Friday, November 09, 2012

Books read in 2012: No. 89 -- Band of Brothers

by Stephen E. Ambrose

Started: Nov. 6
Finished: Nov. 9

Amazon link: Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

Notes: I've long been a fan of the HBO series concerning E Company of World War II fame, having watched the series when it originally aired and possibly hundreds of times since. I feel it is honestly one of the best looks at war from a soldier's point of view ever put on the screen, or at the very least one of the best views of those particular soldiers during that particular war. Anyway, I feel I know these stories and these real-life characters, and I always want to know more, having read other books about the events and people. I've had this book for a while, the one which the TV series is based upon, and I've kept putting it off. But no longer. Christmas is nearly here, so I thought I'd treat myself.

Mini review: This is a great book, though not quite one of my favorites. Why? Well, truth be known, it's no fault of the book, but my own. I simply knew too much of this material before wading in, so very little was new to me here and actually seemed quite repetitive. Again, that's no fault of the books. The writing is crisp and the information provided is interesting and to the point without wallowing in minor details. My favorite parts were the personal reflections of the officers and soldiers. Armchair historians and casual readers of war history will love this book. Those who are more military historians seeking in depth details will find this book a good place to start, but will likely want to go elsewhere eventually, and there's nothing wrong with that.

1 comment:

Charles Gramlich said...

I've met Ambrose. He's from down here. Haven't read this book, though, but I am interested in it