Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy

Book Description

Seven days in hell

In June 1944, the Allies launched a massive amphibious invasion against Nazi-held France. But under the cover of darkness, a new breed of fighting man leapt from airplanes through a bullet-stitched, tracer-lit sky to go behind German lines. These were the Screaming Eagles of the newly formed 101st Airborne Division. Their job was to strike terror into the Nazi defenders, delay reinforcements, and kill any enemy soldiers they met. In the next seven days, the men of the 101st fought some of the most ferocious close-quarter combat in all of World War II.

Now Donald R. Burgett looks back at the nonstop, nightmarish fighting across body-strewn fields, over enemy-held hedgerows, through blown-out towns and devastated forests. This harrowing you-are-there chronicle captures a baptism by fire of a young Private Burgett, his comrades, and a new air-mobile fighting force that would become a legend of war.

Customer Reviews:

Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy.......2007-09-05

Very well written book, hard to put down, when reading book you feel like you are actually with the soldiers fighting in France.

Great story.......2007-08-04

Good work. A truly remarkable story. Well written and told up to standard. Anyone who has pulled on "risers" will appreciate this book.

An amazing war story!!! Lancaster,Ky.......2007-07-30

This is one of the best war books I've ever read. It is a first hand account of a 101st Airborne soldier telling when he parachuted into Normandy on D-Day.The Author did a really good job putting everything into detail from training to combat and the horrors of war. He talks about people being blown to pieces and mg42 machine guns almost tearin soldiers in two. He talks about a bayonet charge they did on the Germans. This is an excellent book full of intense action. You can't do a whole bunch better than this. I can't wait to read his sequals,Road to Arnhem A Screaming Eagle In Holland,Seven Roads to Hell A Screaming Eagle In Bastogne,and Beyond The Rhine A Screaming Eagle In Germany. I'm Sure these are great books to. If you like world war 2 books buy this. You won't be sorry

The book I took to Normandy June 6th, 2004........2007-06-15

While most young men today are thinking about "getting a leg over" or what kind of car they should drive, Don Burgett went to war. This is his story.

He wanted to join the army at seventeen but his mother balked at the idea. So he filled out a voluntary induction notice and on his 18th Birthday he joined the army. He promptly volunteered for an exciting and new form of combat by joining the paratroopers.

This book chronicles the daily life of a man whose body and mind where forged to form one of the finest fighting men this country ever produced. He served as part of the legendary 506h PIR of the 101st Regiment.

This book is a priceless gem of American history and a priceless first person account of D-Day from the perspective of a common soldier. It is outstanding in every way. It's an easy read with a gripping story first published in the 1960s.

Among the more interesting aspects of this book are the harsh training in Georgia, the pre-assault preparations, and the assault. Burgett's descriptions are vivid and compete including mention of a Japanese officer's body (I'm still trying to figure this one out), bloody bayonet assaults, Germans entrenched in the hedge rows of Normandy, a charge by horseback and ghastly wounds.

This book is the real deal. If you only read one first person account of the war, then this is the book to read. I've read the series three times and it never gets old.

Mr. Burgett if we ever meet, dinner is on me. Including the Calvados, sir.

Outstanding!.......2007-04-21

Still stands the test of time as a true World War 2 classic! No glamour, just gritty and truthful experiences from an 18 year old who jumped into Hell and lived to tell about it.
This book has been understandably used as source material for other World War 2 books. A must have for any library!

Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne

Average customer rating:

Great book, buy the series of 4
Should get six stars
Winner take all
The Siege of Bastogne
'Going amongst them' with Able Company

Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne
Donald R. Burgett
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany
The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland (World War II Library)
Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer's Riveting True Story

ASIN: 0440236274
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Book Description

The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division (fictional Private Ryan's unit) were ready for some well earned rest and recuperation. Following their combat in the Normandy Invasion, the division had been mauled during Field Marshal Montgomery's ill-fated Operation Market Garden, the campaign for the bridge too far immoratalized by Cornelius Ryan.

Customer Reviews:

Great book, buy the series of 4.......2007-08-10

Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.

Should get six stars.......2007-06-15

It has taken me far too long to review this book. But what I should say is, this book was single handedly responsible for sponsoring my adoration of military history books and the history of the Second World War.

It is very well written, easy to read, accurate to the finest detail without ever losing the story. It stands alone as one of the finest examples of a first person account of the war by an American paratrooper of the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne. It would have been a classic by itself, but it the companion piece to a priceless series of four part series by Burgett.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of battles so clearly written I'm sure you could find the streets today. The story of destroying German tanks in the dead of a fog is gripping as anything that happened during the epic Battle of the Bulge.

