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Stephen E. Ambrose combines history and journalism to describe how American GIs battled their way to the Rhineland. He focuses on the combat experiences of ordinary soldiers, as opposed to the generals who led them, and offers a series of compelling vignettes that read like an enterprising reporter's dispatches from the front lines. The book presents just enough contextual material to help readers understand the big picture, and includes memorable accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and other events as seen through the weary eyes of the men who fought in the foxholes. Highly recommended for fans of Ambrose, as well as all readers interested in understanding the life of a 1940s army grunt. A sort of sequel to Ambrose's bestselling 1994 book D-Day, Citizen Soldiers is more than capable of standing on its own.
Book Description
In this riveting account, historian Stephen Ambrose continues where he left off in his #1 bestseller D-Day. Ambrose again follows the individual characters of this noble, brutal, and tragic war, from the high command down to the ordinary soldier, drawing on hundreds of interviews to re-create the war experience with startling clarity and immediacy. From the hedgerows of Normandy to the overrunning of Germany, Ambrose tells the real story of World War II from the perspective of the men and women who fought it.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Oral History of the GI in Europe.......2007-10-16
Ambrose's book takes up where his prequel left off - the battle of Normandy. He continues their saga as they battle their way into the heartland of Germany. Especially riveting are the conditions under which the GIs fought during the battle of the Bulge. Also, what makes this a riveting read is that he uses oral histories of the GIs, both American and German. Secondly, Ambrose does not belittle the German effort as he did in his June 6, 1944 book. In Citizen Soldiers, he gives the Germans their rightly due as fighting soldiers and indicates they had it just as rough in the field as the Americans.
It was also interesting to read how the Germans believed they should have been fighting with the Americans instead of against them - and that they should have focused together on the Russians. Ambrose made clear, which I had never really thought about, was that the Germans should have been placing all their men on the Eastern front and should have reduced their efforts in the West.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book as much as his other books. I believe you can read this one and his June 6 book in any order. A must for any library.
My Dad's War.......2007-08-21
This was my dad's war. He was drafted. I was too young for Vietnam. The stopped drafting the year before I was eligible.
My dad doesn't talk about it much. I have a 7 year old, my dad was 80 when he was born. When a war movie comes on, I tell my son, "your granddad was a brave soldier". Once when we were at his house, my son said to my dad, "granddad, you were a brave soldier". My dad turned to me and said, "I was scared to death the whole time I was over there". I replied, "yeah, dad, but you did it. You were in those battles and fought as scared as you may have been".
This is their story. They weren't the enlisted men like today. These kids were drafted. I can't imagine to be so young and to see so much death.
This is a very good book that tells the story of the scared, but brave men who put their lives on the line because they had to. They did it and they won.
God bless all our soldiers!
I had no idea..........2007-06-13
...that the winter of 1944-1945 was so horrific for the average G.I. on the front. A truly excellent read. The fact that Ambrose really admired and respected the "Greatest Generation" is clear from this book - and highlights why we must respect and admire them as well.
I especially appreciated his defense of the 1950's "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" towards the end of the book. The so-called conformity of the 1950's wasn't a weakness or fault. It was a societal strength. I have always suspected this, but didn't know why. Ambrose explains it.
God Bless the World War II vets - among whom was my own father.
An entertaining and highly informative read.......2007-05-13
This illuminating book covers the WWII European Theatre from the top down, from FDR, Churchill, Stalin & Hitler to Ike, Monty, Patton & the German High Command to the grunts in the foxholes on both sides of the line. Very interesting & well written with both facts and anecdodtal stories.
Ambrose: Right on The Money Again.......2007-04-07
Once again, Ambrose captures our attention on the subject of World War II. For this particular book, Ambrose doesn't focus on one unit, like Band Of Brothers, instead he focuses on all members of the United States Armed Forces that participated in the European Theater of Operations. Aptly titled, Citizen Soldiers. This book gives a very full insight to the behavior and feelings of the various people in various units as the the Allied forces pushed their way from Normandy to Germany. Vivid details of random battles, and a lot of information about the regular every day soldier who carries out orders, not the generals that give them. Nice change of pace. I recommend this book to anybody seeking more information on World War II, or any military history buff. Because of language, I would only recommend this to a mature 13-16 year old.
Book Description
To some, Robert E. Lee is a beloved general, held in the highest regard. To others, he is one of history's most paradoxical heroes. He fought passionately to defend his homeland and was one of the nation's greatest soldiers, yet his name is often inextricably linked with slavery and secession.
