Band of Brothers

As good a rifle company as any in the world, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, kept getting the tough assignments — responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. In Band of Brothers, Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze, and died, a company that took 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office. Drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers' journals and letters, Stephen Ambrose recounts the stories, often in the men's own words, of these American heroes.

As gripping as any novel, this book by World War II historian Ambrose tells the horrifying, hallucinatory saga of Easy Company, whose 147 members he calls the nonpareil combat paratroopers on earth circa 1941-45. Stephen Speilberg has produced the upcoming TV mini-series in the fall.

Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers are: Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage.

He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about keeping an audience engaged is put best in his own words:

As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next.

Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-Day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board.

His talents have not gone unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.

He has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic.

CHAPTER ONE "We Wanted Those Wings"; Camp Toccoa, July-December 1942

CHAPTER TWO "Stand Up and Hook Up"; Benning, Mackall, Bragg, Shanks, December 1942-September 1943

CHAPTER THREE "Duties of the Latrine Orderly"; Aldbourne, September 1943-March 1944

CHAPTER FOUR "Look Out Hitler! Here We Come!"; Slapton Sands, Uppottery, April 1-June 5, 1944

CHAPTER FIVE "Follow Me"; Normandy, June 6, 1944

CHAPTER SIX "Move Out!"; Carentan, June 7-July 12 1944

CHAPTER SEVEN Healing Wounds and Scrubbed Missions; Aldbourne, July 13-September 16, 1944

CHAPTER EIGHT "Hell's Highway"; Holland, September 17-October 1, 1944

CHAPTER NINE The Island; Holland, October 2-November 25, 1944

CHAPTER TEN Resting, Recovering, and Refitting; Mourmelon-le-Grand, November 26-December 18, 1944

CHAPTER ELEVEN "They Got Us Surrounded — the Poor Bastards"; Bastogne, December 19-31, 1944

CHAPTER TWELVE The Breaking Point; Bastogne, January 1-13, 1945

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Attack; Noville, January 14-17, 1945

CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Patrol; Haguenau, January 18-February 23, 1945

CHAPTER FIFTEEN "The Best Feeling in the World"; Mourmelon, February 25-April 2, 1945

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Getting to Know the Enemy; Germany, April 2-30, 1945

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Drinking Hitler's Champagne; Berchtesgaden, May 1-8, 1945

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Soldier's Dream Life; Austria, May 8-July 31, 1945

CHAPTER NINETEEN Postwar Careers; 1945-1991

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND SOURCES

INDEX