The impact of this book was one that made me want to be a paratrooper, helped spawned a life-long (over twelve years at this point) love affair with history, one trip to Europe and lead to my BA in History. My copy has been dog eared, read three times and kept in a place of honor among my over 250 World War Two history books.

My only regret is I haven't met the author.

Winner take all.......2006-11-04

The real story of how a few ill equipped, but determined Allies held the line and were victorious over one of the greatest war machines ever assembled. This truly was the "Greatest Generation"!

The Siege of Bastogne.......2006-06-29

"Seven Roads to Hell" is paratrooper Donald Burgett's memoire of the defense of Bastogne by elements of the 101st Airborne and 9th Armor Divisions during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Burgett, a member of A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, has captured the foxhole-level details of the heroic defense of that key Belgian crossroads.

Burgett picks up the story as his unit goes into a rest area after the fierce fighting of Operation Market-Garden in Holland. His unit has been decimated by weeks of combat, and desperately needs rest and refit; instead, the tired and poorly equiped paratroopers are rushed to the front in the Ardennes to help stem a sudden German offensive. The paratroopers lack winter clothing, food, water, and ammunition, but with the elan of the airborne, undertake the defense of Bastogne against German tank and infantry units.

Burgett has provided some commentary on the larger picture, but sticks largely to telling the story as it was visible to him. Burgett is nothing if not honest in his telling and graphic in his details. He and his fellow paratroopers freeze, starve, fight, and strive to make sense of the chaos that is ground-level combat. Burgett's prose is straightforward and he has a terrific eye for details. There is no sense here of the false heroic; Burgett and his mates are fighting for each other.

This book, like Burgett's earlier book on D-Day, is highly recommended to the reader with an interest in the Second World War and especially in infantry combat. Those present and former members of the 506th Infantry may find it an especially inspiring piece of regimental history.

'Going amongst them' with Able Company.......2005-09-06

This is the finest account of paratroopers in the Bulge that I have ever read, barring none, including Ambrose. That is not to say that Burgett is a better writer - Burgett does a fine job for a former free-lance roofer - but Don's story in Seven Roads to Hell is so utterly captivating, so riveting that I found myself unable to stop reading and read the entire book in a single night.

Burgett will help you feel the overwhelming futility of brave men, who after the Battle of Noville, after their unspeakable losses, being told just two days later that they must go into action again. Burgett will stab you with the lonely bitternes of exhausted men, scrambling for a hot meal over a small cooking fire, being ordered out to clear the Bois Jaques Woods of a battalion of Germans and then returning the same day, with more losses of heroic men - the dead men's un-claimed mess kits by the cold fire.

Surely these are some of the most touching images ever laid to paper.

I should add, that if you have never read an account of the battle of Noville and Bois Jaques Woods, you must buy this book. Buy it for this reason alone, and love it for so many others.

The personal heroism of the American paratrooper looms into full focus in these pages, framing the phrase, "The greatest generation" like nothing else can.

The sacrifice of these great Americans is more carefully and painfully detailed here than in any other book I have read.
We all indebted to Don Burgett. And not just for his fine book.

Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany

Average customer rating:

Excellent first hand account
The fall of a dictator
The war is drawing to a close
Well Written
Beyond the Rhine

Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany
Donald R. Burgett
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland (World War II Library)
Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne
Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

ASIN: 0440236363
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Book Description

"I was nineteen years old and now had three major campaigns under my belt. I had been wounded three different times, and, in seniority, was one of the oldest of the old men..."

In 1945 the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne came staggering out of the frozen killing fields of Bastogne. Tired, ragged, and hungry, the Screaming Eagles had proven their valor from D-day through horrendous battles in France, Holland, and Belgium. Now it was time for a lethal strike against the Nazis, and an all-out assault on Germany itself.

This powerful memoir chronicles the death throes of World War II in Europe as witnessed by a young soldier grown old before his time. From daring night raids behind enemy lines to river crossings and assaults on die-hard pockets of resistance, Burgett recounts acts of courage, cowardice, and anger in the face of a splintered but still dangerous enemy. Most of all, Beyond the Rhine is an unforgettable portrait of war’s aftermath. For as the Screaming Eagles fought on through sniper-infested towns, through the Black Forest in Bavaria to Hitler’s famous mountaintop retreat, they would come face-to-face with the unspeakable horrors the Nazis left behind... Beyond the Rhine.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent first hand account.......2007-01-30

Excellent book in a series of four written by Burgett. Seldom does an author who was as young as Burgett was during the war, write so vividly and clearly. I have enjoyed all four of his books and recommend them all highly.

