Summary of Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" | Summary of Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers"

Stephen E. Ambrose's book Band of Brothers is about the journey the citizen soldiers of Easy Company, the 506th Regiment, and the 101st airborne units that went from their first jump into Normandy to their capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Easy Company and the 101st Airborne Division were regarded as the best rifle companies in the world during World War II. However, being regarded as the best came with the great hardships for these divisions. The soldiers of these companies fought bravely; they went hungry, froze to death, and suffered much causality.

The men that made up these infamous units came from all the states and with all having different backgrounds. The one thing they had in common going into training was that all of them were citizens. The men came together in the late summer of 1942. There they went through grueling training that left them in the best shape of their lives and the best of shape of most of the men in the entire army. Had it not been for the hard training the soldiers went through they probably would not have been as successful as they were in their marches through Europe. The harshness of these training campaigns toughened the soldiers up early for the sleeping in subfreezing temperatures while being fired upon by the enemy soldiers. The first mission that Easy Company went on was on D-Day. They parachuted down in France in the early morning. Had it not been for the break in formation as the planes flew over the target area I think that there might have been an even greater achievement in Normandy. There were many men lost just because the planes were flying to fast and low to the ground. Had they not lost there formation the companies would have landed on their target area and would not have had to spend half the night looking for the rest of the men in their crews. With more organization on the front more damage could have been done.

The risk taken with the MARKET-GARDEN mission could arguably have been a benefit to the ultimate goal in Europe. I would have to say that I would have gone with Colonel Patton and his troops. Had Patten and his troops over taken the Rhine and gotten an open road into Berlin perhaps the War could have ended earlier and there would have been less lives sacrificed. By having troops down in the towns and having to keep the road open for supplies that took unnecessary man power that could have been used else where. Had MARKET-GARDEN gone the way it was supposed to go I am still not sure whether that would have been more of a benefit then what Patton could have done. The faith that was put into Easy Company when they took on MARKET-GARDEN was in the right. The men of Easy showed incredible bravery in the face of danger. While on the "island", they were grossly out numbered but each man fought as though they were worth a hundred men. The comradeship among the men had them fighting not to save themselves but to save their friends. With and army like that the army could do almost anything.

The battles fought in Bastogne seem like a dream to me. The men of Easy went in there to fight on the front having barely enough ammunition and no where near enough men. The men stayed in their foxholes and took their chances with the Germans and Trench Foot. They fought in inadequate clothing and freezing temperatures. The men fought without relief and without hope yet they still fought. Foy fell to the Americans and allied troops; after that, they headed for Noville. Easy went into Belgium with 121 officers and men and had received about two dozen replacements; they came out with sixty-three.

After a few more battles the men of Easy received a break. When they went back into action they headed for Germany. For the most part while they were in Germany, they received very little resistance. They liberated part of the concentration camp at Dachau while on their way to Berchtesgaden. In Berchesgaden they took over Hitler's Eagle's Nest. In the Eagle's Nest there they looted everything they could find. I think the officers made some what of a mistake not letting the soldiers to more some of the things they found. The men had been fighting against the tyrant Hitler all this time and the couldn't even blow up his car.

After reading Band of Brothers and seeing what some of these men went through just to protect our country and the world, I feel I have a new understanding and appreciation for the veterans of our country and the men that fighting to protect us today. The first hand accounts of what the men of Easy did is a real eye opener to the heroics this country is based upon.