The book "Band of Brothers" is a very good addition to anyone's library, especially to those who collect history books and/or books over World War II. The tv series that was based on the book is outstanding, and for those who enjoyed that series and want to find out more of the details about some of the soldiers who fought in Easy Company, the book provides many of them.

This book is excellent. It goes much deeper than the miniseries goes. The characters are developed more fully and the plot takes little turns that are not shown on the video version. I give this book a 5 out of 5.

Having seen snippets of the Band of Brothers miniseries, I was very excited to read the book. Of course, as a history major and knowing that this was a history book, not a novel, I knew what not to expect...but to be completely honest, I was still a bit disappointed. Having read Ghost Soldiers (about the Bataan Death March) last year and enjoyed that book as much as I've enjoyed any novel, Band of Brothers was a bit too fast paced at times and included what I felt were too many lists of companies, names, etc. to be extremely interesting. I know that Ambrose interviewed a lot of the men of Easy Company and I think he discounted some of their quotes and personal stories in order to make this more like a book a teacher would assign and less like something one would want to read for fun. Still, because I'm used to reading books like this (and far worse!) I liked it enough to give it 3.5 out of 5 stars...of course Amazon doesn't allow half stars, and I feel that if anything, the history was accurate, hence the bump up to 4 stars here.

I finally got around to reading this book and am I sorry I waited so long. This is an excellent history that gives a very accurate picture to what World War II was like for those who fought it, especially the airborne. The writing is in an engaging and entertaining style. The story is told chronologically and from multiple points of view, obviously, since it's the story of all the men involved, not just a few. This book really puts a very human face on the heroes that won the war.

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In "Band of Brothers" by Stephen E. Ambrose, 11 men come from all over the United States to fight in World War II. These men formed the Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. These men started in military training camps, such as Camp Toccoa, located in Toccoa, Georgia and other camps in the South. Pretty soon, these men where dropped into Aldbourne, England in the start of the war. By the end of the war (after being in Europe for a little over two years), had been involved in operations like D-Day and infiltrating Hitler's quarters at Berchtesgaden. At the end of the war, the 101st Airborne Division was considered for the Purple Heart, a badge of office and continued their careers in their hometowns.

This book is an excellent book for people who want to learn about World War II in an exciting way. I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up, due to cursing and graphic war violence. I liked this book because the author interviewed the men of Easy Company and put their words into the book. Also, Ambrose included a detailed map of Europe, showing the men's routes and conquered cities. The only weakness of this book is that when allied members of the US came into the book, there were so many names that it got confusing. I am a big fan of WWII books, and this is my new favorite.


TYLER

typical for steve ambrose stuff! heavily researched, very accurate, expertly written in a captivating manner. the most striking thing for me, and my family, is the way he described my uncle's death. Andrew F. Hill, chief warrent officer, 101 airborne, headquarters co. we have the usual letter from the army describing uncle Andy's exploits up until he bought the farm. of all the thousands of Americans who gave it all during that war, and here is this info about one individual. wow... the entire book is awesome. highly reccommend this to any wwII buff

Stephen E. Ambrose wrote Band of Brothers to show what it was like going through the European Campaign during World War II as an American Soldier. He takes you through E (Easy) company's journey around Europe making you feel their highest highs and lowest lows with a want for all the excitement to continue, but thankfully for E company it didn't.

Ambrose's fist hand account, from hours of interview with veterans of E company and visiting the actual battle sites, shows the heartbreaking part of war. When the men had to seek shelter in their foxholes while they saw their friends be hit by German artillery, how some soldiers couldn't take the constant pressure from the risk they are taking, and how a bad leader in the company could ruin the entire company. All the while, you feel how strong of a bond was created between these men, so strong that they would do anything for another to get out of the war. On the flip side, E company does succeed in some of its ventures and the happiness from them just pours out of the pages. Every reader gets to experience the war through the shoes of someone who was there and how the survivors continued to live after the war through Ambrose's creative style and clever weaving of story and interview.

By the last part of the book, I think that Stephen E. Ambrose has accomplished what the men of E company wanted to express: They had a job and they did it, but they all just wanted the war to end along with the bloodshed.

If you want a book about the "Hero Generation" that tells the story of their sacrifices, selflessness and courage, this is it. Band of Brothers tells the story of a company of the 101st Airborne from initial training through the end of the war. The young men were truly patriotic and became true athletes in training. They were elite soldiers and their training was brutal.