The fall of a dictator.......2006-11-05

If you read the previous books in this series; don't miss the final book. We all know how the war ended in Europe, but this is the real story told by a real soldier in the trenches. It gives meaning to the prase "Freedom is not free"!

The war is drawing to a close.......2005-12-20

This is the fourth book in a set of 4 books by the author, the books start with his training as a paratrooper in WWII, and follow his time in the war until he gets discharged after the war. The books in chronological order are 1)Currahee! 2) The Road to Arnhem 3) Seven Roads to Hell 4) Beyond the Rhime. By all means, read every one of them.

For those who call WWII, the last "good war", this is a wake up. This war was just as full of horror and nightmare as any conflict, and the men treated as poorly. We get a view of the daily misery of the troops between the episodes of their bravery driven by the urge to kill or be killed. The author was a member of the newly formed Screaming Eagles 101st Airborne Division, and they made history and a reputation in this war.

The newly formed division gets the supreme test as paratoopers. Paratroops or Airbonre units are dropped behind enemy lines to shock the enemy, draw the enemy to them, diverting resources from the main line of attack so infantry and mechanized untis can move in. This may include seizing a key road or river crossing until the main units arrive. It is incredibly tough for them as they are often outmanned, outsupplied, and outgunned, facing tanks and artillery with nothing more than their own rifles, bazookas, and mortars they can fly in with. While they are only supposed to hold out until the infantry arrives with larger numbers and tanks in a day or two, the reality is they were often left practically abandoned without support or re-supply for weeks at a time.

In the first 3 books, Burgett took us to his training as a 19 year old Paratrooper in 1944, and then on to England. He fought in the D-Day invasion in Normandy behind the lines for 7 days straight. Then on to Holland for the poorly led Operation Market Garden by Field Marshal Montgomery where 80% of the allied paratroopers from Poland, Britain, and the US were wasted away in a series of inept decisions, security breaches, and failures to provide support. The men were finally relieved 70 days later than promised. Then without rest or resupply the men were rushed to Bastogne, to do the impossible. Hold an area where seven roads intersected against armoured divisions, outnumbered 10 to 1. The 101, along with two armored tank battalions, a tank destroyer platoon, and a artillary battery - held off nine full full strngth armoured Panzer Divisions for eight days until relief arrived, then fought alongside their relief for another 22 days until the Germans were beat back to their own border.

Now in this fourth book, the job is not complete, and the trops are chasing the Germans into the heartland. Along the way they would uncover the horrors in deathcamps the Nazis left behind. This book series by Donald Burgett is the most graphic and honest description of being an active fighting soldier in WWII I have read and left a deep impression on me. Simple words and detailed memeories from a simple man. It is a great read, and I could not put it down.

Well Written.......2005-08-20

Another excellant account about the WWII experience from someone who was there. A real tribute to the people that fought the war with Don Burgett and the 101st Airbourne Division.

Beyond the Rhine.......2005-03-14

The 101st Airborne continues their very dangerous, physical, and mentally straining journey throughout WWII. This novel in the series starts you off right where you last herd about the 101st screaming eagles, in the middle of one of the biggest battles in WWII, The Battle for Bastonge. This outfit struggles to keep their moral and state of mind on a good track while physically battling the harsh winters of France and Germany, in subzero temperatures, just to defend this worthless frozen region.
Donald R. Burgett puts you right in the middle of WWII and shows the reader the aches and pain of war, but also the glory of victory. After he has survived three major campaigns in WWII he, "Had been wounded three different times, and, in seniority, was one of the oldest of the old men". Burgett makes the reader feel sympathy for the soldiers as they struggle to keep warm in frozen fox holes, get into fights over warm food, and decide on who gets to take the first helmet bath.
This novel is part of a series of stories that shows Burgett's experience in WWII. It is the 4th and last book in the series of four that caps off Mr. Burgett's WWII experience. These unbelievable experiences show the honor and dedication all of our WWII veterans had for there country. This is one of the best WWII novels I have ever read, so I highly recommend this novel for anyone with even a small interest in the military field.

The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland (World War II Library)

Average customer rating:

A Continuing Saga
An excellent first hand account of Operation Market Garden
Honor above victory
Heavy dose of Monty bashing
Trapped 72 days behind enemy lines

The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland (World War II Library)
Donald R. Burgett
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany
Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne
Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

ASIN: 0440236339
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Book Description

In a daring plan to end the war, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne jumped into the heart of Nazi-held Europe -- and began a journey into hell....

