Call of Duty: My Life Before, During and After the Band of Brothers | 
 enlarge | Authors: Lt. Lynn "buck" Compton, Marcus Brotherton
Creator: John Mccain
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2670
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6 x 1.4
ISBN: 0425219704
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.5421421092
EAN: 9780425219706
ASIN: 0425219704
Publication Date: May 6, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
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Product Description
FOREWARD BY SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN:
The Band of Brothers story rightly took America by storm. In telling of that remarkable generation of men who risked everything everything to defeat the evils of fascism, the tale of Easy Companys bravery and valor has inspired its own, new generation of Americans.
As rightly it should. America has relied throughout its history on the courage and honor of extraordinary citizens who, though they may come from the most ordinary of situations, stand up when duty calls them to act. The Band of Brothers, that company of citizen- soldiers who helped our country wage and win World War II, represented that timeless virtue, the unselfish determination to serve a cause greater than our self-interest. In choosing this course, no matter its cost, an entire generation of men and women helped save the world from the evils of Nazism. We today, and all who follow, are in their debt.
Men and women, no matter how meager their origins or difficult their circumstances, possess within them the potential to alter the course of history. Buck Compton knew this, and this understanding shaped his life and destiny. He knew that there is no greatness without courage, no faith in country without devotion to fellows, no commitment to duty without service to others. Through his life and his words, we can find much to admire in men like him.
Second Lieutenant Compton commanded the second platoon of Easy Company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the famed 101st Airborne Division about which so many tales are told. In an episode familiar to any viewer of the Band of Brothers series, in 1944 Buck Compton and others assaulted a German battery operating four 105 mm howitzers directed at Utah Beach, disabling the guns and routing the enemy. Buck was awarded the Silver Star for that action. Later, after being wounded in an operation aimed at seizing bridges in the Netherlands, Buck returned to his unit in time for the month-long siege that would in time become known as the Battle of the Bulge.
In the course of my military service, I have learned what its like to fight on foreign soil. When bullets begin flying and fighting grows thick, the ability of any individual to make correct decisions is sorely tested. Indecisiveness can be costly; poor judgment deadly. As this memoir so ably details, Buck Comptons performance in battle demonstrates that firmness and strategic thinking can save lives. In critical moments on the World War II battlefront, Buck Compton was there: fighting, persevering, and never relenting.
Yet Bucks story doesnt end there. He returned from war to a life of public service, measuring success not only by victories on the battlefield but also through his conduct during seasons of peace. Turning down an offer to play minor league baseball, he focused on a career in law, became a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department and, ultimately, an Associate Justice on the California Appeals Court. In reaching a level of success in civilian life commensurate with his victories in battle, Buck Compton showed us the many ways in which Americans fight for justice.
This memoir does his story the service it deserves. This book is the next best thing to having this courageous, thoughtful, and exceedingly modest hero relate in person the adventures and exploits of Easy Company, the prosecution of Sirhan Sirhan, and other tales from the life of an extraordinary American called to duty in an extraordinary time. In understanding the life of honor and service Buck Compton has bestowed upon his country, we glimpse anew the greatness that is America.
US Senator John McCain
Phoenix, Arizona
January, 2008
The true story of an American heroin his own words.
As part of the elite 101st Airborne paratroopers, Lt. Lynn Buck Compton fought in critical battles of World War II as a member of Easy Company, immortalized as the Band of Brothers.
Here, Buck Compton tells his own story for the first time. From his years as a two-sport UCLA star who played baseball with Jackie Robinson and football in the 1943 Rose Bowl, through his legendary post- World War II legal career as a prosecutor, in which he helped convict Sirhan Sirhan for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Buck Compton truly embodies the American Dream: college sports star, esteemed combat veteran, detective, attorney, judge.
This is the true story of a real-life hero who traveled to a faraway place and put his life on the line for the cause of freedomand an insightful memoir about courage, leadership, camaraderie, compassion, and the opportunities for success that can only happen in America.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent Book! May 21, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Undoubtedly this book was written with a male audience in mind, but I must say that as a woman, there are a lot of us who really enjoy the "Band of Brothers" series, military non-fiction in general, as well as any good biography.
My husband picked up a copy of "Call of Duty," but, because of his work schedule, I was able to get to it before him. I read the book straight through.
