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Title: Beyond Valor: World War II's Ranger and Airborne Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat by Patrick K. O'Donnell ISBN: 0-684-87384-2 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 15 February, 2001 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.42 (55 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A Must-Read Book
Comment: Beyond Valor is a watershed in the reporting of World War II oral histories -- i.e., the actual participants of history describe the events they participated in in their own words, free from editorial embellishment and hindsight analysis. Mr. O'Donnell diligently interviewed hundreds of American paratrooper and Ranger veterans from the European Theater of Operations in World War II. What he has assembled in Beyond Valor is a collection of personal vignettes from young Americans that describe what hell was like during the bloodiest war ever. These men take us through training, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, Normandy and Southern France, Holland and Belgium, Germany, and going back home. Unlike other war books that use only selected quotes from veterans, embellish their words and otherwise bog you down with information and details that reveal nothing new, Mr. O'Donnell lets each veteran tell his full story. In some cases, veterans for the first time ever release emotions and bitter memories that have been bottled up inside their hearts and minds for 60 years. Many of the stories are powerful and moving, even emotionally overwhelming -- like the Rangers that describe the helpless feeling of seeing their buddies get cut down by machine gun fire right next to them as they rush up to attack a German bunker. In the vein of Stephen Ambrose, Patrick O'Donnell has put together an easy-to-read book with helpful maps that goes deep into the heart of combat as seen from America's living heroes. This book -- a tribute to the greatest generation -- is a definite keeper.
Rating: 4
Summary: honest slice of combat experience
Comment: I have read O'Donnell's Into the Rising Sun which I thought was a superb book that gives you the honest slice of combat experience as told by the veterans. This book was written before that one so I expected the same and was not disappointed. Many of these stories get told 45-50 years after the fact, memories may fade but experiences and understanding of combat does not. Once more, this book collects a short set of stories as told by the veterans of their combat experiences. The stories were short but honest and with far more insight then most World War II movies put together. Some of them come with a late hour confessions of killing of enemy POWs or wounded enemy, some time in the heat of battle, some time out of need for survival. One man even kept photos of the three dead Germans from their paybooks. Maybe some of the more negative reviews didn't like that, after all it was more comfortable to know that ONLY Germans and Japanese troop were the ones that murdered POWs and shoot defenseless wounded soldiers. Shocking that we Americans did something like that in war. (It also allowed me to have a new perception whenever I read about enemy soldiers shooting American POWs or woundeds in battle...maybe they felt anger and hatred toward the Americans who were killing their buddies, comrades and mentors. Who say war was fair, eh?)
The book is written in a very readable form, its well organized and quality of the stories varies in details. But you will get a good slice of understanding of what it may be like, to be a soldier in war. Reading a book like this may also give an understanding that soldiers of other nations, even our enemies may have gone through the same experience.
Rating: 5
Summary: Beyond Valor Equals Great WWII Book!
Comment: I thought this book was a great book! It seriously brought out some great stories of the Rangers! There are so many details that are brought out in the book that are great. With maps showing how invasions were planned was great. It also had some great pictures that the war veterans had taken. I rate this book FIVE STARS! Awesome,it's a must read book if your a WWII fan or just want to learn some things.
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Title: Into the Rising Sun: In Their Own Words, World War II's Pacific Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat by Patrick K. O'Donnell ISBN: 0743214803 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 13 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs : The Unknown Story of the Men and Women of World War II's OSS by Patrick K. O'Donnell ISBN: 074323572X Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 10 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: Utmost Savagery: The 3 Days of Tarawa by Joseph H. Alexander ISBN: 0804115591 Publisher: Ivy Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Darby's Rangers : We Led the Way by WILLIAM O. DARBY ISBN: 0891414924 Publisher: Presidio Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Seven Roads to Hell : A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne by DONALD R. BURGETT ISBN: 0440236274 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 09 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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