In September 1944 -- sixteen weeks after the D-Day invasion -- British Field Marshal Montgomery unleashed a daring attack aimed at the heart of Nazi Germany. For the men of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne, including nineteen-year-old Donald Burgett, the plan meant parachuting in broad daylight into Holland, securing the road to the Rhine River, and helping the British cross into Germany. It was a mission that sent thousands of young men to their deaths.

In this electrifying memoir, Donald Burgett takes us into seventy-two days of close-quarter combat in foxholes and towns against brutal Panzer counterattacks and into the face of the feared German 88mm artillery as the Screaming Eagles push straight into the might of the German Army. Capturing the horror and confusion of war, as ally and enemy move within yards of each other, Burgett tells the story of a legendary fighting unit's bloody victory -- in an epic battle for "a bridge too far."

Customer Reviews:

A Continuing Saga.......2007-09-17

I first read Donald Burgett's "Currahee" way back around 1975 or so. Many years later with the popularity of "D-Day","Citizen Soldiers" and "Band of Brothers" by Steven Ambrose I decided to re-read "Curahee". On doing so I found to my pleasant surprise that Don Burgett had continued his saga with "The Road to Arnhem - A Screaming Eagle in Holland".

When I re-read "Curahee" I found that it now seemed to me compelling but almost amateurish in its writing. Certainly as a 15 year old it had seemed more polished. But I was very pleasantly surprised by "The Road to Arnhem". While still compelling in its honest recitation of Donald Burgett's experiences as a member of the famed 101st Airborne infantry in World Wary Two, "Arnhem" is both more polished and more insightful into not only the events as they occured but also the author's feelings both at the time and in retrospect. For those of us who have never experienced combat Don Burgett does an excellent job of not only describing the physical nature but also of what was going through his mind as the events happened. The author also gives a wonderful tribute to the part played in the operation by both the British and Polish airborne troops - his sense of comraderie with these fellow troops is evident.

For anyone interested in a "ground eye view" of events of Operation Market Garden this book is a must.

An excellent first hand account of Operation Market Garden.......2007-05-16

I had a hard time understanding why Burgett's book about WW2 are
such good reads. The prose is relatively simple and direct, and
he most certainly does not rely on any literary devices. But perhaps it is exaclty
this, together with the fact that the man must have a most extraordinary
memory (or most vivid imagination - although I assume the former),
that makes these books so gripping. His books do transport
the reader back to the fields and foxholes of Europe in late 1944.
While no book can bring across the actual firsthand experience of war,
Burgett's books are probably as close as one can get.

Honor above victory.......2006-11-05

The real story of how the pompous banty rooster General Montgomery nearly lost the war on the Western front. It is a tale of arrogance and betrayal, wherein the betrayed fought nobly and many gave their last measure of devotion to a lost cause.

Heavy dose of Monty bashing.......2006-05-18

This is Burgett's personal account in Operation Market Garden. A good read if you enjoy first-person accounts sprinkled with liberal dose of humor.

Trapped 72 days behind enemy lines.......2005-12-20

This is the second book in a set of 4 books by the author, the books start with his training as a paratrooper in WWII, and follow his time in the war until he gets discharged after the war. The books in chronological order are 1)Currahee! 2) The Road to Arnhem 3) Seven Roads to Hell 4) Beyond the Rhime.

For those who call WWII, the last "good war", this is a wake up. This war was just as full of horror and nightmare as any conflict, and the men treated as poorty. We get a view of the daily misery of the troops between the episodes of their bravery driven by the urge to kill or be killed. The author was a member of the newly formed Screaming Eagles 101st Paratroop Airborne division, and the division made history and a reputation in this war.

