Synopses & Reviews
From Americaand#8217;s preeminent military historian, Stephen E. Ambrose, comes the definitive telling of the war in Europe, from D-Day, June 6, 1944, to the end, eleven months later, on May 7, 1945.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;This authoritative narrative account is drawn by the author himself from his five acclaimed books about that conflict, most particularly from the definitive and comprehensive andlt;iandgt;D-Dayandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Citizen Soldiers,andlt;/iandgt; about which the great Civil War historian James McPherson wrote, and#8220;If there is a better book about the experience of GIs who fought in Europe during World War II, I have not read it. andlt;iandgt;Citizen Soldiersandlt;/iandgt; captures the fear and exhilaration of combat, the hunger and cold and filth of the foxholes, the small intense world of the individual rifleman as well as the big picture of the European theater in a manner that grips the reader and will not let him go. No one who has not been there can understand what combat is like but Stephen Ambrose brings us closer to an understanding than any other historian has done.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Victorsandlt;/iandgt; also includes stories of individual battles, raids, acts of courage and suffering from andlt;iandgt;Pegasus Bridge,andlt;/iandgt; an account of the first engagement of D-Day, when a detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defense forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion; and from andlt;iandgt;Band of Brothers,andlt;/iandgt; an account of an American rifle company from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment who fought, died, and conquered, from Utah Beach through the Bulge and on to Hitter's Eagleand#8217;s Nest in Germany.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Stephen Ambrose is also the author of andlt;iandgt;Eisenhower,andlt;/iandgt; the greatest work on Dwight Eisenhower, and one of the editors of the Supreme Allied Commander's papers. He describes the momentous decisions about how and where the war was fought, and about the strategies and conduct of the generals and officers who led the invasion and the bloody drive across Europe to Berlin.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But, as always with Stephen E. Ambrose, it is the ranks, the ordinary boys and men, who command his attention and his awe. andlt;iandgt;The Victorsandlt;/iandgt; tells their stories, how citizens became soldiers in the best army in the world. Ambrose draws on thousands of interviews and oral histories from government and private archives, from the high commandand#8212;Eisenhower, Bradley, Pattonand#8212;on down through officers and enlisted men, to re-create the last year of the Second World War when the Allied soldiers pushed the Germans out of France, chased them across Germany, and destroyed the Nazi regime.
Review
Theo Lippman, Jr. andlt;Iandgt;The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionandlt;/Iandgt; Fresh and riveting.
Review
Nathaniel Tripp andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt; Ambrose is a superb historian.
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Theo Lippman, Jr.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh and riveting.
Review
Theo Lippman, Jr.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh and riveting.
Review
Calvin L. Christman andlt;Iandgt;The Dallas Morning Newsandlt;/Iandgt; A brief, readable, and necessary remembrance of a generation that met and overcome this century's greatest test.
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William R. Wineke andlt;Iandgt;Wisconsin State Journalandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;The Victorsandlt;/Iandgt; is an absolutely wonderful book...a compelling narrative of a time when the average American youth exhibited heroism and grace to save the world.
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John Gregory Dunne andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/Iandgt; [Ambrose's] skill at weaving his interviews into a good read is impressive.
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Harry Crumpacker andlt;Iandgt;St. Petersburg Timesandlt;/Iandgt; No historian writing today understands and empathizes with the World Ware II generation of Americans better than Stephen Ambrose...Reading this book will leave only a profound understanding of an undeniable truth.
Synopsis
andlt;Bandgt;A TRUE CELEBRATION OF HEROISM AND BRAVERYandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; From America's preeminent military historian, Stephen E. Ambrose, comes a brilliant telling of World War II in Europe, from D-Day, June 6, 1944, to the end, eleven months later, on May 7, 1945. The author himself drew this authoritative narrative account from his five acclaimed books about that conflict, to yield what has been called "the best single-volume history of the war that most of us will ever read."
Synopsis
A TRUE CELEBRATION OF HEROISM AND BRAVERYFrom America's preeminent military historian, Stephen E. Ambrose, comes a brilliant telling of World War II in Europe, from D-Day, June 6, 1944, to the end, eleven months later, on May 7, 1945. The author himself drew this authoritative narrative account from his five acclaimed books about that conflict, to yield what has been called "the best single-volume history of the war that most of us will ever read."
About the Author
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.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Introductionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1 Preparationandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2 Getting Startedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3 Planning and Training for Overlordandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4 "Ok, Let's Go"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5 The Opening Hours of D-Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6 Utah Beachandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7 Omaha Beachandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8 Pointe-Du-Hocandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;9 The British and Canadian Beachesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;10 The End of the Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11 Hedgerowsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;12 Breakout and Pursuitandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;13 At the German Borderandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;14 Metz, Aachen, and the Hurtgenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;15 The Battle of the Bulgeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;16 Night on the Lineandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;17 The Rhineland Battlesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;18 Overrunning Germanyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;19 The GIsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Sourcesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Mapsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Invasion of France, June 6-August 25, 1944andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Defeat of Germany, August 1944-May 1945andlt;/Iandgt;