Once in battle, the interviews with the men show how human they are/were and yet how determined. Their bravery and the amount of action they were involved in were just phenomenal. The story of how they took out a German artillery battery at night sticks with me. One guy got shot and was dying, yet apologized for having been shot as if he didn't perform well enough. That was how they were.

I actually felt let down at the war's conclusion. To think that such men, having survived and shared such suffering and "glory" (that only they knew about except for Ambrose documenting it near the end of the survivors' lives) would be frozen in time as they were made me feel despair. Upon arrival at home in the U.S., they would be separated and have to go about the relatively mundane business of life. It's not as if they wouldn't want to sleep in clean sheets, eat well and not get shot at. But there's a void, an unexplainable let down when such soldiers return home.

This may be the first time I enjoyed the movie (the HBO miniseries) more than the book. "Band of Brothers" is a very straightforward record drawn from personal accounts from the paratroopers of E Company and other sources. Stephen Ambrose lacks the style and wit of Edmund Morris, the last author I read. However, many will prefer the simplicity of Ambrose's "just the facts" approach. I especially appreciated the personal detail he extracted in face to face interviews. He shares these very candidly. No punches pulled here. The reader is treated to the feeling that he is more than acquainted with the soldiers of E Company. The book includes interesting background and personal detail not included in the miniseries. A watching audience would view them as tedious. However, the book lacks the visceral impact of the visuals in the miniseries. My advice? Watch the miniseries AND read the book. They complement each other very well. Rating: 4 of 5

I bought "band of Brothers" to my WWII fanatic son and he read it at his summer camp. Now he has watched the TV series (several times over) an there's not a single day since that I can remember that we do not have a quote, description or consideration about the book. I'll eventually read it, but right now I'm enjoying his enthusiasm for it.

This is one of the very best books to come out of WW II. Condition was like new and arrived as promised.

Excellent book about soldiers of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne in WWII. People will appreciate what some men went through for our great country.

The Band of Brothers HBO mini-series had me waiting in anticipation for each new episode to come out. Reading the book it was based on was a definite thrill. As I read through chapters, pictures would erupt from my memory from the mini-series even though I hadn't seen it in a couple of years. Steven Ambrose has the ability to insert the reader into events like you were one of the participants. Ambrose maintains the excitement and momentum from the rigors of training and R&R to the high action combat sequences. Even if you hate to read, you would enjoy this book.

If you have not watched the mini-series, this book is about the actions of E (easy) company of 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. The book covers a collection of stories from Easy company's founding in Camp Toccoa, Georgia through their training to their drops and combat actions in Europe through the 101st inactivation in November 1945. The story tries to explain why the men of the airborne volunteered and how they were able to survive the war. The source of the story is mostly from interviews with men of Easy company.

To read the book or not. Honestly, there was not a lot from the book that was not captured in the mini-series. This actually made me appreciate the quality work done by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg in the mini-series. But, there are a few parts left out and more information about the men of E company after the war than in the mini-series. I thought the book was a good companion to the mini-series. Reading the book will definitely rekindle some good memories and encourage you to watch the mini-series again.

If your new to reading about World War II, I would also recommend A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II by Cornelius Ryan.

This was a great book. If you have watched the HBO series and loved that then get the book and love it more.

This is really good. I picked it up due to the mini-series and the book was far better, although I can't knock the show. Insightful and deep, it makes the younger generaton realize the comraderie that often forms during the worst of times

I've enjoyed other books by Stephen Ambrose and this one didn't disappoint. I read it on a pair of trans-Atlantic flights and it kept me entertained the whole way. I just recorded the HBO show based on the book and am working my way through that also. Highly recommended.

This is of course the "shorter work" Steven Ambrose wrote to "mark time" before beginning a longer project, but it may well end up being one of his most widely-known and most widely read. Recounted in Ambrose's inimitable style, it is of course the main source for the popular HBO series "Band of Brothers". Any fan of the series will want to study this volume to "fill in the gaps" and learn the background which makes clear many points the film series can only suggest. It is immensely enjoyable reading, as are the several good published memoirs of other members of Easy Company, most notably of the main protagonist in the film, Major Dick Winters.

I never received the product I ordered and the seller will not answer my email!

If you have any interest in the price that was paid for our freedom in the United States and the world, this is the book to buy. I actually saw 2 of the HBO specials before I bought the book. But I have finished the book before I have finished watching the specials. I think what has impressed me the most is that these guys, through this experience, felt somewhat resposible for the safety of each other. Some of them would have a wound that would keep them off the line for a while, but they would come back to be with the men they have come to be so close to. Brotherhood! I admire that in these men.

