While readers may revel in the glory and excitement of a war they've never fought, this book, without meaning to, gives an honest, begrudging account of the tragic personal cost of war to those who fought and survived. In this sense it is a moving, at times heart breaking and compelling documentary.

It took real courage to face fear in battle, and I am sure even more for the author to write this book.

My wife and I play pool. Most Thursday afternoons, around 4:00 P.M., a true gentleman strolls into The Cue Ball, Salem, Oregon. I'm not a war buff. I don't have a collection of war books. I bought the book because I've had the honor of meeting the man. I found this book to be a fantastic read...other reviews here do a good job of describing that.

I guess my reason for writing this is to assure you that Sgt. Donald Malarkey deserves all the respect he receives. The regulars of The Cue Ball know who the toughest guy there is. At least, after reading this book, I do.

MR MALARKEY BRINGS THE " BAND OF BROTHERS" MEN INTO A CLOSER INSPECTION, THE BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN, A NATURAL FLOW, GIVES THE READER A REAL FEEL FOR THE WAR. PUT THIS ON YOUR " TO READ LIST" AT THE TOP

Don Marlarky shares with us his experiences as a member of the famed Band of Brothers, Easy Company. His memory of his life in and out of uniform is remarkable for any man, let alone one who was 86 when this book was written. Kudos to his family for encouraging him to write this book for us to respect, honor and enjoy. You will not believe how fast this book reads. There is plenty of action and insight into the heart, mind and soul of one of the most effective fighting men in Easy Co. From Currahee to Zel am See we are transported through one man's experiences as an elite paratrooper who fought more days than most of the men of Easy. You will truly find it hard to put this book down.

A.E. Wentworth
Military History buff
Respector of our WWII veterans

As a niece of Warren "Skip" Muck I owe a debt of gratitude to Don Malarkey for telling not only his story, but a good portion of my uncle's story as well. His honesty, integrity and intelligence shine throughout the book. I feel honored to know the men of Easy Company and be a part of the Easy "family". This book is truly a window into the heart and spirit of these men.

I'll admit when I first saw this I thought "Yeah another Easy company survivor jumpin' on the ol' book bandwagon" but having read the book, I'd be happy to apologise to "Malark'" to his face. When an author starts his autobiography by confessing how he seriously though about shooting himself in the foot to get out of battle, he has your attention.

The book follows Donald Malarky from his childhood in Oregon through his adventures in WW2 and beyond but it is so well written I found myself wishing he'd written more about his youth. Not because I felt he was skipping stuff, but because I enjoyed it so much.

The guiding force in his life seems to have been two fold, the ghosts of his uncles, killed by the first Wrold War "The Malarky boys have unfinished business with the Germans" he says, and the drive not to be a quitter, a fate he sees in his father. This leads the man to have the longest stretch on the front line of any member of E company 506 PIR, even when offered a chance off the line, he wouldn't quit.

If you are not familiar with the "Band of Brothers" then this is the book of a veteran of WW2. That dwindling generation of men sharing their experiences in humanitie's darkest hours. If you are familiar with Band of Brothers you will get more from the book. Malarky touches on some things that other books have skipped over and gives a different view of some well established events such as the mutiny against Captain Sobel in 1944.

Of all the books written by the men of the 506th's E company this seems to have the most heart. The excellent books by Winters, Guerneire and Heffron each seem to have their goals. Winters explaining leadership, Heffron and 'Wild Bill' seem like two old soldiers recounting their adventures to their grandchildren but Malarky, a self described 'Oregon Hermit" has spent his time well in his hermitage. The book looks at events warts and all even at people for whom he obviously still has great affection.

More than a remincience of his war days actions for which we should all say 'thank you', on the pages of his book Donald Malarky pours out his heart and shares his thoughts, dreams and fears, not in what makes up a soldier, but what makes up a man and for that sharing, we should also say "thank you."

Easy Company Soldier
By Don Malarkey/Bob Welch

This book has it all -- action, loyalty, bravery, sorrow, faith, heroism, fear, hardship, loss, camaraderie, desperation and humor. It's the best and worst of World War II. In his quest to succeed Sgt. Malarkey fought two wars. The first was against the Germans and the second, against himself. Both a gripping human interest and violent war story, this is a must read for everyone.