Sixteen weeks after their heroics in the D-Day invasion, where they had been parachuted in the dark behind enemy lines, the 101 is being deployed again. Rested and resupplied they are anxious to get into the fray, if only to help speed the end of the war. This time they are turned over to British Field Marshal Montgomery to be used in his plan for Operation Market Garden. Paratroopers are best applied when dropped behind enemy lines to busy the enemey for 24 hours until the infantry can move up. Montgomery planned to drop English, American, and Polish paratroops as a new Airborne Army deep in enemy lines to secure the road to the Rhine River and it's vital bridges before the Germans blew them up while retreating. Because Montgomery did not fully understand the role of paratroopers, he had them risk a day time drop, as well as the gliders that were to bring their suppliles. The Germans had learned of their plans, due to Montgomery's tremendous blunder in failing to secure the battle plans, and simply attacked each glider from a hidden position with artillary and tanks as they landed. Our boys now had no food, transportation, or heavy weapons to rely on and were dropping right where the Germans knew they would. They just needed to hold out a day or two for the British infantry and supply convoy that was only 60 miles away. The support from mechanized units and infantry did not arrive on the next day, or even 8 days later, when the decimated British Paratroopers in one sector were finally given permission to withdraw. By then nearly the entire unit had been killed by overwhelming firepower from mechanized units. Outmannned and outgunned, the Red Devil unit fought on bravely. Betrayed by ineptness in command, help never came. The Polish paratroops suffered the same fate. The 101st could not come to their aid with the huge Rijnn River blocking their path, and their own survival at stake. In fact the 101st were stuck in the battle without aid or resupply from Montgomery for an unbelievable 72 days. They had been sent out much further than was an accessible goal for the infantry, tanks, and supplies to reach them. Even without supplies or support, the American paratroopers met their goals as ordered, but the failure of support and the misuse of their real skill as quick shock troops had been wasted along with the thousands of lives of nearly 80% of the men who had dropped in from the sky into the operation. Monty had blundered in a horrific manner, and worse yet would not admit a failure and kept the men there well past any reasonable judgement.

This book series by Donald Burgett is the most graphic and honest description of being an active fighting soldier in WWII I have read and left a deep impression on me. Simple words and detailed memeories from a simple man. It is a great read, and I could not put it down.

Sergeant Nibley, Ph.D.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle

Average customer rating:

A man of great faith and intelligence
Sergent Nibley
Interesting book
A Different View of the Famed 101st

Sergeant Nibley, Ph.D.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle
Hugh Nibley , and Alex Nibley
Manufacturer: Shadow Mountain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism

ASIN: 1573458457
Release Date: 2006-09-18

Product Description

Few people knew more about the history of human conflict than Professor Hugh Nibley. But on June 6, 1944, at Utah Beach, he learned more about war than he had gleaned from all the books he'd read combined. General Maxwell Taylor assigned Sergeant Nibley to educate the officers of the 101st Airborne about warfare. But it was the professor himself that received an education while fighting as a member of the most legendary unit of the United States Army. Most war memoirs come either from the bird's-eye view of the general or from the visceral but limited scope of the common soldier. Because of Nibley's unique situation, this book blends both perspectives. From the narrow view of a sergeant in a foxhole to the broader perspective of an intelligence specialist, his experience offers an intimate, realistic and articulate view of World War II.

Customer Reviews:

A man of great faith and intelligence.......2007-08-23

Hugh Nibley was gifted and had a great curiosity. His WWII experiences would enlighten him as to the 'conspiring men' who seek riches from the troubles of others. He describes the sillyness of the War that was fought in places where the Romans fought and Napoleon fought. He describes terrible waste and destruction that war brings. A great adventure in which he was preserved, while others around him were lost. He describes the choices made my those in command to further their own carreeers while engaged in war. And the efforts to keep the war going.

Sergent Nibley.......2007-05-29

This book was given to a friend as a gift. His wife is reading it to him since he is in poor health. They both are enthusiastic about its contents and style. Thank you.

Interesting book.......2007-03-22

This book contains the wartime memoirs of Hugh Nibley, former professor
of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, as he participated in
combat operations throughout Europe during WWII. Professor Nibley
passed away in February 2005. The book was compiled by his son Alex
Nibley from interviews and letters collected over the years. What
makes this book so interesting is that although Hugh Nibley already had
his Ph.D before the war started, and had been a member of ROTC, he
elected to enlist in the Army as a buck private, rather than become an
officer. The juxtaposition of his highly educated and intellectual
perspective against the drudgery and horror of a common foot soldier
makes for a fascinating read.

Brother Nibley wasn't in the Army very long before his education and
extensive language proficiencies were discovered. The Army promptly
pulled him out of his job as a weather forecaster and sent
him up to work in military intelligence. Once given access to
classified intelligence data, the full power of his intellect became
unleashed, to the potential benefit of the Allies. Unfortunately,
things didn't always work out that way. Although he accurately
predicted when and where many German surprise attacks would occur, and
even the date when the war would end, he couldn't get many of the top
military brass to believe him simply because he was just a lowly
enlisted man. The book documents Brother Nibley's frustrations as he
watched helplessly as numerous Allied troops were killed needlessly
from attacks that could have been avoided.

The book includes a number of spiritual elements as well. It documents
how LDS Church Apostle Melvin J. Ballard set Brother Nibley apart for a
proselyting mission to Germany in the late 1920s, and commanded him to
tell the people to repent or they would be destroyed by fire from
heaven. It was to Brother Nibley's great sorrow that he observed many
of the German cities to which he had earlier cried repentance destroyed
by Allied fire-bombing during WWII.

