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Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
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As good a rifle company as any, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, US Army, kept getting tough assignments--responsible for everything from parachuting into France early DDay morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. In "Band of Brothers," Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze & died, a company that took 150%
...more
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Paperback, 432 pages
Published
September 1st 2002
by Simon & Schuster; Media Tie-In edition
(first published June 6th 1992)
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Steve
Amazon? DVD box sets are readily available. Other historical organizations probably carry it too.
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Start your review of Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
“For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother…”
- William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3
As a history lover, and as someone who loves not getting flamed on Goodreads, I am loathe to say what I am about to say. However, as someone who finds it impossible not to say what I feel like saying, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I don’t like Stephen Ambrose.
Not like that, I hasten to add.
I didn’t know him personally, but in interviews he seemed like a nice man, congenial and friend ...more
- William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3
As a history lover, and as someone who loves not getting flamed on Goodreads, I am loathe to say what I am about to say. However, as someone who finds it impossible not to say what I feel like saying, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I don’t like Stephen Ambrose.
Not like that, I hasten to add.
I didn’t know him personally, but in interviews he seemed like a nice man, congenial and friend ...more
"THE MEN OF EASY COMPANY, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, came from different backgrounds, different parts of the country."
First off, let me just say that words cannot express my gratitude for the sacrifice that these soldiers made, in this case, not for their country, but for the world.
Ok. So I've put this off for quite a while. Reading this book was intense. To put it simply, this book stirs up too many emotions. I have a lump in my throat as I sit writin ...more
First off, let me just say that words cannot express my gratitude for the sacrifice that these soldiers made, in this case, not for their country, but for the world.
Ok. So I've put this off for quite a while. Reading this book was intense. To put it simply, this book stirs up too many emotions. I have a lump in my throat as I sit writin ...more
Little good comes from war, however it does tend to create heros and leaders and show people how to love and depend upon their comrades. The bonds built upon the catastrophic ruin that was World War II is the basis of Stephen E. Ambrose's Band of Brothers.
After watching the television miniseries a couple times through and really enjoying it for its humanity, I thought it was time I gave the book a go. There isn't much difference between the two. The timeline and events depicted in the series sta ...more
How many historians does it take to write a bad book that translates into a great TV series ?
While the deeds on Easy Company, encompassing the most famous American battles in the ETO, are a goldmine, mr. Ambrose fails to preserve the thrill in print. The participants don't come to life, even tough they are introduced with the standard sort of pre-war bio in the body of the text and rounded up with a post-war bio. The heat of battle, ironically, is only felt in the icy cold of an Ardennes winter: ...more
While the deeds on Easy Company, encompassing the most famous American battles in the ETO, are a goldmine, mr. Ambrose fails to preserve the thrill in print. The participants don't come to life, even tough they are introduced with the standard sort of pre-war bio in the body of the text and rounded up with a post-war bio. The heat of battle, ironically, is only felt in the icy cold of an Ardennes winter: ...more
Rare indeed are the occasions in which I am forced to proclaim an adaptation of the source material to be not just superior, but vastly so. And here we are, with me feeling duty bound do do exactly that.
Paratroopers of Easy Company, in the square of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy (June 7, 1944)
Let me be frank right at the start: Ambrose's deficiencies on display as both a writer and historian are truly baffling to behold, and become glaringly obvious once one manages to detach these from the a ...more
Paratroopers of Easy Company, in the square of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy (June 7, 1944)
Let me be frank right at the start: Ambrose's deficiencies on display as both a writer and historian are truly baffling to behold, and become glaringly obvious once one manages to detach these from the a ...more
The last few chapters were truly unbearable in their intensity. As the soldiers discover for the first time what the real cost and cruelties of the war they fought was, we too are forced to try and understand this unimaginable thing called war that can never be understood even by the ones that fought in it, let alone by posterity looking back.
There are some things in life that can only ever be expressed in one way - silence - a deep and anguished silence that cries primievally in disbeilieving d ...more
There are some things in life that can only ever be expressed in one way - silence - a deep and anguished silence that cries primievally in disbeilieving d ...more
Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" is probably the best ever true WW2 novel I have ever read. It makes an excellent vacation read for those who enjoy this genre. It deals with the individual men of Easy Company, 506 PIR, 101st Airbourne Division. Through Ambrose's portrayal of the men's lives and ordeals he shows how a group of men become not just pals, but brothers. we see the formation of the company through training then on to D-Day, Holland, Bastogne, Germany and Austria. The ending of the novel (
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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 E compan
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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.
FINAL REVIEW.
I was a little forgiving early but it got too much. I have just had to write about a few of the many absurdities of this book.
130 pages in and will finish this but if it does not improve it will be lucky to get a 2 star rating. This author called the German soldiers Jerry, babbled about the British army taking tea and attempted to put on a affected accent.
On page 172 it reads "The Germans managed to achieve surprise on a scale comparable with Barbarossa in June 1941 or Pearl Harb ...more
I was a little forgiving early but it got too much. I have just had to write about a few of the many absurdities of this book.
130 pages in and will finish this but if it does not improve it will be lucky to get a 2 star rating. This author called the German soldiers Jerry, babbled about the British army taking tea and attempted to put on a affected accent.