In 1861 Lee was Lincoln's first choice to lead the Union troops in the Civil War. But a strong loyalty to Virginia held Lee back. Instead he chose to become the commanding officer of the Confederacy. Lee had great success in battle by spitting his forces and unleashing suprise attacks. His victory at Chancellorville, where his troops soundly defeated an enemy twice their size, remains the most astonishing.
However, only when he surrendered in 1865 did the nation understand the kind of man Robert E. Lee truly was. He was kind and loving, giving all of himself to a reconciliation between the North and the South. In this meticulously researched biography, James I. Robertson explores the life of one of the most revered -- and misunderstood -- Civil War Generals.
Customer Reviews:
I have read this book..........2007-01-22
and heard the author speak today at the 200th anniversary of Robert E Lee's birthday. What hero worship? What aggrandizing? Robert E Lee, himself, would have blushed! James I. Robertson is more of a minister than a historian... his religion is Lee, his analysis is flawed. Lee was not raised by Washington, George was dead in his grave 8 years before Robert E. Lee was even born. Lee was a reaction. A reaction to his father, Harry 'Light-Horse' Lee; a fabuluous military man in his own right, with a penchant to trust too much; especially, George Washington, who advised him on property speculations, which ultimately left Harry Lee broke. Harry, like Washington was a Federalist, a believer of a strong central government. Robert was taught to despise his father, by anti-federalists, who couldn't stand the idea of "America," were threatened by it, and were ultimately destroyed... a confederacy of weakness against a Nation of strength. ( See: Light-Horse Harry Lee and the Legacy of the American Revolution (Paperback) by Charles Royster if you want to read the facts)
A solid intermediate biography of Robert E. Lee for younger readers.......2006-05-16
There are a couple of interesting things about the cover of this juvenile biography of Robert E. Lee. First, the complete title of the book is "Robert E. Lee: Virginian Solider, American Citizen," and the sub-title James I. Robertson, Jr. picked set up an ironic juxtaposition. Because Lee considered Virginia to be his country, rather than the United States of America, he turned down President Abraham Lincoln's offer to become the commander of the Union armies, choosing instead to side with Virginia and the Confederate cause. Consequently, Lee's fame as a solider was in part because he decided he was more of a Virginian than he was an American. There is the additional irony that at the end of his life, after the Civil War, when he was no longer a soldier, he was not exactly considered an "American citizen" by the North. The painting of Lee that appears on the cover shows him in the dress uniform of a lieutenant of the engineers in the U.S. Army, when he was in his mid-twenties, several decades before he made his fateful decision. So the cover does take a step or two back from the picture we have of Robert E. Lee as the commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The paradox of Lee is that we consider him to be our greatest military commander even though he was on the losing side of the Civil War. The only other general from the "other" side that I can think of who has anything close to that level of respect would have to be Germany's Erwin Rommell from World War II, whose Afrika Corps had a reputation comparable to that of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. We tend to think of such men as existing independent of the ideologies of the nation's for whom they were fighting. Robertson deals up front with that idea, noting that on the one hand Lee is a beloved general, held in the highest regard to such an extent that he has practically become an American saint, while on the other his name is inextricably linked with the issues of secession and slavery associated with the Southern Confederacy. Robertson's introduction begins by touching on Lee's greatest military triumph at the Battle of Chancellorsville, where he defeated a Union army twice his size by dividing his smaller force in two, but most of the focus is on the Lee legend that exists today.
Eight of the ten chapters in this book focus on Lee during the Civil War: (1) The Making of a Soldier covers how the son of "Light Horse Harry" Lee graduated second in his West Point class of 1829, married Mary Anne Randolph Custis, and served with distinction during the Mexican War in what proves to be the chapter's longest section. (2) Nation Versus Country begins with Lee being appointed superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy and his confirmation in the Episcopal faith, and ends with his wife inheriting the Custis estates in Arlington, his role in the capture of John Brown at Harper's Ferry, and his resignation from the U.S. Army on the eve of the Civil War. (3) Rocky Path to Army Command is one of the most interesting chapters because it reminds us that Lee did not start off the war as a commander, but rather as President Jefferson Davis' confidential military adviser. It was not until June 1862 that Lee was place in command of troops, with low expectations exemplified by his nicknames as "Evacuation Lee" and "Granny Lee."