If you like books on WWII, and anything Nibley, I highly recommend
this one for your collection.

A Different View of the Famed 101st.......2006-09-25

This book is written from a very interesting perspective. Hugh Nibley was 32 years old and had a Ph.D. when he enlisted in the army. He went into intelligence, and presumed that he would get assigned some nice safe assignment writing reports or something like that.

But those of who have been in the Army know that the Army Gods don't work that way. He was assigned to work with the 101st Airborne, and was scheduled to go into Normandy on D-Day by glider. (Unlike the paratroopers, the glider infantry was not composed of volunteers and did not receive the extra pay.) At the last minute a General bumped him off the glider so that he went in with the 4th division over Utah Beach. (The General, sitting in Nibley's assigned seat was killed, and all the men in the glider were captured.)

Being both older and better educated Sgt. Nibley was able to see and understand a lot more about what was happening than reports from the commanders or the normal soldiers. For instance, the stories about the 101st are legend (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, etc.) but Sgt. Nibley points out that many of the volunteers were some fairly tough soldiers that had been given the choice of volunteering or going to prison.

There's a lot of comments of a similar nature throughout the book. Sgt. Nibley was a keen observer. This book belongs on any World War II library.

Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970

Average customer rating:

The real deal.!
Ripcord Review
Excellent researched book
RIPCORD
Mr. Reed, stand down

Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970
Keith W Nolan
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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House to House: Playing the Enemy's Game in Saigon, May 1968
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ASIN: 0891416420
Release Date: 2000-06-26

Book Description

On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles’ last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States.

At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra “We won every battle but lost the war,” the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

The real deal.!.......2007-06-27

If you have any knowledge of the Vietnam conflict or were in country at the time ,this is a perfect blow for blow record,no punches pulled ,and every bit of research backed up with detailed fact. It gives the overall viewpoint,officers ,nco s and the Grunts.A great read about real men and the horror of War.

Ripcord Review.......2007-02-09

Keith Nolan has done it again! A very accurate account of a battle in Vietnam. A grunts eye view!Only thing that would have made the book better. Would have been maps, something he fails to do in all his books.

Excellent researched book.......2007-01-17

This historical account represents a detailed account of the battle for RIPCORD. The dedication of the troops to a questionable operation at the time of the winddown of the Vietnam War is admirable to say the least.
This work exposes the quandary of senior officers who are shackled by the political forces from Washington. Nevetheless, it also reveals the shortcomings of certain officers who were more concerned with their careers than the troops. The most famous example is that of Colonel Lucas. The "ring knockers protective association" was successful in seeing that he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. This in spite of the fact that he made bad decions in exposing his troops to unnecessary RIF's with the consequest heavy caualties. As one of his troops said "it was the kind of situation where if he had lived, he probably would have been brought up on charges, but since he got killed, he ended up with the Medal of Honor." Nevertheless, this book entails the heroism of all who participated in this ill-conceived battle.

RIPCORD.......2006-10-29

Excellent history that is well written and, unlike many military histories, is extremely readable. It is accurate and tells a story that not many people know about. I signed into this unit (2/506 101st Airborne) just a few weeks after Ripcord happened. It filled in a lot of the stories that I had heard about this battle. Fantastic book!

Mr. Reed, stand down.......2006-10-21

I have little to add to the other generally thoughtful reviews of this book. Some have found its organization confusing; the whole campaign was complex, and I don't see how it could be related any clearer in a way that captures so much important detail. If you're confused, read it again. It's worth it. Remember, this action took place over months, and involved many company and platoon sized actions; comparisons to "We Were Soldiers..." or Hamburger Hill simply don't take this into account. Great job, Mr. Nolan.

Mr. Reed, your second review of this book indicated that you had at least skimmed the manuscript prior to writing, which was not evident from your first review; you to should give it another look. In particular, I challenge your criticism of Mr. Nolan's portrayal of the "higher echelon" as "incompetent and cowardly". To what and whom do you refer? General Hennessey? Although the judgement of the battalion, brigade, and even ADC are presented in way that offers several different interpretations, their personal valor is never questioned-indeed, the opposite is true.

Also, I challenge your assertion that Mr. Nolan engages in "media hype and antiwar sentiment". Do you deny that there were drug and discipline problems in the rear areas? Mr. Nolan goes out of his way to point out that this was mitigated on the line, so what is your point? Even in cases of gross cowardice, occasionally are portrayed, Mr. Nolan tries to present a balanced view-witness his treatment of Doc Kuntz.

