Rating: 
Summary: Commendable Oral History
Review: Patrick O'Donnell's BEYOND VALOR is an oral history of airborne and ranger veterans speaking of their personal experiences and detailing these remarkable accounts in the words of the vets themselves. This was no simple task. The author has completed a commendable job in preparing and bringing together narratives from members who were in other units, battles, campaigns, and even different theaters of operations. And -- for those who are critical of these narratives as "disconnected" I personally cannot see how the individual narratives can be improved upon given the many different subjects and subject matter. Notwithstanding this particular disadvantage O'Donnell has pieced together a rather flowing, informative narrative -- ideal for easy reading. And -- for those critical of O'Donnell's "shallow" accounts -- it must be remembered many veterans will not speak of their personal accounts -- despite intense prodding by the author. Questioning veterans about their combat experiences is an intrution into the subjects' personal life and as such most veterans are unwilling to discuss (in detail) the taking of ones life or the death of a buddy. (Because of the intimate nature of this style or type of oral history a good comparison of the required questioning is to ask the subject, "I want you to tell me -- in minute detail -- the specifics of your honeymoon.") With BEYOND VALOR I believe O'Donnell has maintained this delicate balance which results in a moving narrative. Moreover, it is an absolute the author must go with "the material." And I believe O'Donnell has accomplished much in this regard. And -- for those critical of the oral history accounts as not being actual oral history written verbatim . . . The spoken and written language are two separate idioms. If O'Donnell were to record each veteran's account in his specific tongue -- verbatim -- the reader reading this form of narrative will have a tremendous problem with narrative flow. This is because most of the spoken word, when written verbatim, (with a few exceptions), appears as gibberish. Transmitting spoken speech to written word is NOT easy when rewriting spoken narratives to written narratives for an oral history. Indeed, when the author is successful the reader is not aware of it. I call this subtlety "slight of hand." And not many writers are capable of doing so successfully. Patrick O'Donnell has succeeded with BEYOND VALOR. Patrick O'Donnell has performed a tremendous job with a truly tremendous task. He is to be complimented. Joseph A. Springer, author
Rating:
Summary: Great Read!
Review: The book is outstanding! The summaries provide the perfect balance to the gripping oral history accounts of the heroes of WWII. The horror these men went through comes to life in the gripping accounts in Beyond Valor. You really appreciate the sacrifices these men made at such a young age for the freedoms we enjoy today. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay reading but with "shallow" accounts
Review: Patrick O'Donnell's Beyond Valor is WWII oral histories of ranger, special forces and airborne vets. This book is an okay read, but there is something missing, and I may not even be able to put my finger on it. This book is surprisingly dull reading considering the subject matter and the possibilities. I found myself "struggling" though it. Much of the narrative reads like written emails and letters usually read: (respectfully) unemotional, shallow, short to be sure, and, because of it the material is very disconnected when connected with other narratives. For the historians who are really serious about airborne, commando, or Special Forces I am COMPELLED to mention the new book "The Black Devil Brigade". I picked mine up from the military book club and i think it is the new standard in WWII oral history. It will make you laugh and cry, something that Beyond Valor failed to do.
Rating:
Summary: Personal "Voices" of Courageous Warriors
Review: O'Donnell has selected and edited hundreds of eyewitness accounts by World War II Ranger and Airborne veterans, organizing the material within 13 chapters with an insightful introduction to each. He begins with "Dieppe" and concludes with "Home" while along the way sharing participants' accounts of their involvement in the invasion of North Africa as well as subsequent combat in Sicily, Anzio, Holland, and Germany. I was especially interested in the material concerning the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge but found all other material also stirring (sometimes heart-rending) as well as thought-provoking. Perhaps you have already read John Keegan's The Face of Battle in which he examines comparable combat experiences from the perspective of so-called "grunts" who fought at Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1815), and the Somme (1916). I was reminded of Keegan's book as I read O'Donnell's. In the latter work, we have eyewitness accounts of portions of various major European campaigns and conflicts in World War II. (It would also be of great interest to me to have, in a single volume, equivalent accounts from those who fought in Pacific campaigns and conflicts. These are available, it's true, but from several dozen different sources.) As indicated, O'Donnell provides a brief introduction to each chapter. All of the introductions are first-rate. They provide a context within which to correlate various personal accounts, not only with the others but also with the overall development of what General Dwight D. Eisenhower once referred to as "The Crusade in Europe." I presume to share a personal reason for my high regard for what O'Donnell has accomplished in this book. Two of my relatives fought in World War II. Both were highly decorated. My father was an Army officer in the Philippines during the months prior to Japan's surrender in August of 1945. My uncle was a corpsman and among the first to land at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. In subsequent years I was eager to have each share his experiences but neither was willing. Later, while helping to raise funds for indigent recipients (NOT "winners") of the Congressional Medal of Honor, it was my great privilege to work with other recipients who, by then, had become highly successful business executives, physicians, investors, etc. Not one of them was willing to discuss his wartime experiences with me although, I later learned, they were quite willing to do so with others who had also "been there." I've seen most of the most highly regard war movies (those considered most "realistic") but only through personal combat experiences shared by veterans such as those interviewed by O'Donnell have I been able to get at least some sense of "what it was like." For that I am profoundly grateful to them and even more in awe of their achievements "beyond valor."