On page 172 it reads "The Germans managed to achieve surprise on a scale comparable with Barbarossa in June 1941 or Pearl Harb ...more
I'm shocked to learn that Ambroses taught history. The military history/analysis is pretty poor to appalling. He's good when he talks about Easy Company and relates stories. (Though he states that the book is "very much a group effort" with the men from E Company, so how much of that credit goes to them is anybody's guess, and some events were anonymised and possibly left out to protect people.)
Whenever he attempts military analysis of the actual way/battles, his thoughtless "MURRIKA!" propagand ...more
Whenever he attempts military analysis of the actual way/battles, his thoughtless "MURRIKA!" propagand ...more
"Amighty God, we kneel to Thee and ask to be the instrument of Thy fury in smiting the evil forces that have visited death, misery, and debasement on the people of the earth.... Be with us, God, when we leap from our planes into the dark abyss and descend in parachutes into the midst of enemy fire. Give us iron will and stark courage as we spring from the harnesses of our parachutes to seize arms for battle. The legions of evil are many, Father; grace our arms to meet and defeat them in Thy name
...more
I love the fact that Stephen Ambrose gathered the stories of these amazing, and heroically remarkable men, and put something together like this. It is times such as these in history that should be remembered and talked about, not simply fade into a distant memory. The issue I have here, is I think that Stephen Ambrose is a mediocre writer, and that has largely impacted how I've rated this book.
I watched Band of Brothers the miniseries, for the first time many years ago, and since then, I think ...more
I watched Band of Brothers the miniseries, for the first time many years ago, and since then, I think ...more
First of all, I think it is impossible to review this book completely separate from its miniseries. Especially, because I loved that series so much, and that led to me reading the book. Also, reading this book was a refreshing experience as I do not read history book as often as I would like.
Band of Brothers the book is a very accessible history book if you would ask me. Ambrose’s writing style is straightforward and merely describes Easy Company’s history as he understood it through facts and ...more
Band of Brothers the book is a very accessible history book if you would ask me. Ambrose’s writing style is straightforward and merely describes Easy Company’s history as he understood it through facts and ...more
Wow. I expected this book to be good, and I was familiar with the characters and significance because of the miniseries. But as usual, the book brings out more than the movie. Ambrose is brilliant in his historical narrative, and there simply isn’t a cast of characters more compelling than an easy company.
Restrained, respectful, eminently powerful account of war. Ambrose is unobjective at times and downright jingoistic at others, but, inevitable inaccuracies aside, the book offers vivid truths about not just WWII and Easy Company, but the glories and tragedies of war in general. Hard to believe I've put off reading this for so long, because it's easily one of the best war books I've encountered.
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There's some serious jingoism going on here -- which is to be expected from Stephen E. Ambrose's histories (but I am okay with that because I know that is who he is before going into any of his books. Besides, he is an historian who can actually write) -- but a recognition of that jingoism doesn't take away from the sheer mind-blowing impressiveness of what Easy Company accomplished in WWII -- and their too good to be true, Hollywood style amazingness is best summed up in the career of Major Ric
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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 Band of Brothers. In fact, there a ...more
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 Band of Brothers. In fact, there a ...more
I think many if not most will be familiar with this book as it's not only been around a while, sold well and gotten a lot of notice it's also the inspiration behind a TV edition.
Here we get the story of Easy (E) company of the 506th PIR of the 101 Air Borne Division told by Mr. Ambrose through remembrances of surviving members. it's a highly interesting book giving the story/history of the outfit along with a "slice" of the "everyday war". Things are related with the "dirt still on". The men, t ...more
Here we get the story of Easy (E) company of the 506th PIR of the 101 Air Borne Division told by Mr. Ambrose through remembrances of surviving members. it's a highly interesting book giving the story/history of the outfit along with a "slice" of the "everyday war". Things are related with the "dirt still on". The men, t ...more
Let Me Stay in My Comfortable Life of Freedom
Tom Hanks captivated me with his performance in “Saving Private Ryan,” which starts out with a group of soldiers approaching “Omaha Beach.” They are trembling and shaking and puking. Then the door drops. Then the shit goes down. Then my heart is ever captivated by the heroes of World War 2. I watched this first in surround sound and I cussed so badly my friend protested. It changed my life. I couldn’t believe this had really happened.
Stephen Ambrose, ...more
Tom Hanks captivated me with his performance in “Saving Private Ryan,” which starts out with a group of soldiers approaching “Omaha Beach.” They are trembling and shaking and puking. Then the door drops. Then the shit goes down. Then my heart is ever captivated by the heroes of World War 2. I watched this first in surround sound and I cussed so badly my friend protested. It changed my life. I couldn’t believe this had really happened.
Stephen Ambrose, ...more
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's comments on every cha ...more
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's comments on every cha ...more
Have you ever come back in time? This is it, the real thing and you don't have to go back in time for this matter, well, not when you have Ambrose by your side. I don't think I ever heard of a "group biography," but on the other hand, I am not a historian. And you know what? It doesn't matter when Ambrose is the one who writes the book and does it so well. This book is not fooling the reader with all sorts of grandiose descriptions as we have seen in other history books - how easy it is to show
...more
Just so you know, this author was accused of plagiarism. It's important that you know this.