First off, I'm a comparatively slow reader with a short attention span. I usually read in short bursts of about 30 or 40 minutes, often tire, get bored or lose interest to the point where reading actually becomes a chore. Rarely, does a book come along that I just cannot put down. Easy Company Soldier is one of the very few.

I started reading Easy Company Soldier at about 7:30 pm, six hours and seven chapters later I went to bed, got up an hour later and read for another two hours. The next day I finished the book. For me, that's a record only equaled once before.

The story begins with Don Malarkey growing up in Astoria, a city on the North Oregon coast during the Great Depression (not an easy life). His college life at the University of Oregon abruptly came to a halt in 1942 when he joined the army. Malarkey volunteered to be part of what he considered the toughest, most challenging unit in the American Army, the 101st Screaming Eagles Airborne Division. On June 6th 1944 D-Day, they jumped into Normandy, France.

Once again author Bob Welch captivates his audience. In his first WW II book, "American Nightingale" published in 2004, he poignantly captures the horror of war in the powerful biography of Frances Slanger and her courageous struggle to become a combat nurse with the 45th Field Hospital.

Easy Company Soldier is the remarkable story of Don Malarkey, who was originally made famous by Stephen Ambrose in Band of Brothers. With every word Bob Welch continues to envelope you in his dramatic story. Welch's unique writing ability enables the reader to hear every sound, to see the action, to smell the cordite and be a part of the general emotion of battle from France into The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, all the way from D-Day to Victory in Europe.

Don Malarkey has beaten all the odds. He survived 177 days of combat and fighting in many of the fiercest battles in Europe. Most of his outfit, Easy Company, were killed or severely wounded, yet Malarkey came through with only minor wounds. Now at 87, he has beaten the odds again and survived the calendar. After reading Easy Company Soldier I think you will agree, Don Malarkey is and always will be part of our "Greatest Generation".

As much as I love Major Winters writing and of course the exploits of Babe and Bill, THIS ONE gives you the heart and SOUL of a warrior. Taking you into his world and lets you see the human side of the day to day fear/terror/heartbreak. If you ever watch B.O.B., and think I wonder what was going thru Malark's mind at that moment, wonder no more, he seems to answer all the unasked questions. A++ and thanks Don.

I received Don's book immediately after it was released. He did send me a signed copy.
Don was my guest in Eindhoven for a couple of nights and I enjoyed talking with him very much.
Reading the book now it feels like hearing his voice while he is telling me the stories.
He is a great friend. Not only because he was one of those who liberated us after almost five years of German occupation but most of all as a human being. I sure hope Don will be in Eindhoven again in the nearby future.
My house is his house. Don thank you for sharing your life story with us.
I know for sure your Irene is proud of you, watching you from above together with your buddies.
Peter van de Wal
[...]

Don Malarkey offers yet another heart-felt memoir from those brave Band of Brothers, Easy Company, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment. Malarkey writes deep from the heart on every page of this gripping account of his life. From humble beginnings growing up in Astoria, Washington to attending the University of Oregon, Malarkey beautifully describes the people, places, and occurrences that had the most influence on his life. Like the memoirs of Winters, Guarnere and Heffron, the bulk of the book's pages are devoted the exploits of Easy Company. Malarkey does not stray far from the chronological events of Stephen Ambrose's book and HBO mini-series; however, he delves deeper into his own emotions and philosophical questions than his predecessors. Rather than explaining events, Malarkey paints a human face on the people who participated in them. As Malarkey clearly explains in the book's final pages, the attention brought upon him and his Easy Company comrades by both the book and film coupled with a string of Easy Company reunions, has been tremendously therapeutic in overcoming over four decades of suppressed post traumatic stress and survivor's guilt. This memoir tells more than just the story of Don Malarkey's life; writing it undoubtedly helped Don Malarkey understand the meaning of his own life, an undertaking better than any high-priced therapist could offer.

