Rating: 
Summary: Another exceptional work!
Review: This book is the 4th in a series of books written by Mr. Burgett about his experiences as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division in the European theater during World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed the first three and this one is a great read as well. For me, the book seemed to really pick up about halfway through and it was extremely hard to put down (I spent many nights reading it into the early morning hours). The focus of this book is the author's experiences in Germany. While he was there he was part of a group that liberated the Landsberg concentration camp. The things that he and his comrades saw there were horrific, to say the least. The starvation and torture of the inmates is described with a great deal of intensity. Yet not all of Mr. Burgett's experiences were terrible - one particularly encouraging story was of a 15-year-old Polish girl from a labor camp that was liberated. The author and his buddies befriended her and as she recovered from her imprisonment they could tangibly see one of the reasons why they were fighting. There's also an interesting story of the author's experiences with the Russian troops which was an entertaining cultural experience (sorry - no spoilers). Mr. Burgett also recounts the encounters with some recalcitrant German civilians who were defying curfews. He demonstrated his ability to maintain emotional control and quick thinking there as well as on an occasion when he and his buddies surprised some German troops in the mountains (Don and some of his fellow troopers were sent there to announce that the war was over and that any soldiers were to report to authorities in a nearby town). The author describes both incidents with such detail that one can easily visualize the seriousness of the situation. Two especially pointed personal encounters the author had with a German commander (a general of some sort) and with an SS trooper, each of whom were fleeing the Russians, ended in dramatically different fashions. They were great examples of the chaos and volatility of war. I could go on and on about the author's incredible experiences but I don't want to spoil anything. The book includes more than 15 pages of photographs (black and white) some of which are from the author's own collection . In addition, there are a few maps which help to trace where Mr. Burgett and his colleagues were sent. Finally, the author describes what he did after the war, both in Europe and in the United States. It helps to bring a sense of closure to the book. If you have read any of Don Burgett's previous works or if you enjoy books about World War II that are written by the people who lived the experiences firsthand, you will almost certainly love this one as well. I highly recommend this book!
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