppered with very high quality photos, many of them clearly taken by someone within his squad because the author is in many of them. He also doesn't shy away from his at times rather brutal honesty about killing Germans--in fact, at times he almost seems to revel in the mundanity of it, even in reflection 60 years later. I'm not condemning him or the book for this--I'm only stating a fact.
If you enjoy reading first-hand accounts, this should be in your want-to-read list.
Don't expect a lot of deep philosophizing in this memoir--it's pretty simply written, broken up into little segments, and liberally peppered with very high quality photos, many of them clearly taken by someone within his squad because the author is in many of them. He also doesn't shy away from his at times rather brutal honesty about killing Germans--in fact, at times he almost seems to revel in the mundanity of it, even in reflection 60 years later. I'm not condemning him or the book for this--I'm only stating a fact.
If you enjoy reading first-hand accounts, this should be in your want-to-read list.
May 3, 2016
An excellent personal experience into the lives of infantry soldiers in the Second World War, "Bootprints" tells the story of a 358th infantry regiment, 90th Division's soldier as he battles his way through the European theater. With no frills it's written like a diary, and reads much like Stephen E. Ambrose's "Band of Brothers." I also really enjoyed the selection of pictures, which only enhanced the personality of this book. Quick, excellent, and enlightening read; it's highly recommended.
May 14, 2009
Winebrenner makes interesting comments about Germans who complained of being inconvenienced by Allied troops although their own treatment of Polish POWs was atrocious. He came into contact with Red Russians as well as White Russians, and he recalls the orders to hand the Whites over to the Reds. For execution? Probably.
September 15, 2012
An excellent book on the author's time in the 90th infantry division from Normandy through the war's end in Czechoslovakia. Told in anecdotes it's filled with amazing encounters and details of everyday life
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews