Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends | 
 enlarge | Authors: William "wild Bill" Guarnere, Edward "babe" Heffron, Robyn Post
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 10887
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Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.3
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.5412730922
ASIN: B0015VT27K
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
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Product Description
Tom Hanks introduces the rousing story of two inseparable friends and soldiers portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
William "Wild Bill" Guarnere and Edward "Babe" Heffron were among the first paratroopers of the U.S. Army-members of an elite unit of the 101st Airborne Division called Easy Company. Arguably the bravest, most efficient, physically fit, and tight-knit group of soldiers the Army has ever produced, the unit was called upon for every high-risk operation of the war, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden in Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden.
Both fought side-by-side-until Guarnere lost his leg in the Battle of the Bulge nd was sent home. Heffron went on to liberate concentration camps and rake Hitler's Eagle's Nest hideout. United by their experience, the two reconnected at the war's end and have been the best of friends ever since. Their story is a tribute to the lasting bond forged between comrades in arms-and to all those who fought for freedom.
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Brothers in Battle - Best of Friends August 29, 2008
Very frank, honest and interesting, as you would expect from Bill Gaurnere. The book is well written and hard to put down. The contrast in styles between Bill & Babe give an exellent perspective on thier stories and the little bit of banter between them is priceless. The post war approach to life adopted buy these guys is inspiring and positive. Thanks guys, great read.
Another piece of "Band of Brothers" puzzle July 27, 2008
The biography of Babe and Wild Bill fills in the picture of the heroes shown in the "Band of Brothers".
Having read Malarkey's, Compton's, and Winter's, I find it fascinating how each remembers the popular events differently.
Their life stories just add to the whole picture. They help to fill in the picture from the enlisted man's view.
The more you read about these ordinary men doing extraordinary tasks, you can not help come away with a sense of gratitude for their sacrifice.
 Brothers in battle July 2, 2008
Easy Company from Band of Brothers revisited. Two of the men who became lifelong friends relate their stories. Easy to read and gives you a sense of war from men who were there. They were indeed a Band of Brothers.
We're not heros June 25, 2008
Like many veterans of WW2 these two men say they are not heros, that title they insist , belongs to the boys who didn't come home.
Then what are they? They are two enlisted men who fought in some of the most savage fighting in western Europe during World War Two. The charm of this book is that these men are not officers. They were enlisted men. They were not involved in any big meetings or planning sessions. They took their orders and did their job and their shared memoire is that of the foot soldier on the battlefield. From training, through D-Day to VE and beyond.
Strangley some of the parts I found most moving were their lives after the war. When 'Wild Bill' became one of the driving forces behind the reunions that held the Band of Brothers together. Particularly touching the attmepts to welcome back Herbert Sobel. Hated during the war, he was still a mamber of the company. through the wonderful writing you feel you are there as Bill and Babe and the others are confronted by Sobel's sister, after his death. She was insensed over how her brother was depicted by Ambrose. It fell to "Wild Bill" once the chief hell raiser, to explain some hard facts to her, long after he clearly had forgiven Sobel.
These are not plaster saints but tell their stories, warts and all, gamlbing, drinking and girls rank along side battles and jumping and all the rest. Playing jokes on each other, dodging uptight officers and mourning those whom they would call heros.
So why is this getting so much attention? Well it's very well written. Also, well known from the Ambros book "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series these two men, and the other members of Easy Company, 506 PIR have come to represent all those GI's who went to war. We can hear about 10,000 men going into Arnhem or 90,000 going to Stalingrad, but the numbers are too big. We can't wrap our minds around them. But with Easy Company we can. We can see a few men and names and follow their fates through the war and so, by expansion all the others who served in the war. We can't think of 10,000 men. But we can think of Bill and Babe and their buddies and then a few more companies like them and that we can get.
They were members of an elite unit, but other than that they were pretty common. They are two examples of the millions of americans who put aside their lives and comfort and safety and went out to do nothing less than save the world. You know, that seems pretty darn heroic to me.
Wonderful story June 20, 2008
After watching Band of Brothers, I couldn't wait to read this book by "Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. It really gives you an insight into what went through their minds during the hell of WWII, but the most poignant thing is the enduring love and friendship all of these guys still have for each other. It's a lesson we all should learn.
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