The Lee that history remembers emerges in the next chapters. (4) Brilliance in the Field shows how Lee bested General George B. McClellan, the overly cautious commander of the Union's Army of the Potomac in the Seven Days' Campaign, and his replacement John Pope at the Second Battle of Manassas (a.k.a. Bull Run, but I go with the belief the winning side gets to name the battle). Robertson underscores the importance of General "Stonewall" Jackson to Lee's successes. (5) The Bloodiest Day is about Lee's first invasion of the North and the Battle of Antietem (a.k.a. Sharpsburg), and the slaughter of Union troops at the Battle of Fredericksburg. (6) Loss of an Arm contrasts Lee's greatest military achievement at the Battle of Chancellorsville with the devastating loss of Jackson. (7) Gettysburg explains Lee's desperate gamble in invading the North a second time, focusing on how he came to order Pickett's Charge, his biggest military mistake.
The next two chapters play out the end of the war, as Lee once again becomes the "King of Spades." (8) Forced on the Defensive looks at how General Ulysses S. Grant forced Lee's army to move backwards to protect Richmond. (9) From Siege to Defeat begins with Lee's entrenchments along the Richmond-Petersburg line and ends with the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House when Lee's starving troops were surrounded by several Union armies. (10) National Symbol is the final chapter, which details what Lee did after the Civil War in becoming the president of what was then Washington College and what is now Washington and Lee University, and covers how his death in 1870 brought on national mourning.
This is a solid intermediate biography of Lee for younger readers, which goes to pains to explain the major battles he fought during the Civil War. The book is illustrated with dozens of black and white etchings and photographs from throughout Lee's life. Robertson also wrote a similar biography, "Standing Like a Stone Wall: The Life of General Thomas J. Jackson," which would certainly provide a nice complement to this volume (Robertson also has written an adult biography of Jackson, "Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Solider, the Legend").
A Solid Biography Written for Younger Readers (12 and up).......2006-03-17
Part of the books for young readers put out by this publisher, this is a fairly short and not filled with complexity. Having said that, this is also a very well researched, very well written biography of General Lee. It is profusely illustrated, particularly the Civil War years which generated a lot of photographs.
All in all, this is an excellent short biography. I recommend it for not only young readers (Grades 6 up) but for anyone wanting a fairly quick biography that captures the essese of the mas as well as books several times this one's size.
Book Description
Ten days before the largest operation of World War II was launched, it was still one of the century's best-kept secrets-thanks to countless ordinary people participating in one of history's most remarkable moments. David Stafford has written a riveting account of ten of those ordinary men and women-including an American paratrooper, a German soldier, a nineteen-year-old English woman working on secret codes, a Parisian Jew in hiding, and a daring French resistance cell-as they lived through ten very extraordinary days. Drawing on previously unpublished diaries and letters, Stafford gives readers a fresh point of entry into one of the most significant battles ever fought. Ten Days to D-Day buzzes with the pace of a novel, as Stafford moves from country to country, from character to character, including some of D-Day's leaders: Hitler, Rommel, Eisenhower, and Churchill. Stafford compellingly brings to life the final days before the invasion through the eyes of its participants, the citizens and soldiers that made history on June 6, 1944.
Customer Reviews:
Unique.......2006-10-12
this is one fascinating book which I recommend to anyone interested in WWII. Its uniqueness resides in the way the author approaches D-Day, allowing the reader to get to know how those pre D Day days were lived by civilians, soldiers, secret agents and leaders of the great assault. Now I know what Churchill did , what was on Eisenhower's mind when he decided what he decided, what de Gaulle thought and how he acted, how the germans were fooled time and time again by allied intelligence, how important secret agents work was for the success of the invasion and it also accounts for the work of many unknown heroes. A great book, a great approach of D Day.
Windsor Jr. High-Kyle W........2006-02-10
No doubt one of my favorite books of all time.
I got this book as a birthday present a year or two again, and kept on putting it off. I don't know why, I'm interested in the war, I just didn't start it for a while. But when I got into it I knew that I'd love it. It was researched down to... well, let's just say that if it's a minute detail that happened back then, it's in the book. And you can prove it by looking at the bibliography! But the book is so emotional and intense that once you get into it there's no putting it down. I loved this book and would recommend to anyone.
Interesting take on D-Day.......2004-11-15
David Stafford is an unusual historian. He writes analytical books that study the Second World War, mostly from the perspective of the intelligence war and the partisans. He writes clearly and intelligently, and spends most of his time analyzing the various parts of the war, and their meaning. This book, by contrast, is something that is for Stafford completely different: instead of the intelligence war, and instead of analysis, Stafford instead focuses on showing us the world or a large part of it during the ten days leading up to the D-Day invasion.
