Today I finished Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Norman Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose. I currently own three of his books, D-Day: the Climactic Battle of WWII; Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest; and Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944. Ambrose is a master of weaving a story that is not his own. He tells the histories of the actual men who fought in World War Two and gives the war names and faces. My mother first introduced me to Citizen Soldiers, ironically, shortly after I picked up D-day in an airport bookstore. She shared some of the stories that Ambrose relates and they were both entertaining and inspiring. Like Clancy, I enjoy reading Ambrose, but have difficulty completing him. Of the three books I own, I have finished just one, but have read at least half way through all of them. Listening to Citizen Soldiers was wonderful as George Wilson, the narrator, was able to make it clear which words were Ambrose and which were the stories he was telling. He even used slight German, British, and Russian accents when the story was not an American's. The book was inspiring and I provided me with an insight to the Western front that despite my years of interest in WWII history I had not had before.
Plot: The best way to describe this book is, as Ambrose puts it, "A biography of the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations (ETO)." This is because from the very beginning to the very end he tells the individual stories of the soldiers who fought the battles. He provides enough background to give you an understanding of events surrounding the story and even dedicates several chapters to aspects of ETO such as: medical personal and experiences, life in the foxholes, prisoners of war, and even the "jerks, sad-sacks, and Jim Crow" that existed in the army. In addition, he tells many of the German veterans' stories, providing a counterpoint to the U.S. troops experiences, often showing the differences and similarities between the sides. The stories told include: tales of heroism - men recounting unarmed medics rushing into harms way to get wounded men out of it, individuals who risked and sacrificed their lives for the good of others; moments of awe: men watching the combined might of air and artillery power raining down on enemy positions, celebrating Christmas and Easter with enemy troops and civilians; moments of desperation - fighting in conditions so terrible men hoped they be wounded so they could get some rest, the experience of being taken prisoner; elements of hope - receiving from others regardless of whether friend or foe, waking up in a hospital bed way from the front; occurrences of depravity: killings of POW by both sides, watching comrades die, the fate of those in concentration camps; humorous improbabilities - the first solo flight in a jeep, two German soldiers convincing one American soldier that since there were two of them and one of him that he should take them prisoner; and many, many more. Ambrose invites the reader to watch as the U.S. Army grew up and challenged a force more seasoned and experienced then itself and how it did so without leaving a legacy of hate, revenge, or fear. The final part of the book relates how many American and German veterans became friends in the years after the war. Ambrose ends by relating a comment made by a German soldier, Herpst (spelling?) by name, "I only want to add when I am with Americans we are friends. They tell me that I am lucky to be alive. I tell them that I'm lucky that they are such poor shots."
My personal Favorites: The stories are simply wonderful. Ambrose tends to keep himself out of it and just tells the stories of the everyday, citizen soldier. This is refreshing from usual historical commentaries where the author will postulate if decisions were right or wrong, describe what conditions were like, and generally speak about the generals. Ambrose does this through the everyday soldier. Many of the stories are humorous and the ones that aren't are insightful and meaningful in ways that no "commentary" ever could be. While he is unable to provide a comprehensive view of the army, like any biography provides insights that few who were not there could have experienced. In addition to my innate interest in the historical aspects of this book, my great uncle was a scout in Patton's Third Army and this book helped me understand some of what he experienced. It is well written and flows between chapters and sections well.
Considerations: Ambrose does not censor the stories of those that served. Like in Red Storm Rising there are several accounts that the speakers use blunt and offensive language. I did not notice it as much as I did in Red Storm Rising, and was actually surprised when it would crop up as there are long sections of the book where no offensive language is used. Also, as this is a book on war, some of the stories are rather disturbing, particularly when talking about wounded and dying soldiers, some of the atrocities committed by both sides, and also in relating the liberating some of the prison camps. As the book relates real soldiers' experiences, many of them recalling them from many years afterwards, there is little graphic description. Men who have experienced such things do not wish to recall them in great deal. While descriptive of the experience of these nightmares, there is little visual imagery beyond what is needed to narrate the scene. Even with these considerations, I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the citizen soldier of World War Two. The book was 21 and a half hours long.
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