It's really easy for me to believe how Mr. Blunt could be one of the primary contributors to the WWII HD series. It's the utterly fantastic embellishments that draw attention to Hollywood stories like these. I have the utmost respect for those of the greatest generation; but doggone if I'll swallow this conrtrivance. I'm a veteran of 15 years--and still serving; and, cannot hold a candle to the hell those boys of WWII went through, so it's not like I'm personaaly insensed. When I saw the series, WWII in HD, I wondered then if Mr. Blunt was embellishing a little. Having reviewed the book and its subsequent reviews, I think my suspecions were confirmed. Honestly, I would have not used Mr. Blunt for the series--it saddens the credibility of a series that otherwise is worthy of critical acclaim. Actually, I would bet that the men (who actually served then) are correct in their one star reviews of the book. However, on a more cheerie note, I do hope that both the author of the book and those who made the series made some good money------now that's Hollywood at it's best.

The only way to truly understand the horrors of war is to have the unenviable fate of experiencing it firsthand. Roscoe Blunt's war record is not disputed. To conjecture that he exaggerated some of his chronicled life-threatening adventures really misses the point. His professional writing skills vividly, graphically and accurately articulate what it was like to be an infantryman in combat during World War II. Refreshingly, he offers it from an enlisted man's perspective and, in doing so, provides the rest of us with a concept we can only try to appreciate. If it is the reader's desire to gain such an appreciation, this book is the definitive choice for such enlightenment. If Blunt's critics are correct in proclaiming he could not have experienced all he claimed, the evidence suggests that he had to experience much of it. Aside from his personal military records, Blunt kept journals, diaries, letters and souvenirs which offered credence to his words. This book is simply too valuable in its whole to summarily dismiss it because some question its credibility on a few particulars. Few would dispute that much of what happened in World War II was incredible!

From training to ocean, channel and river crossings, these soldiers didn't know from moment to moment what lied ahead. They did as they were ordered and many of their duties broached human instinct. The 84th Infantry Division had to catch up to the war. The closer they got, the more apprehensive the men became. They entered France via Omaha Beach three months after D-Day. Once they recognized their nighttime location, the otherwise rowdy, complaining GI's took on an impromptu reverence and awe that was captivating and spontaneous throughout the Division's units of raw troops. As the war got closer, smoking ruins flamed hotter, artillery boomed louder, small arms chattered, the mud thickened and the air chilled colder. Initially, they passed enemy dead and then GI dead to join them. The smell of smoke and death grew choking and nauseating. Ultimately, they would catch up to the front lines of the war in all its gore, limbs torn, blood spattered and guts splattered amid agonizing wails of friend and foe alike. They fought exhausted from frozen foxholes in the Bulge. They crossed rivers and pursued the enemy in his own country. They freed POW's and liberated a few deathly creatures who survived the concentration camps. Throughout their journey, they encountered some allied civilians who were hostile and some enemy civilians who were friendly. Sometimes, GI's behaved honorably and sometimes they didn't. Most were very young men who had to grow quickly, become hardened and even cold-blooded at times. In a few pages, a lot is touched upon. In honor of your own elders, both military and civilian, who lived through this time and who each, in their own way, contributed to the ultimate outcome of the war effort, you owe yourself this read.

I looked up Rockie Blunt because I saw his name on the History Channel's fabulous program World War II in HD. I recognized Mr. Blunt's name but couldn't put my finger on it.

Of course! He was our local reporter and a jazz musician. Then I remembered this book and all the complaints.

Well, I googled Roscoe Cosby Blunt and found that President Clinton pardoned him. Apparently, he was court martialed in 1945 for fraternization. I can't believe that after all these years of his reporting, writing books and now being featured on the History Channel that this has never been discovered. And yes, it is the same Roscoe Crosby Blunt from Shrewsbury, Mass.

I haven't seen the episodes that he is in, but I am just stunned. I hope this doesn't ruin my viewing of this documentary event.

I have read many fine accounts of WWII combat from a foot soldier's perspective. These include Steven Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" and "Citizen Soldiers", Col.Von Luck's "Panzer Commander", Leckie's "Helmet for my Pillow", William Manchester's "Goodbye Darkness" and my personal favorite, Sledge's "With the Old Breed". In terms of action and sheer entertainment, this book approaches par with any of these.