The book focuses on various people in various walks of life who did various things during the war. The book is divided into chapters, one for each of the 10 days, the last being D-Day itself. Each of those chapters is divided into sections, each of which highlights the daily life and experiences of someone involved, directly or indirectly, in the war. They range from a Canadian infantry lieutenant and an American paratrooper to a British female code clerk, an SOE operative in France, all the way around to a Jew hiding in someone's house in France and a Norwegian resister in prison for assisting in the publication of an underground newspaper. Each of these individuals is followed through their daily lives, the soldiers preparing for the invasion, the rest wondering when it would happen.
One really unusual and interesting wrinkle that Stafford manages to incorporate is that the characters he chose to follow weren't all survivors of the events covered in the book. This involves a little harmless invention of presumed emotions and thoughts, but frankly that's overshadowed by the uniqueness of what he writes. For instance, one of the pictures in the picture section shows Sherman tanks lined up in an English village, with housewives hanging washing out to dry right next to them.
It's rather surprising that at this late date someone could write something unique on D-Day and the campaign in France. The fact remains, however, that this is a very unique book, and a very interesting one.
Fascinating "behind the scenes" history.......2004-07-30
Most books published about D-Day give scant mention to the background of the invasion, and concentrate on the invasion itself, and its aftermath. This extremely well-written book covers the 10 days that preceeded the invasion, through the lives not only of the important political and military folks involved, but also the common people. We share the lives of paratroopers, ground troops, signal interceptors, spies, prisoners, and others, and learn about their contributions, however small, to the ultimate success of the invasion. It is writing of personal history at its best, and we do get to be informed as to what happened to these people we grew to care about after the invasion. Several of them are still alive, and they, and the multitude of others who have gone to their rest deserve our eternal gratitude for what they all did for us that glorious 6th of June, 1944.
Superb contribution to understanding D-Day and people at war.......2004-07-06
There are so many aspects of this book that are praise worthy it's difficult to know where to start.
The dramatic build up to the D-Day invasion.
The superb pacing.
The fully drawn historical figures.
The variety of people and places depicted.
The important contribution to our understanding of D-Day.
David Stafford's "Ten Days to D-Day" is one of the best and most important works on World War II I've read in recent years. It is a testament to Stafford's amazing talents as a researcher and a writer. The author acquaints us with such disparate figures as Adolph Hitler, a young English woman supporting the war effort as a WREN, an American paratrooper, Charles DeGaulle, a Gestapo prisoner in Norway, a member of the French resistance to name a few.
We follow these people and numerous others in the ten days before the greatest sea-to-land invasion ever contemplated. We share their anxieties, fears, hopes and plans. We get to know not only where they were in those ten days but how they got there. Stafford never lingers with any person to long, deftly going from one person to the next while ultimately still managing to give full justice to each story. Because of the breadth of characters, Stafford hardly ever needs to step away to offer perspective, it's there. He also eschews "cheating," almost never framing his stories with latter-day knowledge.
This would be a useful to students of World War II especially those with a particular interest in D--Day. At the same time it would serve as a great introduction to the war and this aspect of it to a newcomer. Yet at the same time it would be an entertaining for someone just looking for a good read. Remarkable.
Book Description
A vivid dispatch from the front lines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
When American-born Haim Watzman immigrated to Israel, he was drafted into the army and, after eighteen months of compulsory service, assigned to Company C, the reserve infantry unit that would define the next twenty years of his life. From 1984 until 2002, for at least a month a year, Watzman, who had never aspired to military adventure, was a soldier.
Watzman was a soldier as he adjusted to a new country, married, raised his children, and pursued a career as a writer and translator. At times he defended his adopted country's borders; at other times he patrolled beyond them, or in that gray area, the occupied territories. A religiously observant Jew who opposed Israel's presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, he served in uniform in conflicts that he demonstrated against in civilian clothes. Throughout, he developed a deep and abiding bond with the diverse men of Company C--a fellowship that cemented his commitment to reserve service even as he questioned the occupation he was enforcing.
In this engrossing account of the first Intifada, the period of the Oslo Accords, and Israel's reoccupation of the West Bank as lived by citizen-soldiers in the field, Watzman examines our obligations to country, friends, family, and God-and our duty to protect our institutions even as we fight to reform them.