Most of us probably know Don Malarkey by the character portrayed by actor Scott Grimes in the popular HBO mini-series. Images of the carefree mischievous red-haired Irish kid from Washington State, who foolishly risked his own life to retrieve a German Lugar, and efforts to keep a stolen motorcycle with side-car hidden from the much hated Captain Sobel, immediately come to mind. These events were true. Yet Malarkey takes his readers into the turbulent emotions of a young man who, on the surface enjoyed English literature, recited poetry from memory, yet inwardly was forever changed by his experiences in combat. The film only scratched the surface of Don Malarkey; the book takes us to the inner depths.

The awkward scene where Grimes goes to pick up his uniforms from the British laundress, and silently pays for all the bundles belonging to his dead comrades killed in Normandy, is what this book is all about. Malarkey took the deaths of all his fellow Easy Company men hard, but none harder that the death of his closest friend, Warren "Skip" Muck. After Skip's death, Malarkey exchanged letters with Skip's fiance promising to visit her after the war, but couldn't bring himself to keep that promise. When she showed up at an Easy Company reunion in the mid-1990s, Malarkey embraced her and allowed fifty years worth of tears to flow.

The film showed Malarkey fidgeting with his coveted Lugar in the frozen woods outside Bastogne, but could not adequately convey that Malarkey was a hare's frozen breath from committing suicide. His undying belief that "a Malarkey never gives up" kept him from putting the pistol to his head and pulling the trigger. "Never give up," clearly provides the underlining message of the book. Another reason Malarkey did not take his own life that night at Bastogne was the memory of a promise he had made to his aging grandmother (who died in her sleep the night of June 6, 1944), that he would return home unharmed. Physically, Malarkey kept his promise to her, yet mentally and emotionally, he carried wounds that would plague him for decades.

Malarkey offers a most important fundamental message: no matter what trials and tribulations life throws at you, never give up! He also underscores the downside of World War II's silent "greatest generation:" keeping the memory of traumatic experiences bottled up inside of you will be your undoing. For those expecting just another Easy Company vet's perspective on events portrayed in the book and movie, this memoir will not disappoint. But Malarkey's underlying message on coping with the memories of war and getting on with your life is the true gift in this beautifully written autobiography. This should be required reading for any returning war veteran!

I've been a fan of Band of Brothers since it aired, and by extension, a fan of E/506 for about that long. The guys of Easy 506th have been writing a lot of books lately, and I have them all, and love them all, to a greater or lesser extent. But this one beats them all. "Malark" lays it all out, shows all his cards, keeps nothing back, makes himself tell all the things his comrades still try to shield in silence or jargon or laughs. He's opinionated, sometimes shocking, and his observation is surpassed only by his examination of his own self.

If you're looking for just a war memoir, too, you're only going to read half this book. This is a life memoir, and some of the best parts are at the beginning, when he and writer Bob Welch bring to life Astoria, Oregon, and life in the Depression; and the postwar period, when after the ticker-tape and champagne of victory faded, too many young men wondered who they were and what they would do with the horrible memories they kept, and too many young women wondered what happened to the sweethearts they had promised themselves to. The imagery and landscape of the Northwest recur over and over again, throughout the book, even as Malarkey bares his family history and the things you'd think a person would never say. The climax of the book is as emotional as anything I've ever read.

Of all the books written by and about Easy Company, 506th, 101st Abn., this is the one that deserves, and should win, the widest audience. Thanks, Don; you're the one, and you're still here.