Where it differs from these others, however, is in the ring of truth. I am a veteran who never had the honor of serving in combat. Despite my lack of first hand experience, my Vietnam era colleagues and other combat veterans with whom I've been privilged to serve share some common characteristics, most particularly a reticence and humility born of their having miraculously survived the chaos of war while so many of their comrades did not. When coaxed to speak their experiences, they tend to do so with awe and self effacement. They will admit that they spent their time in combat trying to do their jobs and not get shot, not traipsing around enemy lines looking for booty. The German soldiers that faced the author Blunt must have been a far different breed from those that faced the 101st's Maj. Winters or who served with Col Von Luck in Russsia and Normandy.

Blunt's stories are simply too fantastic and bizarre to be believed. He claims to have captured an entire SS Panzer company single handedly in the Ardennes. He describes knocking out a King Tiger virtually unaided, saving his entire platoon (The tank had no infantry support?). In Germany he conducted his own war crimes tribunals to cull nazis from the village he occupied (He was a PFC).

The collection and mailing home of souvenirs doesn't sound right either. While lacking showers, hot food and other basic amenities for weeks at a time, Blunt was somehow able to regularly mail home packages containing an enormous collection of captured acoutrements including helmets, daggers, caps, pistols, etc. (He shows us a photo of a portion of his enormous collection). Did they have Fedex at the Front? This type of souvenir hunting was more characteristic of rear echelon troops after the fighting had ended and the front had moved on, as related by E.B. Sledge and other combat authors.

Early on Blunt tells us that he has not kept in touch with any of his 84th Div. brothers. This is a convenient device. Perhaps those who really knew Blunt would shed the light of truth on these his accounts. Blunt tells us, after all, that his specialty code was musician (he was a drummer).

If I am mistaken, I owe a heartfelt apology to Pvt Blunt. If his account is true, he is the luckiest and one of the most intrepid combat soldiers ever to wear an American uniform, and this country owes him the DFC if not the Medal of Honor. However, I believe that Pvt Blunt spent more time banging a drum in the band than banging an M1 at the front. His story is simply too unbelievable.

I have read many fine accounts of WWII combat from a foot soldier's perspective. These include Steven Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" and "Citizen Soldiers", Col.Von Luck's "Panzer Commander", Leckie's "Helmet for my Pillow", William Manchester's "Goodbye Darkness" and my personal favorite Sledge's "With the Old Breed". In terms of sheer entertainment, this book ranks on a par with any of these.

Where it diverges from the others, however, is in the ring of truth. I am a veteran, but admit that I never had the honor of serving in combat. I was an air force intelligence officer in the 1980s. Despite my naivete, my Vietnam era colleagues and other combat veterans whom I've been privilged to know shared some common characteristics, most particularly reticence and humlility born of their having miraculously survived the chaos of war. When they can be coaxed to speak their experiences at all, they tend to do so with awe and humility. They will admit that they spent their time in combat trying to do their jobs and not get shot, not traipsing around enemy lines looking for booty. The German soldiers that faced Blunt must have been a far different breed from those that faced the 101st's Maj. Winters or who served with Col Von Luck in Russsia and Normandy.

Blunt's stories are simply too fantastic and bizarre to be believed. He claims ot have captured an entire SS Panzer company single handedly in the Ardennes. He described how he knocked out a King Tiger virtually unaided, saving his entire platoon (The tank had no infantry support?). In Germany he conducted his own war crimes tribunals to cull nazis from the villages he occupied.

The collection and mailing home of souvenirs doesn't sound right either. While lacking showers, hot food and other basic amenities for weeks at a time, Blunt was somehow able to regularly mail home packages containing an enormous collection of captured acoutrements including helmets, daggers, caps, pistols, etc. (He shows us a photo of a portion of his enormous collection). Did they have Fedex at the Front? This type of souvenir hunting was more characteristic of rear echelon troops after the fighting had ended and the front had moved on.

Early on Blunt tells us that he has not kept in touch with any of his 84th Div. brothers. This is a convenient device. Perhaps those who really knew Blunt would shed the light of truth on these his accounts. Blunt tells us, after all, that his specialty code was musician (he was a drummer).

If I am mistaken, I owe a heartfelt apology to Pvt Blunt. If his account is true, he is the luckiest and most intrepid combat soldier ever to wear an American uniform, and this country owes him the Medal of Honor. However, it's more likely that Pvt Blunt spent more time banging a drum in the band than banging an M1 at the front.

I have read many fine accounts of WWII combat from a foot soldier's perspective. The works of Steven Ambrose, Von Luck's "Panzer Commander", Leckie's "Helmet for my Pillow" William Manchester's "Goodbye Darkness" "In Mortal Combat" and my personal favorites "Soldat" and Sledge's "With the Old Breed". In terms of sheer entertainment, this book ranks on a par with any of them.