Customer Reviews:
It's a fine addition for any collection serious about not just world military experience, but Israeli society as a whole........2007-07-27
COMPANY C: AN AMERICA'S LIFE AS A CITIZEN-SOLDIER IN ISRAEL tells of an American-born immigrant to Israel who was drafted into the army and assigned to the reserve infantry which would be his world for his next twenty years, from 1984 until 2002. His soldier experience in Israel provides readers with unique insights into not only Israel's army's structure and experience, but into Israeli issues and culture. It's a fine addition for any collection serious about not just world military experience, but Israeli society as a whole.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
The story of an admirable courageous citizen- soldier through years of reserve Army duty in Israel .......2007-07-21
One reason this book so deeply impressed me is that I know something about the realities which Watzman writes about. I also served for years, though not as many as he, in the reserves of the Israeli Army. However my service was not a level comparable to Watzman's, and it was especially interesting for me to learn and read about what service at the 'next level' might be.
I also was impressed by 'factual accuracy' of the work. Watzman describes himself as a runner, and as a soldier as someone who is 'consistent'. It seems to me that he is also like this as a writer , consistent and reliable.
In the course of describing his fifteen years of reserve duty Watzman gives the picture of a typical Israeli Army reserve unit. Israel is a country in which there are immigrants from over eighty different countries, and in which there is an enormous diversity in backgrounds, and outlooks.His depiction of his own relation to the other long- time regulars of the unit, who become his friends is one of the best parts of the book. Watzman's loyalty to them and to the company he serves, and to Israel itself are another distinguishing feature of the work, another point, which to my mind makes the work so admirable.
One of the major themes of the work is Watzman's moral dilemnas as he is called upon to serve in areas he does not believe Israel should hold on to. He guards in Tel Romeida in Hebron , and serves in Jenin , and in the Arab village of Beni Haim. He tests his own belief and practice, against the practical realities and has the guts to know when he is wrong. For instance he initially believes the best way to treat the Arab villagers is to leave them completely to themselves, not interfere with them. But then he discovers that they take this as weakness, and violence is the result. He comes to understand a policy of firmly making it clear who is in charge leads to a better situation all around, with fewer injuries to the villagers. Nonetheless he remains a decent moral human being throughout . And he indicates not by declaration but through tens of examples that the Israeli Army is by and large made up of decent people whose aim is to defend their own homes and people, and not do wanton injury to their enemies.
Watzman shows how the reserve soldiers he is serving with are truly volunteers. They could get out of their duty if they wished. He is a particularly persistent faithful soldier, returning to his unit even when offered ways out. He gives us many interesting dialogues between the soldiers, including political ones. What I found especially impressive in him was his resistance to cliches and slogans and his ability to look at the complexity of the factual reality, the true situation on the ground, even when it did not fit his own ideal conception.
This is at times a distressing and difficult book but it is ultimately an inspiring one.
Good documentary by a thinking leftist--but too many answers not enough doubt.......2007-06-23
Watzman does probably the best job that can be done of describing, with movie-like realism, what it means to be Israeli and serve in the military reserves. I wonder if any American realizes what they're reading--it's so far out of their experience, even these days when American reservists are serving in Iraq. It's different. The closest parallel in America is the Minutemen of New England where I grew up, but over 200 years ago.
The story also succeeds in conveying something which both news and documentary rarely touch: the on-the-ground consequences of political and economic, as well as military, decisions. A budget cut here, a policy waffle there, and we all say "tsk, tsk" and go to sleep at night. If you're in the Israeli reserves, you don't sleep, and maybe you don't eat, or you freeze, or risk your or your friends' lives unnecessarily. All of us who live in democracies and don't fight should think twice before they express this or that opinion without considering the consequences.
Speaking of politics, then, careful readers will fall into two categories. Left-wing readers will be proud of Watzman's well-intentioned stances based on principle, but won't notice the consistent omission of large parts of recent centuries' world history that should bear on his decision-making. Right-wing readers will simply boggle at how someone could give so much to his country, have so many Arabs try to kill him and his family, and yet remain unshaken in his belief in Arab goodwill.
All in all, Watzman does us a service, and gives us a gift, by telling his story, and that of his comrades, his family, and his (our) country.
I just would have hoped that he ended up with, and thus raised for his readers, more questions, rather than answers.
