Brothers in Arms: Remembering Brothers Buried Side by Side in American World War II Cemeteries

by Kevin M. Callahan

Featuring over 700 historic photographs and other original artifacts, Brothers in Arms takes the reader on a visual and narrative journey--of the war, of America in the first half of the 20th century, and of these inspiring resting places--all through the stories of these heroic brothers.

Genres: War

352 pages, Hardcover

Published July 4, 2020

About the author

Kevin M. Callahan grew up in Elgin, Illinois. He received a B.A. in History from Yale University, where he also played football. After graduation, Kevin visited the American cemetery at Normandy and was struck by both the beauty of the grounds and the sacrifice of so many. Ten years ago, Kevin visited the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy with his wife and three young sons. Walking among the gravestones, they came across a pair of brothers buried side by side. He found the sight of the two brothers resting together to be especially poignant. It inspired him to find and tell the stories of all brothers buried side by side in American World War II cemeteries. Kevin also has an MBA from the MIT Sloan School and a Master’s in International Affairs from the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. He lives in Rowayton, Connecticut with his wife, three sons, and two dogs.

Reviews

[Sarah Marchesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this extraordinary book about the personal lives of brothers who fought in Word War II

I had read a lot of excruciating first-hand accounts of Holocaust survivors but never any about Allied soldiers fighting against the Nazis responsible for their horror in World War II. Truthfully, I was never that interested in the soldier experience. In reading this book, I was so moved to learn about at least some of the extraordinary people who fought in that war. The Lebrecht brothers, for example, were the children of German Jews who fled Europe in 1938. As teenagers, those brothers, who were no older than two of my own sons, arrived with their parents in New York City. They arrived as immigrants and lived on Riverside Drive only to bravely return to Europe a few years later as soldiers. As Americans, they fought the Nazis and died for that cause. They are buried side by side in France. To know their story, and so many others, in the kind of detail that Kevin offers helps me to understand the true extent of sacrifice of so many people to that effort. Read this book- you will have a perspective on World War II that you didn't know you needed.

[Lawrence A Lefkowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Callahan has produced an impressive catalogue of brothers who died fighting for our country during
WW II who are buried in American cemeteries in other countries. He tells the stories of these brothers accompanied by photographs and recollections supplied by the families years after the war. This book represents the impressive research assembling information which is presented clearly and very professionally. Contemporary photographs of the American cemeteries abroad in which the brothers are buried supply important visual context of the sacrifices of the war.

[Lois Healan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most amazing compilations of families touched by the loss of their family members in WW II. It brings to life the childhood, family, and death of individual servicemen who gave their life in WW II. The final resting places of brothers...together at last for eternity side by side on a foreign shore.

I had tears running down my cheeks reading about these young boys.

[Debbiefettigburton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is historically fascinating, but the main impression was emotional. These families were never the same after the loss of these sons and brothers. The pride and love for these brothers by their families come through in the writing. This is a beautiful book.

[Donna F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin’s book is a heart-rendering account of brothers who fought in World War 11 and are buried in American Cemeteries overseas. It is told with great compassion. He contacted some of the soldiers’ family members. Two of these young men were my brothers. Donna Lantow Fettig

[Best Indie Book Award · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏆 2020 BIBA® WWII Fallen Soldiers Winner!

[Tom Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

THis was a good read. Volume II should be the Pacific Theater. I thought there could have been just a bit more history of the battles in which the fallen were killed.