Currahee! : A Screaming Eagle at Normandy

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Summary: Excellent Account of the 101 in the Normany Campaign
Review: Excellent read, however those not versed in the WWII military venacular (e.g. B.A.R., D.Z., O.P., etc.) may have problems following some aspects of the book. Those who have read other accounts of the Normandy campaign (or other millitary history of the european theater) will tear through this easy and enjoyable read. Burgett was a very hard man, who killed 27 germans in one fire fight, and scores of others during the war. He proclaims to not understand the need for his colleages to mourn the loss of a buddy when there were still more nazis to kill! This book is a perfect compliment to Band of Brothers, it details the same training and battles of the same regiment only A company instead of E company.

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Summary: Airborne - All the way!
Review: Great book. The reader feels as though they have trained, jumped and fought right alongside with the author. As a veteran myself, I have learned that it is difficult to relate the 'detailed' war stories that people want to hear... except when talking to another veteran. A veteran never judges your thoughts and actions. Mr. Burgett treats the reader as another veteran and relates all the aspects of his war experiences. My appreciation goes to Mr. Burgett, his service and his writings. I plan to purchase his other books and read them in chronological order.

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Summary: burgett is a great author
Review: honestly its been three or more years since i read this burgett book, but it only took me two days to finish it. it just sucks you in and im a very slow reader. burgett is very matter of fact about his training and war time experiences. from training accidents to killing men so badly burned there was no alternative to relieving them of their suffering. truley powerful.

Rating:
Summary: No pretense
Review: Horrific depictions of what it was like for the men on the ground. Burgett's account gives a good glimpse, but civilians like us can never fully experience what it must have been like. Reads easy; only took two days for me.

What i didn't like was all the typos i found in my edition. There were glaring problems with the language and spelling. One of Burgett's buddies is alternately listed as "Brinninstool" and "Brennenstool." Not the most efficient editing job...

Overall, a good piece of memoirs. Hard to believe no one wanted to read this book when it was originally published. Must have been way before its time.

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Summary: Currahee
Review: I first read this book in or around 1967.I was riveted by the accounts of the training for the paratroopers for combat in WWII. The author an 18 year old caught up in the idea of war enlists in the paratroopers and does a wonderful dsecriptive job telling about the bonding and closeness of the troopers as he takes the reader on his expolits through D-Day and beyond. A must read for ex-paratroopers. I have recommended this book to several friends who were paratroopers.

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Summary: Finally found it again
Review: I first stumbled across this book when I was about 12 years old. That was 20 years ago and to this day I still haven't forgotten the chaos and horror that the writer described. Certain parts of the book are seared into my memory. I still remember a part when they are running from fire dragging their friend Jamie who is quickly expiring from wounds. It is a testimony in itself that I still remember the name of his friend after having read this book so long ago. The paratroopers who dropped behind Normandy displayed a selflessness that is non-existent today. This book shows that.

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Summary: One of the first war books I ever read
Review: I got ahold of an old tattered copy of this book when I was 14, and it made quite an impression. Since then, books like "The things they carried"(Vietnam) and "The Longest Day" have joined this one on my shelf. Without question it is well and viscerally written, with an honesty that is almost tender at times. My first impression of the book at such an inquisitive age may influence this opintion, but it is still my favorite war book. This edition is excellent, with an introduction and photos, although I bought a used copy of the original edition just for the sake of nostalgia. Anyone who appreciates human drama will enjoy this book.

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Summary: A Fantastic Book!
Review: I grew up listening to a friend's dad tell what it was like to be in the 101st Airborne in WWII. He even showed me the scar on his leg from an 88mm blast that happened on D-Day in Normandy. "I was diving through the air into a foxhole when I got hit by an 88," he said--showing me his scar. "My boot was filled with blood before I hit the ground." As I listened to this senior citizen tell me his stories, I wondered what it was like to be a young man and have to fight, get wounded and possibly die for his friends and countrymen. If by reading Currahee, I only got 10% of what it was like, it is enough to tell me that war is something that should be avoided. A fantastic book--the second of Burgett's that I've read. Being originally from Michigan (as well as the author) it was nice hearing him talk about my homestate. Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Book!
Review: I grew up listening to a friend's dad tell what it was like to be in the 101st Airborne in WWII. He even showed me the scar on his leg from an 88mm blast that happened on D-Day in Normandy. "I was diving through the air into a foxhole when I got hit by an 88," he said--showing me his scar. "My boot was filled with blood before I hit the ground." As I listened to this senior citizen tell me his stories, I wondered what it was like to be a young man and have to fight, get wounded and possibly die for his friends and countrymen. If by reading Currahee, I only got 10% of what it was like, it is enough to tell me that war is something that should be avoided. A fantastic book--the second of Burgett's that I've read. Being originally from Michigan (as well as the author) it was nice hearing him talk about my homestate. Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Great book!!!
Review: I have been a student of World War II since junior high (I am now 41). This book, and the others by Burgett, are the most spell-binding accounts of battle I have ever read. They really put you into the mind of a young paratrooper. Burgett doesn't regale you with his acts of heroics. He does hold others in awe, but describes his own actions in a matter-of-fact manner, downplaying any type of heroics on his part. What really sets this book apart from other war books, though, is Burgett's eye for detail. He tells you about the food they ate, the dead livestock, the countryside in a manner that allows the reader to actually visualize it. Burgett has the same knack for details that Tom Clancy does. The difference is that Burgett's were all too real.