Facts on the ground.......2006-06-01
Read this book to learn about what's happening on the ground in Israel from the point of view of a working family man. Perhaps unintentionally, Watzman shows how the endless war is grinding down the average Israeli, how hopelessness has infiltrated every aspect of Israeli society, how social institutions are breaking down and how a zealous and extremist minority exercises a hugely disproportionate amount of power over the beleaguered majority. And this with billions of dollars of aid annually from the United States, turning Israel into a dollar junkie. The most moving parts of the book show the constant dilemma of working-class Israeli men as they struggle to make a living while fulfilling their duty, a duty many of them now do not want to have.
Watzman's politics are sober and his morals are admirable, yet he consistently finds arguments to sabotage both. He bases these arguments on notions of loyalty to his comrades--loyalty which is no doubt real--but it puts into question just serious is his political and moral opposition to the occupation of Palestinian territories.
Many times better and more informative than Jarhead.......2006-02-20
I loved Anthony Swofford's Gulf War memoir, Jarhead, but with no disrespect to its author or to Kirkus Reviews which calls it "an Israeli Jarhead", Company C offers a far richer reading experience. American-born Watzman served for almost 20 years in the Israeli military, starting with the regular army in 1982, moving to the reserves in '84. This period covers a broad swath of modern Israeli history, and Watzman brilliantly demnstrates how he was able (overcoming personal conflicts) to mix his political views -- anti-settlements -- with his soldierly duties, which often required defending settlers and unapologetically executing missions to which he was opposed in principle. His company C contained people from across the full spectrum of Israeli politics (die-hard expansionists to socialistic peaceniks to religious zealots). Watzman showed exceptional dedication in doggedly reporting for duty year after year into middle age, leaving his work and wife and 4 kids every year to report for front-line duty, when so many of his peers were easily managing to escape reservist service. Even after an illness left him permanently disabled and almost crippled and he'd passed his 40th birthday (ancient for a footsoldier), Watzman insisted on doing battle for his adopted country. He is a true hero and patriot and a wonderfully entertaining writer.
Book Description
"A hell of a gift, an opportunity." "Magnanimous." "One of the greatest advantages I ever experienced." These are the voices of World War II veterans, lavishing praise on their beloved G.I. Bill. Transcending boundaries of class and race, the Bill enabled a sizable portion of the hallowed "greatest generation" to gain vocational training or to attend college or graduate school at government expense. Its beneficiaries had grown up during the Depression, living in tenements and cold-water flats, on farms and in small towns across the nation, most of them expecting that they would one day work in the same kinds of jobs as their fathers. Then the G.I. Bill came along, and changed everything. They experienced its provisions as inclusive, fair, and tremendously effective in providing the deeply held American value of social opportunity, the chance to improve one's circumstances. They become chefs and custom builders, teachers and electricians, engineers and college professors. But the G.I. Bill fueled not only the development of the middle class: it also revitalized American democracy. Americans who came of age during World War II joined fraternal groups and neighborhood and community organizations and took part in politics at rates that made the postwar era the twentieth century's civic "golden age." Drawing on extensive interviews and surveys with hundreds of members of the "greatest generation," Suzanne Mettler finds that by treating veterans as first-class citizens and in granting advanced education, the Bill inspired them to become the active participants thanks to whom memberships in civic organizations soared and levels of political activity peaked. Mettler probes how this landmark law produced such a civic renaissance. Most fundamentally, she discovers, it communicated to veterans that government was for and about people like them, and they responded in turn. In our current age of rising inequality and declining civic engagement, Soldiers to Citizens offers critical lessons about how public programs can make a difference.
Customer Reviews:
An Opportunity Lost.......2007-02-27
The GI Bill is the subject of a great book. The human interest stories of people affected by this landmark legislation should inspire us all. Unfortunately, this is not that book. It reads like a doctoral dissertation (which it may well be), with all the dryness and academic disinterest that implies. We get statistics and conclusions, with random personal impacts thrown in as filler. Never once do we get engaged in the subject. I looked forward to this book, but I read to the end out of a sense of duty, not because I really wanted to. The opportunity for a great book about the GI Bill was there. Ms. Mettler wasted it. The stars are for the stats, not the story.
Essential read for anyone interested in the history of successful American public policy.......2006-10-22
This book is such an articulately composed analysis of one of the United States' most successful public policies. In "Soldiers to Citizens," Suzanne Mettler outlines how the educational provisions of the G.I. Bill created what she refers to as "the greatest generation." The G.I. Bill not only fulfilled its intention of rewarding veterans for their selfless acts of patriotism, but it provided the opportunity for upward mobility, it increased civic engagement and strengthened political involvement.
