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Summary: A view of WW II that all should read
Review: Stephen Ambrose shows us what the 'average' man went through from D-Day through the end of the war. These men faced each battle with fear, but did their duty. As a person who never had to face war of any kind being born in 1965, I am amazed that these men/boys were able to accomplish all that they did. The book walks you through what the ordinary soldier faced in the European theatre. Ambrose is a quick read because he stays away from going off in tangents. He stays focused on his subject and relates from men that endured the battles. For more depth on the subject, "Band of Brothers" follows one company through the war.
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Summary: A story of those who gave their lives for freedom...
Review: I was awestruck by the recent miniseries "Band of Brothers" based on Easy Company of the 101st Airborne as they fought their way through France and into Germany to end WWII. So, I picked up this book to read more about the brave soldiers that fought to liberate Europe.I LOVED this book. It is filled with story after story as told to the author by the men and women who were actually there fighting from D-Day plus one to the surrender of the German Army almost a year later. Most people don't realize the American and British were taking incredible risks to land at Normandy and attack a German Army that had better tanks, better artillery and better airplanes... and the Germans knew the landscape inside out and were usualy dug in for the fight. But, the US Army had something the German Army didn't have, "citizen" soldiers. The German army was made up of extremely well-trained men, but they were not fighting for a cause so much as the allied forces were. In addition, as the author details in his book, the US Army was made up of soldiers who took individual initiative to get things done, even if it meant breaking the rules some of the time. The US Army won against the odds because they wrere willing to do "whatever it took to get the job done". You have probably seen "Saving Private Ryan" and maybe "Band of Brothers". Get this book and learn more about the citizen soldiers who fought and died to make the western world a free place to live. This book made me feel sad at the tragic loss of so many people in that generation, but proud to be an American who believes all people are meant to be free.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed by un-needed patriotism
Review: I'm sorry, but this book just does not cut it as Military History, a People's History perhaps, but Military? No. Ambrose decides to ignore the tactics and strategies of war in favour of effortlessly reproducing Oral Histories.
Yes, its important that people hear the stories of those who fought in Europe, but what is the point if it ignores the basic development of the campaign? There are plenty of other books available that use personal accounts but they present them as part of a properly researched historical record.
Ambrose's apparent ignorance of certain aspects of the War in Europe comes through in some of his accounts, such as the strengths and weaknesses of the Allied Generals. And I couldn't help but notice that certain stories from both 'Band of Brothers' and 'D-Day', his other books that I've read (aside from Pegasus Bridge) appear in this one. Its as if he made one book by chopping up the other two and haphazardly sticking them together. Likewise he has a habit of making some important declaration based on one personal story. And I'm sorry, but I feel I cannot leave without mentioning Ambrose's Hate Campaign against the British. I mean, he treats the Nazi-contolled Wehrmacht better than he does the English. I have read many accounts of the War in Europe and the Battle of Normandy and have made up my own mind about Montgomery - that he was a capable General who had fought in World War One, seen thousands die due to sheer incompetance on behalf of the General Staff, didn't want to waste the lives of his soldiers and so fought organised, but careful battles.
Anyone who has studied Normandy will know the bare historic facts, that the British and Canadians were faced by about 7 Panzer Divisions, some of which were SS (note, there were no SS Divisions, or Panzer Divisons facing the Americans until just before the Cobra breakout). Cautious British? The evidence doesn't support that (Operation Perch, the battle around Tilly-Sur-Seulles, Operation Epsom, Hill 112, Carpriquet Airfield, Operation Charnwood, clearing of Caen, Operation Goodwood, Operation Jupiter, Operation Spring, Operation Totalise, Operation Bluecoat, the advance to the Seine, Verrieres-Bourgebus ridge)
Not so Ambrose, who seems to be of the opinion that the British are a gang of incompetent, tea drinking fools. One moment he's lambasting Montgomery's strategy and accusing the British of slowness and cowardice and the next minute he's praising General Patton. Its interesting because I've read accounts that say how similar Patton and Montgomery were. Now correct me if I'm wrong.....but isn't it a little insulting to all the British serviceman and civilains who died in World War Two to be put across in such a degrading and patronising way?
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Summary: This one is the best!