The US military was generally very effective in Vietnam, particularly so given the absurd political environment within which it was forced to operate. But it was not above criticism, nor is it antiAmerican to suggest that mistakes were made, opportunities missed, and some really reprehensible events may have occurred. In the context of a ten year involvement, 58,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of wounded, and an ultimate NVA victory, I find your breast beating somewhat maladroit.

101ST AIRBORNE IN VIETNAM: The Screaming Eagles (Spearhead)

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101ST AIRBORNE IN VIETNAM: The Screaming Eagles (Spearhead)
Simon Dunstan
Manufacturer: Ian Allan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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NAM SENSE : Surviving Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division
US Army Infantryman in Vietnam 1965-73 (Warrior)

ASIN: 0711030634

Book Description

After the end of World War 2, the 101st remained in Germany on occupation duty before being shipped home, where the division was activated and deactivated three times as a training unit, before becoming heavily involved in action in Vietnam.

Taking part in most of the bloodiest campaigns of the conflict, the 101st Airborne was the longest serving unit of the war, serving almost seven years in combat.

101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles at Normandy

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Every military unit deserves a Bando!
My Uncle Manny Gesulga
Retired Detroit Cop Writes WWII Tour de Force
A Historical Document
Things I didn't know

101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles at Normandy
Mark A. Bando
Manufacturer: Zenith Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Vanguard of the Crusade: The 101st Airborne Division in World War II
Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich
D-Day with the Screaming Eagles
Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy
Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne

ASIN: 0760308551

Book Description

Mark Bando. This unprecedented look at the 101st Airborne contains photographs so rare you won't believe your eyes. Bando made an incredible find when he unearthed 50 color images of the Screaming Eagles taken at Normandy.

Customer Reviews:

Every military unit deserves a Bando!.......2006-12-03

Quite simply as my review title indicates, every Division or unit that served in the Normandy campaign, deserves an author of Mark's calibre. I am a working tour guide of the D-Day battlefields, and I wish that every unit was covered in the same incredible detail as Mark Bando covers the 101st Airborne in his books. If you want to really get "under the skin" of a WWII combat division and hear true and verified stories of young men in combat, then this book is a must have. The only danger is that after reading this author's books, works by other authors on other units will seem dull and lifeless in comparison.

If you have gained an interest in the 101st because of computer games or a TV series, then BUY THIS BOOK. There is nothing to compare for personal stories of the men who jumped into the area behind Utah beach on D-Day. Unlike other books, these are not re-hashed anecdotes relayed third-hand from other works, these are fresh, exciting, gripping and moving accounts from the author's 35 year hobby of interviewing and more importantly befriending the veteran Screaming Eagles.

My Uncle Manny Gesulga.......2005-02-21

When my uncle past away last year, my aunt showed me the 101st Airborne in Normandy, a book by Mark Bando. In the section on combat experiences, the first soldier profiled was my uncle Manny Gesulga. Manny was part of the 101st paratroop drop behind enemy lines at Normandy and his combat exploits read like something out of a GI Joe comic book. After living his harrowing experiences in Normandy, he went to fight in Operation Market Garden (wounded by sharpnel) and the Battle of the Bulge (wounded by sniper fire) and came out to live a full, productive life. He never mentioned his role in WWII but I am glad Mr. Bando gave credence to him and other heroes of the 101st. This book is a must read for all history buffs and really brings home the sense of duty and committment to freedom that is the legacy of the young men of America.

Retired Detroit Cop Writes WWII Tour de Force.......2004-12-02

Mark Bando, the author of this exposition of the bigger-than-life adventures of the fabled 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles" at Normandy, is an old acquaintance and comrade from the Detroit Police Department. We spent time together years ago as writers for our police patrolmen's union newspaper, the Tuebor. We have happily renewed our acquaintance of late, and while I remember Mark as an astute and accomplished writer, my less-than-passionate interest in military affairs had, until recently, kept me from reading this fine book. Now that I have finally done so, I deeply regret that I waited so long.

"101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles At Normandy" is a marvelous work on several fronts:

It is beautifully bound and presented; the layout and format are perfect for the subject matter; the photographs (many of them rare and quite beautiful) are heartwarming or bone chilling, as the case may be; the narrative is painstakingly researched from personal interviews of old soldiers and authentic military records; and, most importantly, the writing is masterful...accurate and careful as from a shrewd reporter's practiced and skeptical eye...loving and lyrical as from the pen of a writer of first rate fiction. I suspect Mark's experiences in "combat" on the dangerous streets of Detroit over the years have engendered in him a unique capacity to understand the special sensibilities of the combat veterans depicted in his book. Quite simply, "101st Airborne" is an astonishing accomplishment, worth reading more than once, and worth buying as gifts for the whole family, whether students of military history or not.