Where it diverges from the others, however, is the ring of truth. I am a veteran, but never had the honor of serving in combat. I was an air force linguist and intelligence officer in the 1980s. Despite my naivete, my Vietnam era colleagues and other combat veterans I've been privilged to know share one common characteristic (when they can be coaxed to speak of their experiences at all): They spent most of their time in combat trying not to get shot, not traipsing around enemy lines looking for booty. The German soldiers that faced Blunt must have been a far differnt breed from those that faced the 101st's Maj. Winters or who served with Col Von Luck.

Blunt's stories are simply too fantastic and bizarre to be believed. For example, he captures an entire SS Panzer company single handedly in the Ardennes. He knocks out a King Tiger virtually unaided, saving his entire platoon (The tank had no infantry support?).

The mailing of souveniers doesn't sound right to me either. While lacking showers, hot food and other basic amenities for weeks at a time on the front lines, he was somehow able to regularly mail home packages containing an enormous collection of captured acoutrements, including helmets, daggers, caps, pistols, etc. (he shows us a photo of a portion of his enormous collection). Did they have Fedex at the Front?

Early on Blunt tells us that he has not kept in touch with any of his 84th brothers. I find this a convenient device. Perhaps those who really knew Blunt could shed the light of veracity on these meretricious accounts. Blunt tells us, after all, that his specialty code was musician (he was a drummer).

If I am mistaken, I owe a heartfelt apology to Pvt Blunt. If his account is true, he is the luckiest and most intrepid combat soldier ever to wear an American uniform and this country owes him the Medal of Honor. I fear , however, that I am right and that Pvt Blunt spent more time banging a drum in the band than banging an M1 at the front.

If you're a veteran of any war, you will find this book incredibly hard to read, because it's so fantastic that it doesn't feel like a real story.

Foot Soldier depicts the author as a hero one minute angry he's not receiving a medal and then, he's an ill soldier who can barely walk or find the "will" to continue. But he always manages to find the courage to save the day.

On one occasion {spoiler alert}, Blunt volunteered for a recon patrol and somehow got lost from the group. He just happened to crawl right into a German sentry, only to gut him to keep him quiet. After being gone for three days, he went back to camp giving the lieutenant the enemy location. He then wrote about how the lieutenant would probably take all the credit.
Two other times, he claims he took German prisoners all by himself. Once, he said he talked 100 SS soldiers into surrendering saying American tanks were nearby. As many WWII veterans have pointed out, especially those from the author's 84th Division, these events may have happened, but it's unlikely Blunt was a part of them.

What is believable: the many times Blunt falls asleep during guard duty; when he's rushed to the hospital because his feet can't take it anymore; or the numerous moments he did not share his chocolates from care packages with his fellow soldiers. I guess, the latter bothered me the most because soldiers take care of one another and Blunt bragged about how he horded his candy. In the infantry, you just don't do that. You trade, sure. But you at least share. The one time he wrote about giving a soldier a bite of chocolate, the soldier was shot sitting next to him while Blunt was asleep.

I have no doubt that most of this book is true; the question is whether the author participated in all of them. Many have written about the inaccuracies of the dates he used and questioned the so-called expert training received. I highly doubt that at 19, he truly was the youngest to receive the Expert Infantry Badge, which is a course countless infantrymen have taken. Furthermore, if he had single handily taken some 150 prisoners--once only with a mine detector--why in the world did he not receive the Silver Star or Medal of Honor?

With those cynical statements said, I must point out that this is a beautifully written text that is enjoyable. You can gain a lot of knowledge about the life of an infantry soldier. He describes things as if they happened yesterday, not fifty years later when it was published. There is no doubt that Blunt is a gifted writer. I just question whether he experienced everything he said he did.

While not landing on D-Day the author leads the reader through the life and trials of an ordinary american infantryman in WWII. While other authors have done so on a collective basis, this author has done it on a individual basis.
It is a must read along with the more well known authors and literature on WWII.

This is a great book! In fact, one of the best WWII memoir. I just managed to get through Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier" and wasn't impressed. Sajer's book was good but Blunt's and Gantter's books were far better. You won't be disappointed reading this book.