With the constant media bombardment of negative political images, it's easy to gain a sense of cynicism toward our government. "Soldiers To Citizens" provides an optimistic view of how our government can positively affect our citizens through the implementation of strong public programs. Through personal interviews and extensive research, Mettler provides an intriguing analysis. I am fortunate enough to be a student of Mettler's. Simply put - she's brilliant.
I recommend this book to US politics and policy students, public servants, veterans, those in academia or anyone who has a genuine interest in American public policy.
Average customer rating:
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The Future of the Citizen-Soldier Force: Issues and Answers
Jeffrey A. Jacobs
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
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ASIN: 0813118476 |
Book Description
FROM THE BACK COVER:
You have in your hands the true, daily, blow-by-blow, journal entries of the author as he went through Army Basic Training and Officer Candidate School, concluding with his being called to active duty for the first time on September 11th, 2001. If you have ever wondered what basic military combat training is really like, and what it really does to you physically, mentally, and otherwise—or simply just want to relive it—read this book. It is probably as close to feeling the real thing as you can get (short of doing it). Most books about such events are either written after the fact in the past tense by someone who went through it years earlier, or written in the third person by someone tagging along who has no idea what is really going on. This book is different. It's all in the present; it's all in the first person; little has been cut; everything is true; the adventure is real. Enjoy.
Customer Reviews:
Went through same thing.......2006-03-22
I was like the LT here. I took the same route of BCT to OCS in the Guard too. I was whiney to a point too. I came back from Iraq and now I am not that same person. I am sure LT. Mann has changed to. The book is good in telling you what the Guard OCS program is like from day to day.
Capt. MSC former 11A
READ THIS BOOK -- whether mil or not.......2005-09-11
I cannot recommend "To Benning and Back" highly enough. I am currently applying to Army Officer Candidate School and it was the most helpful and informative thing I read. I learned more from Monroe Mann's account of his experiences at Basic Training and Officer Candidate School than I did from any other source and certainly from my recruiter. If you're considering enlisting in the Army, or any other branch of the military for that matter, I would definitely get my hands on this book. It's an invaluable resource.
Even more though, read this book for the inspirational story of one very cool young American. From the gut-punching sincerity of the opening line: "I cried when I saw Saving Private Ryan." to the final appendix, "What the Army Has Taught Me", I know I'm going to go back to this book whenever my own doubts about what I'm doing start creeping up on me. Mann, who is now 1st Lieutenant Mann, and who has been serving in Iraq for more than a year now with the New York National Guard, obviously comes from a comfortable background. He has a broad, varied, international education. He has a large supportive circle of talented family and friends, who appear in his journals in intriguing little snippets of intimacy and affection. He's talented, skilled at several sports, speaks several languages. He has a deep, driving dream to be an actor. Someone for whom the possibilities in late 90's America were pretty much limitless. Instead he puts it all on the line to join the Army...way before there was a 9/11 bandwagon to jump onto.
Used to be idealism and intelligence was a combination our country specialized in. If, like me, you think we're a little short on that combo these days -- from top to bottom -- read Mann's account of his experiences and it'll give you some hope for what's out there. Throughout his story, we get to see a sincere love of America that has nothing to do with the sticky, yellow-ribbon sentimentality that passes for patriotism in this country these days, and startling flashes of a deep Christian faith that has nothing to do with the lame moralism of so much of what passes for Christianity these days either. He's completely honest about the pain and difficulties of military life, never afraid to say he's bored, that he's suffering, or that it just plain old hurts. He's candid about his misgivings and fears about the commitment he's making. And he has no illusions about the frequent limitations and just sheer stupidity of much of the institutional culture he's dealing with. Yet all the way through, he holds on to a transcendent vision of a soldier's calling, a vision of courage and sacrifice that sustains him.
This kid's one of the last of the Great American Idealists, the kind of homegrown Quixote we used to grow a lot of, with the beautiful, slightly nutty dream AND the guts and tenacity and competence to make it reality. If you subscribe to the patronizing notion that only Americans with no other options serve in our armed forces, or if you think that all young Americans with other options are spoiled brats coasting through cushy lives with no sense of service or the greater good, then read this book. If you have a kid who wants to enlist, give him this book to read; it'll inspire him and make him a better soldier, marine, airman or sailor. If you've got a kid who wants to enlist and you're discouraging him, then YOU read this book. Believe me, Lt. Mann is the kind of guy you want your son to be.
