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Band Of Brothers (Abridged): E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest Audiobook
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(4.00) - 27,384 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Stephen E. Ambrose’s iconic New York Times bestseller about the ordinary men who became the World War II’s most extraordinary soldiers: Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, US Army.
They came together, citizen soldiers, in the summer of 1942, drawn to Airborne by the $50 monthly bonus and a desire to be better than the other guy. And at its peak—in Holland and the Ardennes—Easy Company was as good a rifle company as any in the world.
From the rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to the disbanding in 1945, Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of this remarkable company. In combat, the reward for a job well done is the next tough assignment, and as they advanced through Europe, the men of Easy kept getting the tough assignments.
They parachuted into France early D-Day morning and knocked out a battery of four 105 mm cannon looking down Utah Beach; they parachuted into Holland during the Arnhem campaign; they were the Battered Bastards of the Bastion of Bastogne, brought in to hold the line, although surrounded, in the Battle of the Bulge; and then they spearheaded the counteroffensive. Finally, they captured Hitler's Bavarian outpost, his Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden.
They were rough-and-ready guys, battered by the Depression, mistrustful and suspicious. They drank too much French wine, looted too many German cameras and watches, and fought too often with other GIs. But in training and combat they learned selflessness and found the closest brotherhood they ever knew. They discovered that in war, men who loved life would give their lives for them.
This is the story of the men who fought, of the martinet they hated who trained them well, and of the captain they loved who led them. E Company was a company of men who went hungry, froze, and died for each other, a company that took 150 percent casualties, a company where the Purple Heart was not a medal—it was a badge of office.
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"This is a great book. Stephen E. Ambrose was a great historian who recently passed away. This is his time period and this is one of the best World War II books I have ever read. It was eventually adapted into an HBO miniseries so if you don't want to read the book, watch the miniseries because the miniseries sticks very close to the book. The book is not that long, nor is it that dense but the reader comes to know and love the 101st Airborne Easy company. Those men were so brave and did so much for our country and that shows through this book."
— Heather (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Mr. Ambrose has captured the true essence of a combat rifle company.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A valuable and fascinating record…In these pages, the reader can vicariously walk with the men of E Company, suffer and laugh with them.”
— Time-Picayune -
“A terrific read for WW II actions buffs.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Moving, poignant, and uplifting, this book is highly recommended for medium and large World War II collections.”
— Booklist -
“This investigation of the European theater of WWII would have been easy for Smith to produce as mere melodrama. But he holds back, and the result is a powerful tale told in their own words by the men of this century’s last great war. Smith proves conclusively that real stories of courage and honor don’t need false bravado to communicate their poignant messages of camaraderie in the face of horror, horror in the service of necessity, necessity in the pursuit of liberty.”
— AudioFile
Band Of Brothers Listener Reviews
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Andrew Saggers, 4/8/2022
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" Very enjoyable book, I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. It's a quick read - almost too quick in fact. Many of the stories just give you a quick idea of what the soldiers were going through, much of it went by a bit too fast for me. I kept wanting more information. Can't wait to re-watch the HBO series since it really explores all of the stories in much more detail. "
— Stacy, 2/3/2014 -
" Absolutely fantastic and well written! One of the best books I've read this school year! "
— Faith, 2/1/2014 -
" This is a must read especially if you read D-Day by Ambrose. "
— Keith, 1/26/2014 -
" Obviously famous due to the TV series, the book is a fabulous testament to the bonds formed between comrades in arms, without glossing over the darker side of human nature. An excellent read. "
— Molly, 12/8/2013 -
" Excellent research, grippingly told, and it made a wonderful television series! "
— Ewald, 12/6/2013 -
" It's great, and better if you've already seen the HBO mini-series. "
— Karl, 10/19/2013 -
" One of those had to read in high school books. This one though got me intrigued and I just had to keep reading. The book is a very interesting take on life. "
— Lauren, 10/5/2013 -
" A very well-written, gripping account of the actions of a company of paratroopers in WWII. The HBO mini series is very faithful to the book. "
— Joe, 5/23/2013 -
" Awesome book and awesome Series on the History channel "
— Tim, 3/1/2013 -
" A great account of what the war was like for a small group of soldiers. "
— Don, 2/25/2013 -
" One of the greatest war books I've ever read. "
— Joshua, 1/13/2013 -
" One of Ambrose's best - and one of the best portrayals of the Battle of the Bulge I have ever read. "
— Denise, 12/16/2012 -
" Outstanding book!! This book doesn't use a lot of technical terms (which would slow the reading). It's a story that keeps you turning pages. You learn about the soldiers--their views, feelings, reactions to their experiences. "
— Eric, 10/29/2012 -
" It is through our friendships that the impossible becomes possible. "
— Rachel, 7/17/2012 -
" As I had watched the miniseries a couple times and read several of Ambrose's other books, I wanted to tackle this as well. The story line seemed a little disjointed at times but overall it was a good read and provides a much better understanding of the characters than you'll get from the miniseries. "
— Cameron, 7/5/2012 -
" I did a fast read as the HBO series was comming out "
— Todd, 6/18/2012 -
" Very good book and a great miniseries. This is probably the only time I thought the film matched or exceeded the book. "
— David, 6/13/2012 -
" This should be required reading! "
— Jenerictxn, 9/10/2011 -
" Extremely powerful! A must read for any student of History! "
— Billy, 7/11/2011 -
" We listened to this book on CD while driving. The lives of those who were banded together because of war was compelling. "
— Zina, 7/3/2011 -
" Great history about the 101st "Screaming Eagle" airborne division during WWII. We owe our freedom to men like them. "
— Bruce, 5/26/2011 -
" The greatest of the WWII stories ever written.<br/><br/>It really shows the reader it wasn't just a video game. "
— JR, 5/24/2011 -
" I think this book is the best ever book. It is a example of braveness, courage and determination. They traveled 5,000 miles on foot to capture Hitlers Eagle Nest, also to save there country and lots of lives<br/> "
— ronan, 5/17/2011 -
" Great book and Great HBO series. "
— Sam, 5/16/2011 -
" As all of Stephen Ambrose's books it is both well written and extremely informative. "
— Thom, 5/9/2011 -
" I always enjoy Ambrose, this was a little difficult to follow with the military jargon that he sometimes assumes the reader knows and all of the battle scenes. It is so hard from our modern perspective to imagine the world these men knew and fought for so unselfishly. "
— Carla, 5/9/2011 -
" A very thorough and informative account. It was at times heart warming and humorous, but most times it was just dry narrative. This book did a good job at trying to show the horror of war and what E Company went through, although it's impossible to truly know unless you have been there. "
— Natasha, 4/30/2011 -
" Well written and gripping story of a group of man who took care of each other through terrible conditions. Better than the HBO series and that's saying a lot! "
— Ann, 4/19/2011
About Stephen E. Ambrose
Stephen E. Ambrose (1936–2002) was the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Citizen Soldiers, Undaunted Courage, and D-Day, as well as biographies of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. He also founded the Eisenhower Center and was president of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. His book, Band of Brothers, was the basis for the HBO miniseries. 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.
About Cotter Smith
Cotter Smith is an American actor of stage, film, and television. As an audiobook narrator, he has won two Earphones Awards and was a finalist in 1997 for the prestigious Audie Award.