Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book placed in the heart of World War II
Review: Band of Brothers is a breath-taking and exciting book that follows the E (Easy) company, 101st airborne division as they went from basic training to the heart of Germany in World War Two.
Ambrose discribes the training that the men went through. The airborne was, at the time, an experimental unit in which soldiers were highly trained in small unit combat and dropped into battle via parachute.
In the states, their training consisted of rifle practice, explosives, hand to hand combat, day and night marching and many more things that soldiers had to know.
After their training, the soldiers went to England, where they had some more training, preparing to fight the germans.
Finally, on June 6th, the Easy company, along with several thousand other American, French and British paratroopers, jumped into france in the first attack of Normany.
Ambrose did his homework for this book. He interviewed many soldiers in the Easy company, as well as some other soldiers that they fought against or with. The result is a masterpiece. This book comes from the view of regular soldiers, and describes their reactions to war, death and coming home. There are regular interviews with the soldiers of Easy company, and from that, they describe it for themselves.
There is little to do with politics in this book. The view is solely from the soldier's standpoint, and how they see it is how they see it. There is nothing from Eisenhower's view, or any of the generals.
In a sense, this makes the war a little narrow viewed. I had some trouble figuring out MARKET-GARDEN, and Carehtan, and only after I did some research was I able to put it in the right place.
This book also is able to give the reader a pretty clear view of the European Theater of Operations after D-Day. Easy Company was at the front of almost every battle in Europe, start to finish. This makes it a good book to read if you are studying the European campaign.
All together, this is a great book, destined to be a classic among war stories.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book.
Review: Gripping book. Can't wait for the November release of the HBO mini-series on DVD. But sadly, if it's anything like most television stuff, it will be missing the boat in some way. Read the book folks. I couldn't put it down. Seriously. I simply could not put it down. Cheers.
Rating:
Summary: A First-rate Work on Combat Infantry in World War II
Review: Stephen Ambrose has written a gripping account of an airborne infantry company in World War II -- from its origins in a Georgia training camp, through its combat operations in Western Europe, to its eventual capture of Berchtesgaden, Hitler's retreat in Bavaria, at the close of the war. Ambrose comments tellingly on the roots of personal courage and unit cohesion in the face of violent conflict, cold, hunger and the possibility of imminent death. On a broader scale, he shows how the grand-scale strategies of General Eisenhower and other commanders become implemented in the specific tactics of Easy Company and other allied units in the field. I particularly liked the small maps provided for the interested reader to trace the tactical movements of Easy company, and also the photographs of its personnel. The televised series based on Ambrose's work was interesting, but it could not give us the texture and breadth that the book provides so well. This is a book that I will re-read in the future and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Reminder
Review: As I read Stephen Ambrose's account of Easy Company, I found myself feeling an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude for the people who fought for the US, particularly in World War II. To me, Band Of Brothers was an account of how ordinary people can do EXTRA-ordinary things when called upon to do so. These were men who came from very different backgrounds and lived normal, unassuming lives until they were called upon to serve our country. Their bravery, determination, and sacrifice showed the world that an army comprised of non-professional soldiers from a non-totalitarian form of government could not only put up a good fight, they could WIN it. And now, we may be facing a time when many again will be called to take a stand and fight for our republic. I found myself wondering if people today have the "heart" to endure the hardships and face the harsh reality of war then I realized that there had to have been many who wondered the same thing back in 1941. Ever since reading this book and watching the miniseries on HBO, I have an even deeper appreciation for all those who have sacrificed for our freedoms, whether their sacrifice was their body, their lives, or merely their comfort. When you finish Band Of Brothers, I can confidently say Veteran's Day will not be "just" another holiday to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Does not live up to its billing
Review: Book starts off as interesting but then slows and its hard to stay interested
Rating:
Summary: Read the book, watch the HBO series, keep reading
Review: As a 40 year old with a B.A. in History I was one of the millions whose interest in WWII was re-ignited by Saving Private Ryan. From childhood through college I read everything I could lay my hands on D-Day,the Battle of the Bulge,The Nazis etc. The movie led me to read Ambrose's D-Day,Then Band of Brothers. If you ignore some of Ambrose's comments about this being the finest, best light infantry company in the world, this is a great story. As great as their accomplishments on D-Day and in Bastogne, The 101st Airborne was only ONE of the US Army divisions that fought in Europe. the 82nd had already jumped in Sicily and Italy by the time the Screaming Eagles jumped and the All Americans also fought on D-Day and in the Bulge. Nevertheless Ambrose tells a great story and brings the characters in this story to vivid life. The TV series is also outstanding. if you fall in love with Band of Brothers read the memoir of one its members; Daniel Kenyon Webster, whose Parachute Infantry is a darker more bitter account of the same story. Also Donald Burgett was in Company B, 506th PIR and he has written 4 GREAT books: Curahee!, Road to Arnhem, Seven Roads to Hell and Beyond the Rhine.
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Summary: A book for all Americans
Review: Stephen Ambrose has proven again and again that he is the best WWII author since Ernie Pyle. As a historian and soldier, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in military history, WWII, basic leadership, or the common bond gained between those in stressful situations. As a leader of soldiers and former combat qualified proven paratrooper myself, Ambrose captures the essence and exact profile required by strong leaders under fire. His painstaking research, extensive interviews, and the trust he gained by the surviving members led to the development of one of the best example of historical writings I've ever read. There are few books today that I, as a patriot and grateful American, would recommend to be mandatory in every high school classroom, but Band of Brothers is certainly one of them.
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Summary: Reads Like a Fiction
Review: I have read other Ambrose books in the past, like D-day, and when i bought this book i was expecting a similar read. D-day the book was a good informative book, the first 300 pages werent even about fighting, so it was boring, but band of brothers was anything but boring.The book starts off at training. Ambrose introduces you to the characters, therefor you start to feel like you know them, you feel the hate they have for colornel Sobel, and you too start to hate Sobel. This is what Ambrose did best in his book, he made it more personel, you are sad when someone you feel you know dies, you can feel their fear in those cold foxholes. This book is as informative as d-day the book, and as exciting as a tom clancy nove, that is the best thing. So if youre attention span is that of a dog and your interested in World War two, I highly suggest this book.
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Summary: ANOTHER "WELL DONE" BY AMBROSE
Review: I like the works of Stephen Ambrose. While I cannot say this is one of his best, it nevertheless is most excellent! HBO made a very nice mini-series of this book and it was one of the few mini-series or "movies" that HBO did not entirely screw up. The book is well written, well presented and does credit to the men of which the story is about. I can highly recommend this book. It is written with compassion and understanding.
Rating:
Summary: Band of Brothers
Review: Ambrose's gripping tale of the elite paratrooper unit is an incredible account of Easy Company's birth in the States and their grueling basic training all the way to their final mission at Hitler's nest in the hills of Berchtesgaden. By providing just the right mix of character development and dramatic battle scenes, Ambrose allows the reader to understand and relate to each soldier in Easy while still keeping the text extraordinarily exciting. I highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in Wolrd War II, and I look forward to reading some of his other works.
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