Stephen Ambrose

If you want some WWII facts that's put into a memorable format (without all the extra dramatics) just go out and get a Stephen Ambrose book. The man is a genius in associating his interviews with veterans and the story of what actually happened. I am reading "D-day" right now and I have learned more from this book than I thought was possible. Other WWII books of his are "Band of Brothers" (the story of 101st Airborne's, 506th Parachute Regiment, Company E who was constantly on the front lines and in the middle of things) and "Citizen Soldiers" (the story of WWII through the eytes of recruits from D-Day to the Bulge to the surrender of Nazi Germany). He wrote a lot more but I have no more time to write any more. Read one of his books and believe me, you will not put that book down for weeks.

 

sorry friend but I must disagree !

 

how so?

 

Kevin go back through the old postings and you will find a special S Ambrose page and you can read the opinions of many on this board.

Personally I found his dedication to the 15th AF B-24 pilots a sleeper.......Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

haha...i haven't read that, but D-Day is really enlightening as well as Band of Brothers. Of course you probably know where Band of Brothers ended up: as an HBO mini series (which was actually pretty good)

 

I looked but i couldnt find the old post.

 

It’s good you’re interested in history, but as history entails studying and understanding the facts it’s regrettable you’ve picked on Ambrose. Your choice if you wish to contribute to his estate, (me, I’ve got plenty of paper hanging on my john’s back door), but if you wish to read an American view of the 101st by someone who was there (including the real story of ‘Ryan’), I suggest Fr. Francis Sampson’s 1958 book, ‘Look Out Below’, (ISBN 1877702005).

No.9

 

Ike, sorry for calling you by another members name.......

the older postings should be there unless they have been archived. It maybe under WW2 general or
WW2 today forums ?

you can tell # 9 thoughts as they are mine as well....

 

Erich,
This is still kevin I just changed my appearance name cuz i was bored. I'll look there when I have more time.
(Ike sounds bette anyway...haha)

 

Erich,
This is still kevin I just changed my appearance name cuz i was bored. I'll look there when I have more time.
(Ike sounds better anyway...haha)

 

Ike, the posting actually started with my talking about D-Day so I can cope with where you're at right now. Ambrose I've found as I begin to read more is a very "American focused" guy which is ok, i guess, but you're not going to get the full story of how important the British were and the Canadians. I have also recently read his book and loved it but the "blurb" in there mentioning the British and Candians wasn't that good at all. Historically, the book is alright, one of the most brilliant books I've ever read through the eyes of veterans themselves. It amazes me how Ambrose captures the moment in the memory of a soldier. So I would definetly keep looking around so as to find other, maybe not better, but other authors to also research.

 

no.9, thanks for the suggestion...I'll look into it. onthefield, I realize the focus on Americans but in "D-day" there are as much reference to British divisions as there are to american. he also mentions the arguments between the "Yanks" and the "Tommys" Considering I've only read two of his books I'm just taking your word for it.

 

I agree with most of what the others have said and would also recommend Cornelius Ryan, if you want someone who presents history through the eyes of people who were there he has to be one of the best. I wasn't mad keen on Band of Brothers (rather irritated me to be honest) and I read pegasus bridge which was infuriating, there are so many stupid problems with it that the only reason I finished it was because I hate dumping a book so near the end.

 

Band of Brothers the book or the mini-series?

 

I'm apparently the only person here without harsh feelings toward Ambrose...oh well...I'm up for suggestions about good WWII books, whether history or storyline.

 

Ike, you'll get plenty of informed advice here which will save you time and money. However, we need clues? What branch of the services, which theatre, etc. Some folk here have been students for over 40 years and are still researching and still learning. Some books are junk (and I'm not having a go at Ambrose), just like some stuff on the net (sometimes a lot) is bunk. Some documentaries have major flaws, and as for Hollywood - that's entertainment, i.e. bums on seats, give the public what they want. The best thing about Hollywood is probably that it started a lot of people off on real research. The sad thing is probably that there is so much real heroism out there that dwarfs anything Hollywood has ever made up.

No.9

[ 31. October 2003, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: No.9 ]

 

D-day is what of my main interests and what I am focusing on at this point. but that "look out below" that you suggested looks interesting as well. haha...I think I know enough about WWII and life in general to know that hollywood is making an embarassment of themselves. yes...band of brothers got me started as well as some Medal of Honor games (which I have yet to hear an opinion on). I appreciate your opinion. I have a bunch of time on my hands so I need books to read...I'll be thankful for any suggestions people on here might have.

 

Ike, go back through some of the archived threads as many of the knowledgeable members on Normandie have listed some excellent titles from Allied and German viewpoints. I would suggest checking your local library and checking out everything to do with Normandie in general as this will weet your appetite even more. SEveral notables on this forum have also had the opportunity to investigate the batlefields and have some excellent resource materials through their web-sites. check through the members listing at the top of the main page and look for the members web-pages.

hth

E

 

haha..i wouldn't say anything about normandy...right now I'm studying a little about the Vikings and their unison with the French creating Normandy to begin with...and...*yawn* I couldn't be more asleep. thanks for your input. geez...we're running low on the topics here...anybody got something to debate/discuss?
and please...for the love of god...no california politics...

 

Appreciate your position Ike, I’m going to leave suggestions for overviews of D-Day to others. Sampson’s book I mentioned is his story with the 101st. You may derive more benefit and appreciation if you start with the overall operation then progress to unit or individual specifics you become curious about. Everything is interactive and your degree of inquisitiveness could lead you anywhere and everywhere.

Re Ambrose/Hollywood, you’ve seen ‘Saving Private Ryan’, do you know how much was Hollywood? The real ‘Private Ryan’ was Sgt. Frederick (Fritz) Niland who, with some other members of the 101st, was inadvertently dropped too far inland. They eventually made their own way back to their unit at Carentan where Niland learned about the death of his brothers, two in Normandy and one in the Far East. He went to Chaplain, Lt. Col. Father Francis Sampson, who under the US War Department's Sole Survivor Policy, (brought about following the death of five Sullivan brothers serving on the same ship), arranged his passage to England and thereafter the forces sent him home to his parents, Augusta and Michael Niland, in Tonawanda.

So, there was no behind the lines rescue mission, no ‘Tom Hanks’, ‘Ryan’ was not a simple private, his mother was not a widow nor is she believed to have received all three telegrams together, and, the bother believed killed in the Far East turned out to have been captured and later returned home.

And, Normandy saw the largest force to invade mainland Europe, but it was the second invasion of mainland Europe. First was Italy, 1943, but as everyone knows, that was only a sideshow war.

No.9

[ 27. October 2003, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: No.9 ]