The book that I read is called Band of Brothers. It is about a group of young soldiers that serve in World War II. The book is about the things that they had to do to stay alive in the army. I like this book because it has a lot of action and soldiers that are always putting their lives at risk.

Great story, a must read for wwII fans. Also, if you saw the series on TV the book compiments the saga.

Despite watching the series over and over again on the History channel, the book is still well worth the read.

This book is amazing. He goes into so much detail to recout the history, the training and the people you feel like you know them. He even talks about their lives after the war. This book talks about d-day, market garden and all battles e-company was in. It is an amazing book. This book is a must buy for people who like to read about war, for historians or for people who just like to read!!

great Buy!

A great book about the 101st airborne and their aations in the downfall of Nazi Germany. A more in depth version of the HBO series. A great story of American men and how they grew to be brothers while they fought through Europe. Contains first hand accounts of major battles including D-Day, Bastogne, and the Battle of the Bulge. An amazing read, by the end of the book you come to feel as if you know the men you are reading about. I highly reccomend it for anyone interested in World War II.

It was a good book. Very interesting. I also own the DVD collection. I am interested in history and own many history books and DVDs.

Definitly an admirable effort on the 101st Airborne's participation in WW2. The gritty realism and honest assessment of events is top-notch. The solitary reason that kept me from giving it an overall 5-star rating was the underdevelopment of the characters...you truly wanted to know them better.

I became a fan simply because of the HBO series. After watching it a couple times I decided to read the book.

This book reads like stories told by the men who fought. I was intrigued the whole time though I did see some discrepancies between the series and the books. Minor ones mind you. Such as the attack on Foy when Dike hunkered down behind the haystack. In the series, Winters goes to run out and is called back and lectured he can't do that. In the book Winters did start to run out but changed his mind.

There have been many opinions on Sobel. Some have argued he was unjustly targeted, character assassinated, etc. However, a few comments has stated he built the men. Even Wild Bill commented what he did prepared them. I do suspect however, he was not up to commanding men in battle. He may simply have been really good at getting men ready for battle.

I did like the stories of the men. I did get a feeling for personalities. They were not all "John Wayne" type heros. They were men in war. Though I must admit I felt the admiration of the author come through the pages.

One thing I did find myself wondering was the accuracy of the information. I freely admit I am hardly the expert to judge. My wondering became more apparent after reading elsewhere that Albert Blythe survived his injuries and went on to have a good career in the paratroops. Over 600 jumps. I read that there were attempts to get this error corrected with showing evidence as to the fact. It was a poignant story and I wonder if there is an effort to keep the story intact rather then tell the history of the man. Mistakes happen. Especially when the history is oral. However, is not the historian supposed to search for the facts and raise conflicts with the story tellers? I hope in a future printing they make a an addition to explain it was though he died of his wounds.

One thing that is apparent is the lack of references. I am not sure how to measure the intent. Would it take away from the stories and turn it into a history book talking about places, regiments, and maps, etc. Would it have helped? Possibly the serious history readers. Sometimes I wonder if the book was aimed at the casual reader.

Overall, I like the book for what it was. People can argue the merits or lack there was of Ambrose. The one aspect this book and the miniseries did was to get me to want to read more books about the 101st.

Was hooked after watching the TV series. Is quite readable and a comprehensive record of Easy Company. It's a good intro into WWII.

I've watched the Band of Brothers HBO series on several occassions and have found it to be one of the most powerful productions I've ever seen. With that in mind, when my brother-in-law offered me the opportunity to borrow his copy of the book, I was quite happy to take him up on it. I have definitely not been disappointed.

For me there were two main differences between the book and the series. One is that the text just simply isn't (and couldn't be expected to be) nearly as impactful as the TV version. The images on the screen of concentration camp inmates, battle, and violence just can't come through from a book the same way as they can on screen. In that way the book is kind of a toned down version.

At the same time, though, the book can and does go into more detail in regards to certain participants in the story. For example, Webster plays a relatively minor part in the series but is frequently heard from in the book. To me that makes the book and series really complimentary.

I will add that the two don't match up entirely in terms of the details. It appears as though the producers of the latter chose to blend some things, attributing certain actions to "characters" that the book says were done or experienced by others. It's generally fairly minor stuff, though.

Bottom line: If you've enjoyed the series, you should enjoy the book.