Slate Article.
And not possibly made a mistake type either (see Fareed Zakaria. Ambrose did it more than once.
Knowing that fact is important, regardless of how you view the book. ...more
Slate Article.
And not possibly made a mistake type either (see Fareed Zakaria. Ambrose did it more than once.
Knowing that fact is important, regardless of how you view the book. ...more
I will try to avoid gushing, but I am in awe of what these guys did and what they sacrificed. To say that whole generation of people was an inspiration is an understatement.
My grandfather was in both wars. But he never really talked much about them. What could he have said to a little kid. As an adolescent, I couldn't have possibly understood what he saw or what he went through or the historical significance of it all. But in retrospect, from my adult perspective, I'm so amazed by what my grand ...more
My grandfather was in both wars. But he never really talked much about them. What could he have said to a little kid. As an adolescent, I couldn't have possibly understood what he saw or what he went through or the historical significance of it all. But in retrospect, from my adult perspective, I'm so amazed by what my grand ...more
Jul 09, 2007
Leila
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
history/war buffs, people who fell in love with the mini-series
Shelves:
nonfiction,
history
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
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Swithered between 3 and 4 stars for this.
Subject matter was enthralling and these guys really were heroes several times over. I did find the last chapter on what they did post war particularly interesting and not something that you typically get in a WW2 book.
However, I've opted for 3 stars as I was bit disappointed as I had such high expectations for this - found the writing not as great as it could have been with too much detail in some cases and not enough in others. Also there were so many ...more
Subject matter was enthralling and these guys really were heroes several times over. I did find the last chapter on what they did post war particularly interesting and not something that you typically get in a WW2 book.
However, I've opted for 3 stars as I was bit disappointed as I had such high expectations for this - found the writing not as great as it could have been with too much detail in some cases and not enough in others. Also there were so many ...more
The night I finished rewatching HBO's Hanks/Spielberg co-pro of Band of Brothers, I had one of those algorithmic moments of purely designed kismet: audible told me I should listen to the audiobook of Band of Brothers. Like a fool, I did.
Actually ... no. It's probably a good thing I did go straight to the audiobook because that wonderfully well crafted HBO miniseries is both an exceptional work of art and powerful piece of pro-US (and US war) propaganda. I watch that show and walk away feeling a ...more
Actually ... no. It's probably a good thing I did go straight to the audiobook because that wonderfully well crafted HBO miniseries is both an exceptional work of art and powerful piece of pro-US (and US war) propaganda. I watch that show and walk away feeling a ...more
Book on CD read by Collin Smith
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.
Ambrose chose one unit and followed the men of that unit through their years of training, and combat during World War II. He profiles the officers and enlisted men alike, showing their reactions to training, to the regimented lifestyle the military requires, to combat, and to each other. In this way, the reader experiences the boredom of r ...more
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.
Ambrose chose one unit and followed the men of that unit through their years of training, and combat during World War II. He profiles the officers and enlisted men alike, showing their reactions to training, to the regimented lifestyle the military requires, to combat, and to each other. In this way, the reader experiences the boredom of r ...more
I have always been fascinated by WW2. Not because of all the fights and deaths but because it was a struggle in which men around the world came together and fought on against all odds. Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company of the 101 first airborne, of men in their own words, idiots who jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
The HBO mini series based on the book led me to this wonderful piece of treasure. Stephen Ambrose collected stories from many surviving Easy Company men and wrote ...more
The HBO mini series based on the book led me to this wonderful piece of treasure. Stephen Ambrose collected stories from many surviving Easy Company men and wrote ...more
Under what circumstances would you give your life for someone else?
These men made that ultimate sacrifice for one another in some cases. They also made that sacrifice for all the generations that have gone after them.
Is that relevant today or just ancient history as we give up the United States to people that could care less about how this great country (and don't let them tell you otherwise) was founded and preserved.
Should be required reading.
...more
These men made that ultimate sacrifice for one another in some cases. They also made that sacrifice for all the generations that have gone after them.
Is that relevant today or just ancient history as we give up the United States to people that could care less about how this great country (and don't let them tell you otherwise) was founded and preserved.
Should be required reading.
...more
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| Mrs.Shiels' Honor...: True American Heroes | 2 | 14 | May 29, 2014 08:18PM | |
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| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 4 | Sep 02, 2011 12:28PM |
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Stephen Edward Ambrose was an American historian and biographer of U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. He received his Ph.D. in 1960 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his final years he faced charges of plagiarism for his books, with subsequent concerns about his research emerging after his death.
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“In one of his last newsletters, Mike Ranney wrote: "In thinking back on the days of Easy Company, I'm treasuring my remark to a grandson who asked, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?'
No,'" I answered, 'but I served in a company of heroes.”
—
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No,'" I answered, 'but I served in a company of heroes.”
“Within Easy Company they had made the best friends they had ever had, or would ever have. They were prepared to die for each other; more important, they were prepared to kill for each other.”
—
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