Stephen E. Ambrose (1936–2002)

I'm somewhat surprised that Stephen Ambrose was an actual historian, back before the plagiarism scandals and shoddy work that put the period on his career. This is the first of his WW2 oral histories, written fresh on the heels of 20 years of Eisenhower research and the 40th Anniversary of D-Day. The book covers the legendary assault on Pegasus bridge: the training of D company, a minute-by-minute account of the battle, and the aftermath.

The bridges over the Orne River and canal, which show more would later be named Pegasus and Horsa bridge in honor of the Paras, had a vital role. If the Germans held these bridges, their Panzers could attack directly into the flank of the landing, possibly defeating Overlord. If the bridges were destroyed, the 6th Paras would be stranded on the far side without armor or heavy weapons, and would be destroyed in force. The only option was a daring coup de main, sailing in silently on gliders to 'prang' almost on the bridge itself, to seize it by storm in seconds, and then hold it at all costs. Ambrose recovers the battle through careful oral histories, and brings all his talents as a writer to describe the terror of close range firefights, the heroism of the soldiers, the glory of tracers and tanks burning up, and the moments of hilarity--such as a German soldier who had slept through the assault being discovered in his bunker by Paras, woken, and believing that it was an elaborate prank telling them to get lost and going back to sleep.

This is an elegant and excellent little book. Best of all, while Ambrose likes, respects, and admires the Brits, he doesn't worship them like he does with American GIs. The men who defeated the Nazis were pretty amazing, but a historian can't rightfully worship his subjects. show less

Like many people, I sought out Band of Brothers after watching the television adaptation. The book is so much better. Ambrose had extensive access to the survivors of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, plus the letters and writing of many members who had passed away. Ambrose uses his raw material to craft an engaging and insightful story that makes the reader feel like he is right at the heart of the events. Like the TV series, the Company is presented as a collective unit with show more stories and anecdotes shared between the men. Unlike the series, there is a lot of welcome military background, locating E Company's activity within the broader plan of the war. Ambrose is not a mocker of the military or a revisionist, but he does not shy away from presenting the less pallettable side of the conflict. Wholeheartedly recommended, particularly in this attractively-designed Simon & Schuster 'Classic Edition'. show less

Ambrose, an incredibly prolific and readable historian, focuses in this book on the soldiers who made up the ETO (European Theater of Operations). It’s at first somewhat difficult to categorize. His analysis of the men who made up the army could almost be called cheer-leading of the most nauseating kind. But after he settles in, the reality becomes more apparent. They weren’t all great guys and upstanding citizens. He points out that some thirty percent of supplies coming into ports show more after the invasion of Europe were stolen for resale on the black market. The picture of Milo in Catch-22 is not the grossest exaggeration. Racial problems were endemic at all levels, but Ambrose reserves his harshest judgment for the upper echelon commanders who remained clean, dry, and well-fed in the rear while front-line troops were asked to take objectives that often made little sense at great cost. Thousands of GI’s were lost to trench foot and frostbite during the winter because the boots they were issued were inadequate. Those in the rear got the good rubber-covered boots. The response of the brass was to insist that soldiers change their socks regularly, and threatened to court-martial anyone diagnosed with trench foot. The replacement system designed by Eisenhower’s staff sent inadequately trained men to the front where they often died needlessly. Had they been trained as units, with experienced sergeants and sent into battle as units fewer would have died, suggests Ambrose. British general Montgomery was clearly more interested in self-promotion than in becoming part of the team,, and Ambrose cites one example where Montgomery’s demands for more overall command had to be personally put down by Eisenhower. George Patton was obsessed with spit-and-polish. In one instance some officers just coming from the muddy front had been ordered to Third Army headquarters to get some badly needed maps. They were held up at the entrance to Third Army territory because Patton had issued orders to his MP’s that anyone entering had to maintain proper uniform standards of cleanliness, etc. It took the officers hours to get cleared and cleaned-up before they could get what they needed, holding up the offensive.
Soldiers soon learned that war was not all they expected. As others, like Paul Fussell and Gerald Lindeman (who explored the role of the American fighting man) have noted, war has been seriously overglamorized. Soldiers were psychologically unprepared for battle and the stress broke many of them down. Often they refused to take prisoners, shooting all Germans in the way whether under white flag or not. The war fundamentally altered the lives of those who survived the front lines. Americans, having never been bombed, cannot appreciate the horror of interminable artillery shelling and constant fear and deprivation.
Ambrose clearly admires what these soldiers for what they endured. In the end, the reason for fighting the war is exemplified by the tragic comments of a severely wounded German lieutenant who desperately needed a blood transfusion. Just as it was to be administered, the German insisted the medic certify there was no Jewish blood mixed in with the blood he was about to receive. The medic obviously could not, but pointed out that without the plasma he would die. The German died refusing to be transfused. They should have given it to him anyway. show less

Having lived in Clatsop County, Oregon, very near where L&C built their fort and spent the winter, I have some general knowledge of the expedition. But I learned a lot by reading this book. It did take me a while...it's not a page-turner, but it was consistently interesting. We sort of learned about the 'heroic' version in school, so the realities of Indians, syphilis, and Sacajawea being practically a child herself were eye-opening, as was Lewis's eventual death and possible mental illness show more (or was it substance abuse?). In any case, I think Ambrose made the most of his material, and wasn't too starry-eyed about his subject.

I do wonder why Lewis wasn't ever able to attract a wife. He certainly tried hard enough, and had plenty of looks and glory to recommend him, and a seemingly bright future, being a particular friend of President Jefferson. Maybe his behavior around women wasn't exemplary. Maybe there were clues to his later afflictions which put them off. But I do wonder.

I also wonder why he never published his journals. It seemed as if he had some sort of a mental block around them, for no discernible reason. I suppose we'll never know.

Five stars for this work, even though I don't expect to re-read it. Lots of interesting detail and history, a chapter of Americana that is justly celebrated but not without its flaws. Ambrose kept his commentary to a minimum, although he does have opinions about slavery and Clark's treatment of York, the only enslaved man on the expedition. He also calls Lewis out on his treatment of the Indians at various points, although it seems that Lewis was perhaps more enlightened than many of his countrymen at the time. show less