I've read the book Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose (which I thought was awesome). This book was such a good book because it was action packed and was even better and more graphic than the movie. This book has a small sense of suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat when I read it. This story is about an elite military group called E company (easy company) and their journey through the battle fields of Europe, from the horror of D-day and leading bayonet charges, to the winter whip of Bastogne, Easy Company made it through it all. And my favorite character of them all was a man named Major Winters, the leader of the company because of his leading and braveness throughout the book. It made me very sad when somebody died, and even the gruesomeness of some of the Americans to the Germans. This was one of the best war books I've ever read.

This series is must see for anyone who thinks sacrifice is having your blackberry out of service.......what these guys did, as well as all WWII veterans, for their country and the world is beyond anything one can comprehend in today's push button society....this series was well adapted from the book by Stephen Ambrose, and great care has been taken to be historically accurate......this series should mandatory in every American high school history class....

Long ago I read World War Two history almost exclusively. Recently, I have largely moved to other interests, but I took the time to read "Band of Brothers" after seeing the superb miniseries and reading Dick Winters' autobiography "Beyond Band of Brothers." While I liked the Ambrose book, I found "Beyond Band of Brothers" by Winters himself far more compelling, interesting, and in several instances, better written.

"Band of Brothers" chronicles E Company, 506 PIR from training in Georgia through the post-war period. The book is quite easy to read, even for those with no military training, and in that regard I think it's an enormous positive that this important story of American heroism under horrifying circumstances has been read by so many people who might not otherwise read military history. Military historians would, no doubt, appreciate a more rigorous (and necessarily longer) treatment of the engagements (which Winters provides in his book), but I still found it a worthwhile book on balance.

The book does not take long to read, and the basic themes are easily grasped. I appreciate that Ambrose sought to single out a single Company to reveal longitudinally their progress through the war: too many books focus solely on a single engagement, leaving the reader to figure out how to fit the subject into the bigger picture. I never felt that way here, and it is one of the books best features. The actual prose in the book varies dramatically from sublime to "high school essay," with most of the book adequate. There are quite a few punctuation, grammatical, and spelling errors in the book, which I found surprising given the profile of the author. Ambrose also can't seem to figure out where he as the author fits in: sometimes he writes in first person, sometimes in third person, etc. Overall I got the feeling that the book was hastily written and edited, which Mr. Ambrose seems to refute in a concluding editorial passage contrasting this book to his earlier book "Pegasus Bridge."

I recommend this book, especially to those who have seen the miniseries (which I explicitly endorse), although if I could only choose one book on the subject, I would unhesitatingly select "Beyond Band of Brothers" by Major Dick Winters.

`Band of Brothers' is basically a series of first-hand accounts of WWII battles from D-day to VE-day, and the mop-up thereafter, through the eyes of some very young, genuine, citizen-soldier heroes.

It is a good book for WWII buffs (some of us) and for those who like to study human nature (all of us). It is an actual, unromanticized account of one of the WWII paratrooper units that often reminded me of the mesmerizing first 20 minutes of the `Saving Private Ryan' D-Day movie; it made you feel that you would want to be somewhere else - ANYwhere else. And I'm sure the paratroopers felt the same way, but they did their duty anyway. It's hard to imagine citizen soldiers going from training in the States and Britain to being dropped off and shot at. On the flip side, it's hard to imagine some of the seemingly unnecessary killing and looting that some of them did as the WWII end-game played out. You wished at some points that they could have been a little nobler; but I can't judge for certain how I would have reacted under the same circumstances. (Hopefully, I would have done half as well as they did.) One thing is for sure: these guys were definitely heroes.

How did they do it? Was it because of patriotism? No, surprisingly, to me at least, it was because of the bond they had with each other; and this is what the book is about. They would gladly sacrifice their own lives for their brothers-in-combat. That closeness remained for the rest of their lives, and still continues for the living.

I appreciate the work Steven Ambrose did to get first-hand accounts by actually interviewing many of them face-to-face. They obviously appreciated his work as they made him an honorary member of the 506th. His enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. I think he gave them their due!

Stay away from ambrose and his terrible books, he paints a poor and incomplete picture of WW2, he is biased (IE in DDay he never once interveiwed a Troop Carrier pilot and painted them as cowards), he glamourises war and hides the terror and nastiness.

Find out for yourself, buy a copy of The Sky Men by Kirk B. Ross, it is the company history of F Company, 513th PIR, 17th AB, it is a true honest depiction of an Airborne Company, after that you'll never look at WW2 the same again.

Ross paints no heroes, only real men in a real bad situation.