I'll admit it,,,I'm a Band of Brothers Buff. I joined the Army for Airborne in 66 on an article in Post and some Army Recruiting Pamphlets ath the Post Office. I didn't know who these guys were, then, but I wanted to be like them.
I've read all the books except Compton's and it is next. I gotta say this is the best book of the bunch. Don lays in a lot of feeling and emotion instead of just history. Although he has great respect for Winters the book isn't centered on Winters and he isn't a candidate for Sainthood.
He does a great job of telling of his life before the war. Working and going to college and having fun and girls. His feelings and ambitions in the army and during the war.... And how it changed him when he got back.
I hear all this stuff about these guys being heros and how greatful we should be....I'm not taking anything away from these guys but they are the lucky ones. Most guys that go through the jump school at Ft Benning would go out that door at Normandy in a heartbeat. People skydive, white water raft, hang glide, scuba dive, big game hunt, and so on,,, looking for adventure. What could top what these guys got to do. There's a risk but they think it is worth it.
How many people go through life and never know people like Skip Muck or Joe Toye,,,or Don Malarkey, or Dick Winters???? If you're gonna be around guys like these you gotta pay the price,,,that's a fact.
I liked his thoughts on Sobel. He was very honest and objective. I remember Winters had nothing good to say about him. Malarky openly gave him credit for making the company what it was. Just because a guy is great as a training officer dosen't make him a good leader and vice versa. He also had a lot to say about Webster. I wondered what the deal was with him... I read a few mild things but Malarky told it like it was. I don't know if anybody noticed it but me but in the miniseries they said he wrote a book about Sharks and said nothing about Parachute Infantry,,from which several parts of the miniseries were taken.
If you are collecting all the Band of Brothers books,,,this is a must have...If you are just going to read one of the books,,this is probably the best.

I really enjoyed this book! Very interesting to read about E. Company from another soldier's perspective. This is a must have for your WWII collection!

Donald Malarkey has been mentioned in nearly every book written about Easy Coy, 506th PIR. Why? Not only has he fought with Company from Normandy to the Eagle's Nest, but because he was a great soldier, and a man in which you could depend on, no matter how low the stakes were.

This is why the book is so good, a very personal account from training to intense combat, from laughter to horror, and from happiness to sorrow; "Malark" has seen it all. He writes in a very easy-to-read way, captivating his audience into what the mindset of a Sergeant in an elite Regiment was about. He writes with great honesty and a great clarity that is easy to follow, and allows us to think of what the men of the Second World War really did give for our freedom.

This is a great asset to anyone interested in WW2/Band of Brothers. You are not going to get such a personal and insightful account of what it was really like "back in the day"...

Don Malarkey's book is a captivating story that provides a remarkably open and very candid first person account of his life before, during after his time as a member of the Band of Brothers. His determination and that of his generation is something that should never be forgotten particularly as our country faces other challenges today and into the future. We all owe a tremendous amount of gratitude and respect for the service they performed and the sacrifices made to provide us with the freedoms we continue to enjoy. While the Band of Brothers book and miniseries provided a good background on the history of Easy Company and many of their experiences, the personalized insight from the perspective of the soldier who spent the most days in combat is riveting and provides an even greater understanding of what they had to endure. To Don, thank you for all you did and for sharing your story.

Wow! What a book about World War II. From the very beginning, the author has you in his hip pocket. I read "Band of Brothers" and some of the other books. This one tells the story like no other. Don Malarkey is an American Patriot in the truest sense of the word. You will be inspired.

If you like the style of this book, then buy the other book by Bob Welch called "American Nightingale". In that book, Welch chronicles the life of the first nurse killed after Normandy.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to put down. Anyone who watched the Band of Brothers and enjoyed it should read this book to gain further insight into the lives of one of those men. Don Malarkly was very open about his struggles with guilt and depression after the war. He seems like a great guy and tells you a very personal story.

I've read all of the books by the men who made up the Band of Brothers and this is certainly the best (although I'd suggest you read them all if you are as interested as I am in their amazing story).

Don tells a heartfelt story of his remarkable experiences. I was fortunate to meet him a few years ago. So, I was thrilled to learn that he had written his own book. My congratulations to Don for getting his story in print and my thanks to him for his great service to our nation.

Don is a remarkable American. His personal story is one well worth reading!

A must read for anyone interested in our history and contributions made by those of the greatest generation.

Truth be told, I am not the kind of person who writes many book reviews. Honestly, this is my first. This book meant enough to me to take the time to write a few words on its behalf.

In the Ambrose book and HBO mini-series, Malarkey always stood out to me as the heart of Easy Company. I have read through Bill and Babe's book ... which I enjoyed, Webster's book, Major Winters' book, Compton's book, but this one was different. By far the best of the bunch. I sat down one morning to read it and finished it later that night. I didn't want to put it down. Mr. Malarkey really brought the emotion of growing up during the depression, facing the reality of being sent of to war, friendship, disappointment, and above all courage to the page in a very honest, humble way.

