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Summary: The battle for Bastogne
Review: "Seven Roads to Hell" refers to the seven key roads coming out of Bastogne, Belgium. This confluence of roads was a pivotal logistic point as armies could then move men and materials about the area. Understanding this, and seeing its declining position in the war, the Nazis were determined to take the road. Having difficulty holding in the onrush, the US Army sends the 101st Airborne to hold the area. This narrative discusses the Screaming Eagles part in the Battle of the Bulge.As mentioned before, this is a narrative. Donald Burgett was a private with the 101st during World War II and wrote his memories down soon after the war. Since this is not a diary, he establishes a flow and understanding of what is going on in the area. The narrative is very engaging. Having been to visit the battle site as well as read other books and seen movies about the battle, I always wondered why the American soldiers were not properly outfitted to fight a prolonged engagement in the snow. From this narrative, I learned that although they were short of some gear, the soldiers did have winter gear but were told to leave it behind because it would only slow them down. The soldier's perspective makes for a very good reading of the battle and its conditions. I would recommend this to any fan of military history.
Rating:
Summary: The battle for Bastogne
Review: "Seven Roads to Hell" refers to the seven key roads coming out of Bastogne, Belgium. This confluence of roads was a pivotal logistic point as armies could then move men and materials about the area. Understanding this, and seeing its declining position in the war, the Nazis were determined to take the road. Having difficulty holding in the onrush, the US Army sends the 101st Airborne to hold the area. This narrative discusses the Screaming Eagles part in the Battle of the Bulge. As mentioned before, this is a narrative. Donald Burgett was a private with the 101st during World War II and wrote his memories down soon after the war. Since this is not a diary, he establishes a flow and understanding of what is going on in the area. The narrative is very engaging. Having been to visit the battle site as well as read other books and seen movies about the battle, I always wondered why the American soldiers were not properly outfitted to fight a prolonged engagement in the snow. From this narrative, I learned that although they were short of some gear, the soldiers did have winter gear but were told to leave it behind because it would only slow them down. The soldier's perspective makes for a very good reading of the battle and its conditions. I would recommend this to any fan of military history.
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Summary: The Most Honest Book on Combat--Stephen E. Ambrose
Review: "As publisher of Seven Roads to Hell we are excited and proud to bring this fine book to the reading public. Bestselling historian Stephen E. Ambrose has given us the following comments: "I interview combat veterans, or read their manuscripts or books for a living. I've been doing this for thirty years. I've written a couple of books on the 101st Airborne in Bastogne. I've heard and read a lot a spine tingling stories. Donald Burgett's Seven Roads to Hell beats every one. His descriptions are on the mark, leaving the reader exhausted yet eager for more. Burgett can carry you through a day or a week in combat with vivid language, a gripping fear, a never-ending wish that his squad, platoon, company can somehow work their way through this one; a deep desire for food, even K rations, a yearning for sleep, praying for more ammunition, wondering if and when the doctors will arrive--and this is just for starters. The Battle of the Ardennes was the biggest of World War II, but Burgett takes us down to the individual level so that we can understand it. "Until now I thought E.B. Sledge's With the Old Breed was the most honest book on combat I had ever read. Burgett's account of his experiences at Bastogne surpasses everything. "It is a marvelous book." We hope you enjoy Seven Roads to Hell.
Rating: 
Summary: Seven Roads to Hell
Review: A griping tale of the paratroopers and the assocaition of men and their leaders as they survived the war and the elements in experiences of a life time. Many of the recollections and accounts of individuals have been chronicled on televison as many documentaries look back on WWI. Author does a very good job of decribing the conditions that the men endured during the Battle of the Bulge using straw to line the foxholes in sub freezing weather only to have the straw disappear long before the watch was completed.
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Summary: Gripping
Review: A must read for anyone interested in actual combat conditions during WWII. The writer weaves a very personal tale that does not get bogged down in "the big picture" of The Bulge. The courage and fortitude of the writer and the many men who fought at Bastogne are vividly retold and this book will ensure that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: outstanding
Review: A truly facinating book, It takes you to a place few books can. The fact that it was written by the person that experienced it, adds to it the realism that many historians can not. As a former Paratrooper myself, I could hardly put it down.
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Summary: This is it--combat, up close, personal and grim.
Review: Along with his earlier book, "Currahee", this has got to be among the best of all American personal combat accounts. The American paratroops who were thrown ill-equipped and under strength into the Bulge against battle-hardened nazi paratroops and panzer grenediers must be honored always for what they did and what they went through. However, reading this and other WWII books (Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" and "Citizen Soldier") while reminding you of what these men (and boys who became men) did and suffered, will also make your blood boil over the incompentence of the planners and the generals (Eisenhower, Bradley, et al.) who under-estimated the enemy's capabilities, didn't provide our soldiers with enough ammunition or proper winter/camouflaged clothing, and wasted lives with their egotistical stubborness and hair-brained battle schemes (Montgomery, especially). Don Burgett, Dick Winters and all the other troopers who were there (they should all be named) are American heroes, and we should never forget them.
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Summary: A paratrooper's tale
Review: As a former paratrooper, and having several uncles and older cousins who served in airborne units in World War II, I can only say that Mr. Burgett captures the essentials of airborne combat in WWII. One of my uncles had great difficulty reading this book. "It brought back too many memories". Mr. Burgett's earlier book, "Currahee", brought the reader to England prior to the NOrmandy invasion, and then to Normandy with all the confusion, savage combat and gallows humor found in line outfits. This volume continues in that line, and complements greatly works like "A Time For Trumpets" and Toland's "Battle". The book offers no political insights, second guessing of commanders. It offers the insight and observations of a young American GI fighting far away from home, watching friends die, and wondering who was next. A fine job!
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Summary: An extraordinary book
Review: Burgett's account had me mesmerized, this is a real page-turner. The matter-of-fact depiction of frontline warfare in the horrendous conditions he and his comrades endured presented a clear picture of this historical battle from the individual's perspective. If you get only one first-person infantry account it has to be this one! The impact of bad command decisions (leaving warm clothing behind to fight in sub-zero weather) along with the typical depravation endured by frontline soldiers makes one wonder how they managed to fight at all, let alone win this battle. The myth of the "rescue" of the 101st is dispelled by one who was there.
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Summary: The standard for all other WWII books to come
Review: Burgett's heart-stopping account of his role in the Battle of the Bulge is very skillfully written in his latest book Seven Roads to Hell. This book by far surpasses any other war book I have come across. The story is told to the T, with all the stops pulled. If you are looking for the real and unbridled version of World War II, then this book is a must-have. I recommend this book to the best of my ability. Terrific job Burgett!
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