Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose’s

Stephen Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers is a classical book that depicts the history of the World War II in retrospect to the soldiers of Easy Company, the 506th Regiment. As such, the book depicts the experience of the men in anticipation to capture Hitler’s Eagle Nest. The Division was the best with the great hardship for these divisions. The experience allowed the soldiers to build up loyalty and camaraderie to each other, making up the basis of Ambrose tale of the Easy Company. As such, this paper focuses on presenting an overview of the book as well as discusses the author’s intentions, in retrospect to history.

The main idea presented in Stephen Ambrose’s book, Band of Brothers, is that the bond formed between the men of Easy Company was stronger than other bonds between the members of the regiment. As such, the author shows the instances of how soldiers directly disobey orders in order to stick with the Easy Company. The interviewed men gave reasons for this; that they wished to fight with the best, to put in the supplementary work as well trust one another with their lives. These constituted the Easy Company as the author presents this through the title of the book. On the other hand, the theme relates to a wider notion of American fellowship. It makes the reader think as though she or he has a similar bond with these people, and would pursue them into battle at any time.

Numerous books cover the general data of World War II. Nonetheless, few authors have centered on amplifying the personal aspect of the men who formed part of this war. The author gave the readers an opportunity to visualize the history of the World War II with deep insight. As such, the readers can literally feel what the men felt. Additionally, not only did the author attempt to entertain and educate the readers, but also he wanted the readers to be aware of bravery and courage of these men. The author believed that they should be recognized as what they are and the contribution they offered by them to all Americans and the world.

In 1942, men undergoing training at Georgia, make use of the opportunity granted to them to be taken part a unit of paratroopers that searched for Hitler. The expedition drew a lot of volunteers as it attracted additional pay increases for the exceptionally hard work they had to do. As such, the men commenced there training overseen by Captain Sobel, whom most of the men came to hate. The men’s training included basic infantry skills as well as jumping parachutes. As such, the training involved running up mountain Currahee that meant standing together in the Indian dialect, but then, who could say that the men of Easy would have had the discipline. They had been marching since morning, “after a night of no real sleep; they battered and bruised the soldiers from the opening distress, and the weapons skills to carry off this impressive feat of arms had it, not for Sobel?” (Ambrose 85).

After months of intense training, the men of Easy Company shift to Uppottey, England for more training. The men receive preparation for the most famous military maneuver; the D-Day incursion that took place in Nomardy. The Easy Company is to parachute far from the German shield and consequently make their way through towards the beach, where they were to meet with their allied forces, with anticipation to cut off the German’s supply to the front of the process. In 1944, the invasion was successful, after having postponed the war, due to adverse weather condition. The parachuting of the Regiment did not happen as intended, as a result of low visibility as well as counter air attacks they received, but as the soldiers descended on the surface they began to regroup and secure the beach. The soldiers, under Lieutenant Dick Winters command, see that the Germans retreating to Berlin. Each of the men had different stories to say: “Sergeant Bill also lost his strut, above the knee. After emancipation in 1945, he had 80 percent disability. As such, he married and worked as a salesman, printer and carpenter, all with an artificial leg” (Ambrose 296).

The Easy Company did not respite as they go into Holland. This was a division of operation famously known as Market Garden. Tentatively, they go to Bastogne to hold the front stronghold amidst the cold winter, no winter clothing, and little ammo and with no food to sustain them. After numerous causalities, the regiment rests, and then precedes the push towards Germany. These battles become famously known as the Battle that took place in Bulge. Finally, the Regiment fought their way through to Germany where the troops discovered a concentration camp where the Germans sent prisoners. The company takes Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, as well as, the town of Berchtesgaden that acted as the lasts the final throttlehold of the Germans, and as the Germany army capitulates, a large number of the soldiers start preparing to move out of the war. As a result, Japan also gave in to the war prompting the end of the war. The regiment had the highest number of causalities in comparison to the other troops that acted as their allies. There existed many battlefields’ appraisals, including making Captain Winters getting promoted to be a Major, as well as a battalion leader. In honor of their achievement, the unit disbanded when they returned home. For the soldiers that went home, the readers get a glimpse of their lives, how they viewed their incidents and conducted their lives after participating in the greatest army, in all of martial history. As such, it offers a cherished view at the means by which the soldiers came together and made it through the war and how they become bonded together.

The book is particularly relevant to the topic of World War II since Easy Company served there, but also the nature of its literature. The story did not rely on dramatization by the author as his description presented the stories of the men who participated in the war. The author makes the story compelling, by incorporating stories from the interview gained from the soldiers. Undoubtedly, the readers understand what happened as the soldiers’ perspective presented the insight story. The author presents instances of what the soldiers did for fun and what they did with their free time. The author wanted to express the essence and objectives of the book as if offered the importance of war and the soldiers who participated in it.

Band of Brothers is a well written story since the reader can discover the moments lived by the Easy Company. It offers the readers’ the detail descriptions of the situations subjected to them. There is various aspect of the book that is creditable of praise. To begin with, is the author’s inclusion of various historical events, such as the Eisenhower’s speech prior to the commencement of Operation Overlord. The author offers profiles of many of the soldiers of Easy Company in the first chapters of the book. As such, offers the readers’ with an insight into the personality of the members of the Easy Company and can assist the readers to comprehend the reason as to why various events unfold the way they did. For example, the profile the author offers on Captain Sobel, the initial commanding officer of Easy Company informs the readers about his self absorbed and abrasive personality. As such, the reader follows the clashes of Captain Sobel with the rest of the Easy Company. The book is worth reading as it is entertaining as well as educational.