Personally, I really enjoyed the chapters he spent talking about his life before and after the war. It was interesting to see how the things he did before the war influenced who he was during the war, and the things he did during the war impacted his life after the war.

Thank you for not giving up Mr. Malarkey!

This is the companion book to Dr. Ambrose's Band of Brothers that we've been waiting for since the late professor published his opus in 1991.

Unlike many other books, this one provides a thought provoking and fresh look at the rise of the 506th Parachute Infantry Division and their training in the American south prior to deployment overseas. And while this book centers on the training and subsequent invasions, it's not the same perspsective rehashed for new readers. It's really does a nice job of adding to the value of the Band of Brothers with new insite from a paratrooper's personal perspective.

The thing I liked most about the book was the description of how Malarkey grew up in the American North West and his reasons for going to war. I also enjoy the very cerebral perspective he took in quoting poetry, literature and song. The man is truly a rare person in many ways and someone I'd love to have a glass of Scotch with some day. He is a modern Irish warrior.

Quite frankly, after reading close to 300 books on World War Two history, I can safely say this book will find a sacred place next to Donald Burgett's fine works. I can always tell how much I enjoyed a book by the number of turned down, "dog eared" pages indicating something important. There are plenty "ears" in this work.

This is a great read.
Starting out with his background before WWII thru the war and the troubled aftermath, Don Malarky brings to life all the feelings of the greatest generation. His introspective narrative provides a window into WWII combat.
Although he contradicts the movie, it does not detract from his story. Hollywood is Hollywood.
I found the intriguing portion was the aftermath of his experience and how it affected his life. It helps to explain the lack of bravado of this generation.

This is by far the best book on the Easy Company Band of Brothers. I have read them all and without a doubt rank this one as number 1- Comptons book would be the worst.
The emotions and feelings he explains makes you feel like you are right there. The details he remembers about battles is also amazing.
A few times while reading this book I was brought to tears.
This book is probably one of the best World War 2 books I have ever read- probably second to the Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.
If you are going this far to read this review- get the book!

I loved this book. I really can't add more to the review of this book beyond what the first reviewer has already put so well into words. A wonderfully emotional and insightful narrative.

Any reader will be richly rewarded, regardless of whether they have read Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" or seen the mini-series, by this well told story of an American life.

Don Malarkey's autobiography poignantly tells how the legacy of the first World War, the devastating impact of the Great Depression on his father and his family, and other events molded his character and provided the drive and discipline that took a young man from a small town at the mouth of the Columbia River to become a decorated war hero.

It is a tale of honor, courage and loyalty to his comrades, love challenged by the isolation of war and the toll of battle and its scars, invisible yet no less haunting.

Co-author, longtime Oregon newspaper columnist and author Bob Welch, does a fine job of crafting Malarkey's journey through war and remembrance. A remarkable cache of Malarkey's wartime letters to his family and a girlfriend he left behind, discovered during the writing of the book and quoted extensively, take the reader to the frontlines with Easy Company.

Malarkey's love of his home state Oregon is an ever present theme conveyed through vivid description providing the reader with a shared sense of place with the author. The reader will gain an insight and understanding of the mindset of a young soldier, far away from his home and family, and the motivations and drive to survive to return to the people and place he loves best.

As a member of Easy Company, experiencing the highest number of days on the front line in the company, Malarkey tells not only the battlefield events in fine detail, and there are many, but also the war as seen through the eyes of a compassionate comrade. He revels in his deep bonds with those Easy Company members whose heroism was not included in previous books. The loss of best friend Skip Muck looms large.

As one of Malarkey's own heroes, Winston Churchill said "...never, never, never, never give up"; the reader will readily understand that Malarkey never did. This book will serve as an inspiration to many. After reading it, I realized that no challenge I will probably ever face be as great or horrific as those encountered by Easy Company in battle or Don Malarkey in life.

When you open this book, be prepared for a long read; I found it impossible to put down until the final page.