I don't know what the other's were reading when they gave this book less than four stars, but they are a bunch of freakshows. This is a great book! In fact, the best WWII memoir - slightly better than Gantter's "Roll Me Over" and Gantter's book is a great book. I just managed to get through Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier" and wasn't impressed. Sajer's book was good but Blunt's and Gantter's books were far better. You won't be disappointed reading this book.

I started reading this book inspite of the fact that all the 84th veterans I know said it was "Pure B.S." I could not finish it because it was obviously fabrication. In my years of researching what the 84th did, specifically the 2nd Btn 333 in which my dad was a 1st Sgt I have not been as disappointed as when I read this book. To all those who thought it was so inspiring, wouldn't the truth be more inspiring? Mr Blunt did serve with the 84th. It would have been nice to find out what he really did.

Foot Soldier by Roscoe C. Blunt, Jr.



Foot Soldier is Roscoe C. Blunt's story of his experience in WWII. My review for this book will be different than many others. Why, well, Mr. Blunt totally failed with this book. This is a one star book. Mr. Blunt, to put it bluntly, was a blow hard and a sad sack. I'll admit that I failed to finish reading the book, mainly because I got tired of his blow hard ways. When ever Mr. Blunt is doing something, either he's a total slacker or the most heroic person there is. Examples; in crossing the Atlantic Mr. Blunt was so sick that he couldn't move from his bunk space and barely survived; after landing in England (his units was the 84th ID) he tells about men from his unit mixing it up in a pub with men from the 82nd Airborne. This is physically impossible due to the 84th landing in England on 1 October, the 82nd Airborne Division was involved in Operation Market Garden and the post Market Garden operations with the British. In addition, Mr. Blunt talks about walking from Normandy to the front and developing blisters. This is very doubtful since the 84th landed in Normandy between 1-4 November and was deployed in the Netherlands between 5-12 November. After reading Mr. Blunts tripe (in the first 50 pages) I just had to give it up. If you want to read historical fiction that's not that good, read this; if you want to read a good memoir from a man who fought in WWII, read Bootprints!

Foot Soldier by Roscoe C. Blunt, Jr.

Foot Soldier is Roscoe C. Blunt's story of his experience in WWII. My review for this book will be different than many others. Why, well, Mr. Blunt totally failed with this book. This is a one star book. Mr. Blunt, to put it bluntly, was a blow hard and a sad sack. I'll admit that I failed to finish reading the book, mainly because I got tired of his blow hard ways. When ever Mr. Blunt is doing something, either he's a total slacker or the most heroic person there is. Examples; in crossing the Atlantic Mr. Blunt was so sick that he couldn't move from his bunk space and barely survived; after landing in England (his units was the 84th ID) he tells about men from his unit mixing it up in a pub with men from the 82nd Airborne. This is physically impossible due to the 84th landing in England on 1 October, the 82nd Airborne Division was involved in Operation Market Garden and the post Market Garden operations with the British. In addition, Mr. Blunt talks about walking from Normandy to the front and developing blisters. This is very doubtful since the 84th landed in Normandy between 1-4 November and was deployed in the Netherlands between 5-12 November. After reading Mr. Blunts tripe (in the first 50 pages) I just had to give it up. If you want to read historical fiction that's not that good, read this; if you want to read a good memoir from a man who fought in WWII, read Bootprints!

This is a very good read book. It is well written, interesting, and gives the point of view of the common infantryman or in this case anti tank platoon member of the 84th Infantry Division. "Rocky" Blunt did a nice job writing the book. You will not be disappointed. The book was read by Jimmie Kepler in June 2005.

I have read many books on fighting in the European theater in WWII. I have also heard first hand accounts from my uncles who fought in Europe including one who was a tank driver under Gen. Patton. I must say I found Roscoe Blunt's book hard to believe. He states he received special training to defuse landmines and bombs. But after being in combat for serveral months he never was called upon to use his special training. At one point during the Battle of the Bulge he mentions he leaves his foxhole alone, at night to reconoiter thru a minefield toward German lines then becomes disoriented and lost. If that is an example of how a "battle tested" soldier acts then it's amazing he lived to tell the tale.
I have to believe most of what is written in this book is highly embellished to say the least.

This is an easy read, with many exciting passages, if they are sometimes filled with a bit too much portentious prose.

But as far as history goes, I'm not sure how much of these events to take at face value. Some of the stories about Mr. Blunt's experiences sound more like something thought of in Hollywood as opposed to real events. Still, they make for fun reading.