Review: I am completely astonished right now because of a review I just read that only gave this book 2 stars. The reviewer says the book is "muddled, confusing, and hard to follow." Well, I'm not really one who will usually insult the intelligence of another, so I'll just assume that the reviewer can't really read yet. Anyone who reads Stephen Ambrose knows that he is a master at getting first hand accounts from those who were actually their and passing them on to the reader without being "confusing and hard to follow." I am a History Major, and I will soon be serving with the U.S. Army. In my history studies, I have never read a more fascinating book on the European Theatre of Operations in WWII. I strongly recommend reading Ambrose's book D-Day: June 6, 1944 before reading Citizen Soldiers if you want a complete account of the European Theatre. D-Day, which is equally as fascinating as Citizen Soldiers, completely covers the training, planning, and the actual Normandy invasion. Citizen Soldiers then picks up where D-Day left off and provides the reader with first hand accounts from soldiers who fought off of the beaches of Normandy, across France, during the Battle of the Bulge, and on to Berlin in May of 1945. Many of the soldiers named in Citizen Soldiers also gave personal accounts in D-Day. I realize everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the 2 star reviewer also stated that "there is no story" and "characters come and go, sometimes with the same paragraph." Well, the story comes straight from the mouths of those who were there, and I wouldn't exactly say that World War II is "no story". As for the characters who are coming and going in the same paragraph, well I'm sorry the 2 star reviewer was inconvenienced by the fact that many of the characters didn't live to be mentioned in the next paragraph. I've read many really good books on World War II, but this one (with or without D-Day) is the best! In fact this book is good enough for the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School to recommend that all incoming recruits read this book before becoming an officer. If you want to laugh, cry, and be proud of what this country and it's people are capable of then read this book.
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Summary: Everyday Joe's become America's GI heros
Review: My father-in-law gave me this book on one of his visits a couple years ago and it sit for a few months before I started reading it. Yet, once started I really had a hard time putting it down. It had been years since I read a WWII history book and "Citizen Soldiers" rejuvenated my passion for the genre. Like him or hate him, it's hard to argue that Stephen Ambrose does not have a way to enthrall a reader with the topic. Ambrose is certainly one of my favorite authors from the standpoint of easy reading. He writes with a clarity that is lost in more amateur (if actually vets of the war) authors in the genre. As such he's able to take the reader through the entire ETO portion of the war in 400ish pages and highlight most of the significant major battles and intrigues. Moreover, he does this through third-person narratives gathered from countless hours of discussions with vets. Ambrose has become one of the strongest proponents of keeping our proud WWII history alive and with books like Citizen Soldiers he pays serious tribute to those who gave so much for so many. Although I think this book is a must for all those who already love military history, I think it is especially perfect for those who have only a passing interest but want to know more without having to read Churchill's 6 Vol. masterpiece. Citizen Soldiers is high tribute to those who fought and solid reading for those who have benefited in our democratic society after their sacrifices.
Rating: 
Summary: Muddled, confusing and hard to follow
Review: Confusing, hard to follow. Difficult to maintain any interest since there is no thread or story. Characters come and go, sometimes with the same paragraph. Occassionally there is some meat. Very disappointing book. Would not recommend
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Summary: Here he goes again!
Review: Professor Ambrose must be raking in the dough, but I sure hope he's not sleeping well. LIFE magazine had better researched and more honest prose than Mr. Ambrose's latest sleight-of-hand. At least it's writers were well-compensated, unlike the serious authors/veterans who find their words surreptitiously packed into Mr. Ambrose's processed book-of-the-month offerings.
One bit of advice for the good Professor: leave the telling of history to the professionals. Please!
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Summary: One of the Best in the Field
Review: The author, Stephen E. Ambrose is considered one of if not the leading American historian concerning our involvement in World War 2. He has recently received some bad press about "borrowing" information from other authors, but at this point I do not think that issue effects this book. This book takes the reader from the end of the D-Day invasions all the way to the end of the German war front. The thing that I loved the most about the book was the immense amount of detailed information he gave us. Ambrose is such a skilled writer that he can dictate lists in a compelling manner. The story has much more then endless list of facts, Ambrose does a wonderful job of describing what the American GI went through, from the food he ate to first hand accounts of some of the worse battles in the war. I highly recommend this and his book D-Day to get an accurate, detailed and very easy to read documentation of the American war effort in Europe the last year.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: Citizen Soldiers is a great book to read for people wanting to understand what WWII for ordinary civilians who fought in the war, not career military personnel. Ambrose closely examines the leadership qualities of the men who fought on the front lines who were making decisions that resulted in life or death. Ambrose effectively uses his in-depth knowledge of Eisenhower and his generals to contrast their attitude of the war with the men who were having to actually fight it out. Ambrose also incorporates his son's interviews with German soldiers and gives their personal accounts of the life and fighting on the Western Front. Another asset of the book is its broad nature. Instead of just writing about the heroes of Europe, Ambrose also devotes chapters to theives and war profiteers that existed in the ETO. This book is a great testament to those who sacrificed everything to preserve our liberty, and the liberty of millions held in Occupied Europe. I consider this book to be an excellent read and an invaluable piece of any WWII literary collection.
Rating:
Summary: Sadly disappointing
Review: Stephen Ambrose has enjoyed many a great review, but he isn't going to get one from this book. It is a long, drawn out account of battles beginning with the D-Day invasion and ending with the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. It is difficult to keep up with his characters, as he jumps sporatically from one story to the next, giving haphazard accounts of the progress of the war. For a book of its length, one would expect to get more "meat" out of the reading. As it stands, once completing this compiliation of hosh-posh, the reader is left feeling somewhat empty, and confused. The book does provide some entertainment value, but from a European historian's perspective, it is grave disappointment.
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