I read the book after watching the HBO series and it took me right back to all of those wonderful stories of valor and heroism. Great read. Another hero's book is Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance

Ambrose is the master historian. He made history interesting again. He does it by telling the stories of regular people -- not armies, not generals, not national leaders, but rather, the common GI Joe. He did all veterans a great service in his writing. He will be missed. Don't think you know this book just because you've watched the HBO series a dozen times -- you must read the book.

In this book, Ambrose crafts a narrative out of recollected war stories of a company of American paratroopers. It's surprisingly unemotional for a war story, largely because the participants aren't characterized very well. The company commander, Dick Winters, and a few others come alive in this story. Unfortunately, most of the men get about the same treatment as the enlisted man in StarTrek episodes who is doomed to die on the planet. When death occurs, it's more matter-of-fact than it should be.

The best part of the book comes, surprisingly, in training camp. Ambrose has time to introduce the regiment to us, and does it well. The most depressing part of the book comes when the war is over. One man after another succumbs to automobile accidents, drunken debaucheries, or cases of mistaken identity.

So, this book was a disappointment. I'm sure that the men thought of themselves as a band of brothers but the reasons for that friendship don't come across at all well.

Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers is a fantastic and real account of Easy Company, 101st Airbourne called into every crucial battle Against Germany in WW-II...never rested enough, no winter clothers, not enough food to eat, they endured the unendurable especially holding the line during the "Battle of the Buldge".
Better than the HBO Series of the "Band of Brothers" both are enjoyable although the book is much more accurate/see Biggest Brother above, an escellent 5 STAR read as well

Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers has been much praised and I want to add my praise to that chorus. It is the story of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from their training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Bavaria.

They were at the tip-of-the-spear in numerous key engagements of the European Theater of Operations - Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and beyond.

By the end of the war, Easy Company had spent well over 120 days on the very front lines in combat conditions. The size of the company at full-strength was 140 men. Of the men who fought in the unit, 48 were killed in action, and over 100 wounded, some wounded multiple times.

Several themes run through the story. One of them is the tight camaradery of soldiers fighting side-by-side: "Comrades are closer than friends, closer than brothers" (p. 19). Another is the vital role of leadership in battle. Lt. Harry Welsh's opinion was: "officers go first" (p. 36). That was Capt. Dick Winters style as well-the story revolves a great deal around him-and it was recognized by all: "'Follow me' was his code. He personally killed more Germans and took more risks than anyone else." (p. 155).

One should not assume that Ambrose is denigrating any other unit that saw action in the key battles Easy Company participated in. Rather, understand that he is providing a view into the experiences and actions of combat for the American fighting men of the Second World War through the eyes of a small-unit that fought in numerous key engagements of the war and proved their mettle in battle through their leadership, comradeship, lives, and blood.

Band of Brothers renewed and deepened my appreciation and thanksgiving for the men and women who fought to end the evil that was the Nazi Empire. There is a reason that the Nazi Swastika does not fly over the capitols of Europe today and it is in large part due to the willingness of warriors like the men of Easy Company. Citizens who loved peace and yet responded to the call to arms. They were willing to pick up a rifle and learn to stop the enemy and drive him back. And in battle, when home was distant and ideals driven from the mind, they always found a reason to stand, fight, and sacrifice if for nothing else but the brother standing next to them.

I commend to you, Band of Brothers, it is well-written, flows easily, and is a wonderful testament to the American fighting men of the Second World War.

I first got into Band of Brothers (BoB) after the DVD set was released. But I decided I wanted to read the book version to get more of the details (and there is A LOT left out). However, I picked up the audio version so I could listen to in during my commute to and from work. And it REALLY passes the time. Keeps you districted from the horrible traffic but not so much from driving itself. Definitely recommended for that purpose.

My only gripe is that this is the abridged version and I still feel like I missed a lot of the details I was looking for. So if you want to get the full effect...read the book. But if you want something more entertaining that talk radio or the same 20 songs over and over again - this is a GREAT fit!!

I highly recommend this book. I bought it because of the Band of Brothers TV series. I got hooked with the story. I enjoy reading novels and documentaries about WWII, but this book is different than a novel. It is plain record of events that took place in real life. Amazingly told and related. Greatly structured and written in a fashion that is pretty easy to read. The story evolves like the best of the novels. You really get attached to the characters and get to know them prety well. Great job by Ambrose.
This is a must if you like army stories, want to read a good book, and by the way learn some history about one of the greatest soldier group and events of the greatest of wars in history.