Personally, I loved this book. Buck Compton is an example of a great American who has done so many interesting things in his life. He's not perfect by any means, but he is humble enough to point out his faults and show us as readers where he's an example of growth, not a model of perfection.
The writing style was thorough and fast-paced. I appreciated the foreword from John McCain and the inspiring epilogue from Neal McDonough, the highly-capable actor who played Buck in the miniseries.
I'd recommend this book to anyone.
A book to add to every military collection. May 20, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Call of Duty" is the smartly-styled memoir of Lt. Buck Compton, a man who has done so much in his lifetime he puts us all to shame. From his days as a child actor with Mickey Rooney and director Charlie Chaplin to his days as a double-sport (football and baseball) collegiate star and teammate of the legendary Jackie Robinson, Compton has truly done it all.
Compton was an officer in E Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne, the unit made famous by Stephen Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and the subsequent HBO miniseries by the same name produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Compton parachuted in Normandy, fought at Brecourt Manor where he received the Silver Star for bravery in action, helped liberate Holland during operation Market Garden (where he was wounded), and fought in the freezing cold winter of the Battle of the Bulge before being evacuated for trench foot, (Note: read this section carefully--it clarifies a years-old controversy about Compton's mind snapping from battle fatigue).
After the war, Compton pursued a career as policeman and detective on the hardscrabble streets of LA. If that wasn't enough, he earned his law degree and became a prosecuting attorney for the District DA's office. In a history-making trial, he helped put away Sirhan Sirhan for the murder of presidential hopeful Bobby Kennedy. For the last 20 years of his career, Compton was an appellate judge in LA and helped shape the laws that govern our nation.
This is an excellent book, a tribute to a truly great American.
Those who criticize it for not having enough war content are missing two elements:
1) From the table of contents, I count 14 chapters of a 30-chapter book devoted to Compton's wartime experiences--that's almost half the book about war from a man who's done some very incredible things besides be in battle.
2) Compton is an iconic image of a true "civilian soldier"--someone who is not a professional fighter, but an everyday American who enjoys a life before and after his wartime experiences. Compton's memoir offers us a picture of what so many servicemen and women go through, except, the story of his life before the war and career afterward takes us to places most of us will never dream of going.
Buy a copy of this book for everyone you know who values freedom, loves America, and enjoys real history. Lt. Buck Compton is one of the greatest.
 Good book on history- not on war May 18, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have read every book out about the Band of Brothers. This one is my least favorite. Most of the book is about Compton's civlian life, the section when he talks about the war is quick and not very detailed. He brings up a few times that he cant remember exactly what happened and if we want more detail we can read Band of Brothers.
What I do like about it is that he brings up a lot of inaccuracies with the Band of Brother's show and his true life. When I first saw that he had a book out certain scenes of him the show popped in my head. It turns out that most of those scenes were not even true. I liked that. Even though he is bringing out inaccuracies in the Band of Brothers show I would rather know the truth. The parts when he talked about his childhood and events leading up to the war were good but the war years went by too quick.
The chapters written about his life after his war years were very boring.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading more about the Band of Brothers group. Just don't expect this to be like Dick Winters two books or even the book written by Guarniere and Heffron. I also purchased the book written about Malarkey but decided to read this one first because I wanted to save the better one for last.
An Exceptional American Patriot May 9, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Of all the members of Easy Company, 506th PIR of Band of Brothers fame, Buck Compton has had the most diverse experiences. One of the great features of Buck's autobiography is that you have the opportunity to get to know him and his extraordinary life, from working on the sets as a child extra in Hollywood in his native city of Los Angeles, to his years as a Los Angeles Detective, Deputy Prosecutor for the City of Los Angeles (managing the Senator Robert Kennedy murder), to Appellate Court Judge for the State of California. In between, Buck recalls his three years in the Army and his particpation in the three major campaigns of Western Europe, D-Day, Operation Market-Garden (Holland) and Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge)as second platoon leader in Easy Company. Buck wrote his book in an exciting style that keeps the reader focused and entertained. This is an excellent read and provides yet another perspective from a key member of the internationally famous Band of Brothers.A must-add to your collection!
 Not a book about Easy Company May 9, 2008
2 out of 14 found this review helpful
This is an auto-bio of Compton as a high school and college jock plus his time spent as a policeman and judge. Very little of the book is devoted to WW11 and the sections that are about Easy Company are vague in his memory. Seems that he did not care about his fellow officers. Save your money and buy someting else.
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