Rating:
Summary: Where's the Beef?
Review: The folks who gave this book 5 stars must be friends of the publisher of author. The author provides the historical background for each operation (for example TORCH in North Africa or The Battle of the Bulge). Then each soldier's individual experience are detailed. But something is lost in the translation. The individual experiences must have been very exciting, harrowing events, but they sure don't come across that way. I recommend "Seven Roads to Hell" for exciting, engaging reading.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Work...
Review: WOW! Excellent book. I loved the format, just different soldiers telling their stories and experiences all compiled into one book. Each individual story ranges from one to three pages long. The author does a great job of presenting the stories. A must read for any military professional or student of World War II. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: Commendable & Very Moving
Review: The author has gone way beyond what other WWII books have portrayed. Mr. O'Donnell has presented the REAL SIDE of war through the oral histories of men, who had in many stories, for the first time related the locked up memories for these 60 years. The depth and cold hearted truth of war in their stories is very moving. I commend the style of Mr. O'Donnell's writing and the extent he took his explanation of units, troop movement and maps to better help the movice understand. There is much to digest in a very informative manner..not easily forgotten. I was left with much emotion and a deep appreciation to the men in this book and the many others who gave so much of themselves to our country. Beyond Valor should become manadatory reading in high school history classes. War is not pretty and this book, surely, details that clearly. Also, found the audio cassette very good.
Rating:
Summary: Good Material, Poor Presentation
Review: The stories were great, but the author did'nt provide enough background information to keep the reader abreast of the event. For example, no reason was given for a particular raid that wasted the lives of several men. What was the objective? Why the raid? This situation ocurred several times in the book. A bit dull.
Rating:
Summary: A Band of Brothers
Review: Beyond Valor is by far the best oral history of WWII, and I've read all of them. The author does a masterful job of weaving their stories together with his own narrative. As someone who occupation revolves around oral history, I was most impressed by the way he provided minimal editing to their voices which are candid and give the reader a sense that your in the foxhole with these men. Smell, taste, and feelings toward their war that many of these men have buried for nearly sixty years come alive in this amazing book. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Great oral history but questionable editing
Review: Having worked in the realm of WWII oral history, I was excited to see this book hit the shelves. I was all the more eager to read it after learning of its subject matter: the elite Army units of the ETO. While many have heard of the vaunted 82nd and 101st, as well as the Rangers, very few (namely, those who saw William Holden in "The Devil's Brigade") are aware of the 1st Special Service Force, the forebearer to today's Special Forces. In describing the experiences of the members of these units, the author has done an excellent job of comprehensively following the progress of the war in the ETO as it was experienced by his contributors. My problem with this book lies with the editing and perhaps the author's method of gathering his stories. In short, the stories were too polished to have been actual transcriptions of the veterans, yet the book contains very few editing notes (ellipses, parentheticals, etc.) While those stories related via the internet could possibly be smoothly written, those received via interviews are often pock-marked with pauses, repeated statements, and candid language. The stories, however, did not reflect this; instead they read like the grammar police had completely re-written them in today's English. In sum, a great effort which will appeal to those strictly interested in a historical thrill, but a bit of a disappointment for those expecting serious and developed oral history.
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