Duty Honor Country - Doesn't Come Easy!.......2005-07-19
Monroe - your book, To Benning and Back: The Making of a Citizen Soldier - tells it like it is. Your honesty is what makes it special. Most books on the military experience are so 'gung ho' and you never feel the person's true pain. I felt your pain 'my brotha.' Keep your head down over in Iraq. We want all of our heros back in one piece.
A Great book by an even better Soldier.......2005-04-28
I have had the privilege of knowing Monroe Mann personally which prompted me to read his book. Monroe is the type of fellow who can drift into your life briefly and leave his mark.
His book is a honest uncut un polished journal that speaks to EXACTLY what every young soldier remembers about basic Training. Reading Monroe's book was like taking a walk back in my life ten years ago.
An excellent read for old soldiers and a fine book for those considering service. New troops need to take Monroe's total honesty with a grain of salt. When you live Basic training it seems impossible, until you walk on that parade field with almost 300 years of American history that you are not a part of. Monroe is a fine officer who is credit to the service. If he can overcome his fears, frustration, and challenges to rise from a sideline sitter to a professional of the finest caliber should encourage any reader to seek his or her opportunity to place service above self and find a way a way to bring peace to our troubled world.
Thank you Monroe
HOOAH!!!.......2005-01-31
To Benning and Back's first person depiction of the Army's vigorous basic training program helped me grasp a better understanding of the intense transformation from civilian to disciplined soldier. As a USO performer, after reading this book I have even a greater appreciation for the men and women who choose to risk their lives for this country! It was especially intriguing to learn that Lt. Mann is not only a soldier but an actor!! I recommend this book not only to potential military recruits but to anyone who is interested in gaining greater insight into the brave men and women serving in our Armed Forces.
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Book Description
Honor First is a personal narrative of a 45 year-old Philadelphia trial lawyer called up for active military duty for the first time in his life as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The book concerns a citizen-soldier's involvement in the development of the Afghan Constitution, the conflict between Islamic and western cultures, the visit of the 9/11 Commission to Afghanistan, and the problems encountered in state building and military occupation in a war-torn country.
Book Description
The National Guard is the compelling account, in words and pictures, of the nation’s oldest military institution. From the defense of the Jamestown settlement in 1607 to peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and, most recently, to their participation in the war on terrorism, the citizen-soldiers of the National Guard have always been an integral part of America’s first line of defense. The guard fought at the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, New Orleans, First Bull Run, San Juan Hill, the Meuse-Argonne, Omaha Beach, Operation Desert Storm, and in many, many other engagements. With nearly half a million members in the year 2002, the Air and Army National Guard are as important as ever to America’s security.
Featuring a wide array of rarely seen prints, vivid photographs, and informative narrative text, this handsome volume tells the inspirational story of those dedicated part-time soldiers who, throughout the past 400 years, have provided full-time service to their states and to their nation. It charts the National Guard’s evolution from ragtag militias to sophisticated, modern armed forces by describing units, individuals, weapons, equipment, vehicles, and service throughout the guard’s storied history. The paperback second edition features updated text and twenty new photos to cover the National Guard's recent service in Afghanistan, Iraq, homeland security, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.The first comprehensive illustrated history of the guard ever published, The National Guard will be treasured by citizen-soldiers, by their families, and by military history enthusiasts nationwide.
Customer Reviews:
A rousing, inspirational history text.......2003-05-22
The collaborative effort of retired Army National Guard colonel Michael D. Doubler and retired Army National Guard chief warrant officer John W. Listman, Jr., The National Guard: An Illustrated History Of America's Citizen-Soldiers combines black-and-white photographs with a rousing, inspirational history text showcasing this proud and honorable institution charged with protecting America's security. A straightforward and engaging account written for readers of all backgrounds, The National Guard is a welcome and appreciated contribution to personal, school, and community library Military History reference collections and reading lists.
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- Civil War Ironclads: The U.S. Navy and Industrial Mobilization (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology)
- Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home (American Institute Architects)
- Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts
- Designated Targets (The Axis of Time Trilogy, Book 2)
- Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
- Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software
- Edith Wharton
- Estimator's Piping Man-Hour Manual, Fifth Edition (Estimator's Man-Hour Library)
- Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators, Second Edition
- Forest Mage (The Soldier Son Trilogy, Book 2)
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