Mark has been very kind in his assessment of my own work elsewhere on this website. I am only sorry that I took so long to offer my heartiest endorsement of this first rate book. Get it. Read it. You'll be very happy you did.

A Historical Document.......2003-01-18

Using the mixture of photography, facts and quotes, 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles At Normandy, can serve as a great historical document. Within the pages of this great book, eye-catching photographs bring to light those events from World War II and the Normandy Invasion. The actions and reactions of the soldiers that fought in that war are caught forever through the historical eye of a camera, through famous and infamous quotes and accounts of the heroes from World War II.

The pages show the heightened moral and anticipation of the men prior to the invasion. Then the reader is brought into the middle of the battle with stories and quotes not just eye-opening photographs. This technique brings you side by side with the people of the villages and into the ranks of the soldiers marching off to fight another battle. I believe one of the best chapters is the true story of the movie ýSaving Private Ryaný. This chapter, Saving Sergeant Niland, shows the true-life drama of a man that Hollywood has made famous.

The book brings to light some of the things that are never seen in movies and footage of events of the war. I am sure that this book, as well as its predecessor The 101st Airborne at Normandy, will bring back memories of the way it was behind the lines during that part of the war to those who served. Even though there is a predecessor to this book both stand independent of each other.

Things I didn't know.......2002-01-07

Outragous book, my father was in this book and I had to call him to recount the details to me first hand. Because of this book, I now know more of the war my father fought in.

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Deatiled overview of the 101st DDay experience
D-Day with the screaming eagles

D-Day with the Screaming Eagles
George Koskimaki
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Hell's Highway: A Chronicle of the 101st Airborne in the Holland Campaign, September-November 1944
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne: The 101st Airborne and the Battle of the Bulge, December 19,1944-January 17,1945
101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles at Normandy
HELL'S HIGHWAY: Chronicle of the 101st Airborne Division in the Holland Campaign, September - November 1944
Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne

ASIN: 089141892X
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

“A TRULY AMAZING COMPENDIUM.”
–Gerald J. Higgins, major general, U.S. Army (ret.), from the Foreword

In the predawn darkness of D-Day, an elite fighting force struck the first blows against Hitler’s Fortress Europe. Braving a hail of enemy gunfire and mortars, bold invaders from the sky descended into the hedgerow country and swarmed the meadows of Normandy. Some would live, some would die, but all would fight with the guts and determination that made them the most famous U.S. Army division in World War II: the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles.”

George Koskimaki was part of the 101st Airborne’s daring parachute landing into occupied France that day. Now, drawing on more than five hundred firsthand accounts–including the never-before-published experiences of the trailblazing pathfinders and glider men–Koskimaki re-creates those critical hours in all their ferocity and terror. Told by those who ultimately prevailed–ordinary Americans who faced an extraordinary challenge–D-Day with the Screaming Eagles is the real history of that climactic struggle beyond the beachhead.

Customer Reviews:

Deatiled overview of the 101st DDay experience.......2004-06-29

This book gives detailed information on each regiment and battalion of the 101st and its operations on d day. The storyteling is strictly informational, but keeps you excited. Some info and maps are very helpful, this book finally helped me to recreate the famous "jeep ride of Col. Sink", as it gives detailed maps of most important events of the 101st.
If your interested in the 101st or D day or in WWII in general, buy it, it is packed with information.

D-Day with the screaming eagles.......2000-06-17

It was a vary good book telling about D-Day with the screaming eagles.

Screaming Hawk Returns: Flying Eagle Teaches the Mystic Paths

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Excellent sequel to Patton Boyle's Screaming Hawk

Screaming Hawk Returns: Flying Eagle Teaches the Mystic Paths
Patton L. Boyle
Manufacturer: Station Hill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Screaming Hawk: Flying Eagle's Training of a Mystic Warrior

ASIN: 0882681923

Customer Reviews:

Excellent sequel to Patton Boyle's Screaming Hawk.......2000-07-14

What a great continuance of the journey of this priest, learning of native american spirituality. This text takes us down the intriguing paths of divine circumstance. The medicine man, Flying Eagle sends this priest, Screaming Hawk to places he once had not chosen to go and learn deeply about his own spirituality. Becoming a warrior is much different than he had imagined. There are so many parallels to Christianity. This book is a must for those who search outside themselves for meaning. Meaning is nearer than you may think.

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