What is of value is the frank discussion of the behavior of soldiers. The Germans are not the only ones presented as barbarians as war pushes men to extemes. Blunt is honest about the looting that was commonplace, as well as the hunger, cold, and misery that went along with winter war. He is a bit more reticent about relations between soldiers and women, expecting us to believe that a 19 year old didn't know how to be excited around a womwan, but I filed these under the entertaining humor bits, much like his occasional references to himself in the third operson that pop up now and then.

Overall, I wouldn't call this a great memoire of WWII, but it was fun to read.

To list all the statements in Roscoe Blunt's book "Foot Soldier" that are factually incorrect would take more space
than a review should use. I will cover only one action, the Roer River crossing. I made this crossing with the first assault in a boat at 0330 23 February 1944. I was a member of the 1st Battalion Headquarters Company Antitank Platoon 334th Regiment 84th Division. For the Roer crossing I was part of a bazooka team attached to Rifle Company C. This operation is accurately portrayed in the 334th Regimental History "Fortune Favored the Brave", Mannheimer Grossdruckerei, August 1945. My name PFC Douglas J Harvey on page 136 establishes that I was in this attack. The Divisional History "The 84th Infantry Division in The Battle Of Germany" states Blunt's Regiment, the 333, crossed the Roer River on the 24th on the well-established bridgehead. His account indicates tanks were crossing at the same time. The first tanks crossed noon of the 24th establishing that he was not in the first wave. Only two air attacks by individual aircraft, ME 262s, one of which was shot down, are mentioned in the 84th divisional history. However, artillery hits were frequent. Blunt's stories of throwing grenades, being strafed by waves of planes, and hand to hand fighting after crossing on the foot bridge are pure fantasy. This all supposedly took place 36 hours after the initial attack of which I was a part. I had difficulty in reading all of Blunts book because of my frequent anger by his distortion of facts. No star was not an option or I would have used it.

Douglas J Harvey
PFC 1st Battalion Headquarters Company Antitank Platoon 334th Regiment 84th Infantry Division

To list all the statements in Roscoe Blunt's book "Foot Soldier" that are factually incorrect would take more space
than a review should use. I will cover only one action, the Roer River crossing. I made this crossing with the first assault in a boat at 0330 23 February 1944. I was a member of the 1st Battalion Headquarters Company Antitank Platoon 334th Regiment 84th Division. For the Roer crossing I was part of a bazooka team attached to Rifle Company C. This operation is accurately portrayed in the 334th Regimental History "Fortune Favored the Brave", Mannheimer Grossdruckerei, August 1945. My name PFC Douglas J Harvey on page 136 establishes that I was in this attack. The Divisional History "The 84th Infantry Division in The Battle Of Germany" states Blunt's Regiment, the 333, crossed the Roer River on the 24th on the well-established bridgehead. His account indicates tanks were crossing at the same time. The first tanks crossed noon of the 24th establishing that he was not in the first wave. Only two air attacks by individual aircraft, ME 262s, one of which was shot down, are mentioned in the 84th divisional history. However, artillery hits were frequent. Blunt's stories of throwing grenades, being strafed by waves of planes, and hand to hand fighting after crossing on the foot bridge are pure fantasy. This all supposedly took place 36 hours after the initial attack of which I was a part. I had difficulty in reading all of Blunts book because of my frequent anger by his distortion of facts. No star was not an option or I would have used it.

Douglas J Harvey
PFC 1st Battalion Headquarters Company Antitank Platoon 334th Regiment 84th Infantry Division

People need to really quit reading the garbage written by "Ambrose" type historians...they might actually come to the conclusion that not all of what we (the USA) did during WWII smelled like roses. Blunt's work may not be award winning in it's style, and Blunt may not have been a model soldier but the work is infinately more believable that an "Ambrose type" volume where the US does no wrong whatsoever, and this book is a decent read.

Do not believe me, check for yourself. After a short internet search, you may come to the conclusion that Blunt's work is probably more "fact" than fiction. Start searching 84th Infantry Division websites. They all list Blunts book(s) as some sort of required reading. One would think that after some of the things written in "Foot Soldier", if a unit thought the accusations were false, they would not list his titles in their list of books. I also did not find any discussion on anyone's website for the 84th Infantry Division accusing him of lying, or even stretching the truth a bit.

There is also a University who uses this title as a book in one of their History courses readings.

Hey, war ain't pretty and with all the men we had in uniform that we gave guns to and pointed them towards the enemy, some "bad" things happened...not probably happened, but CERTAINLY happened. Blunt's book touches on some of these and as hard to swallow as some of these may be, it is the REAL truth.