Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944 | Stephen E. Ambrose

Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944 | Stephen E. Ambrose | The first battle of invasion vividly recounted

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Pegasus Bridge: Ju...

	Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944 Stephen E. Ambrose Simon & Schuster, 1988 - 208 pages average customer review:based on 46 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A bridge once forgotten.

Stephen Ambrose has done a remarkable job in giving the reader a front row seat to the fighting at Pegasus Bridge. His writing takes you right to the action and flows over into the heat of battle as if you were there at the time of the attack.

He vividy describes the training leading up to the assault on bridge in such detail that you may need to set aside the book to rest, and catch your breath from the rigors of the last double time march.

Even though this aspect of the invasion (Pegasus Bridge) encompasses such a small area, the high level of detailed research lends itself to a wonderful account of the early morning hours of 6 June 1944.

This book is very easy to read and is a must for those intrigued by the battle that took place at this simple stone bridge over the Caen Canal in the Norman countryside.

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The first battle of invasion vividly recounted

If you've seen "The Longest Day" you may recall the scene in which a small band of glider-borne commandos seizes a bridge and defends it until relieved by Lord Lovett and his commandos. What you may not know is that this was a singular event- the very first combat engagement of D-Day and the first and only use of this technique by the Allies in the war.

Ambrose is one of the best contemporary historians to write about World War 2, always managing to be both accurate and entertaining. Here, he gives us profiles of the men involved on both sides of the battle, the development of the glider assault technique, a detailed minute-by-minute account of the fighting, and the story of the aftermath of the battle and the lives of the men (and women) after the war, up to the 50th Anneversary D-Day ceremonies in France.

If you're a history buff, this book is a must-have for your library. If you're interested in a more accurate verison of the details surrounding the battle than the movie presented, read the book. And if you simply want to understand a little better how ordinary men can acheive the extraordinary when called on to do so, read this book.

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Left Flank Covered.

Stephen Ambrose states in "Band Of Brothers" that as an honorary member of D Company Ox and Bucks and of E company,506,101st,he has both his flanks covered. Indeed so. "Pegasus Bridge" should probably be read in conjunction with "Band of Brothers" although it is much more the story of a single action on a single night than the odyssey that is the record of Easy Co. Ambrose writes vividly of the night of the 5th June ,his style ideally suited to his subject. One feels the elation ,the fear ,the shock of the combatants as the events unfold.The death of Den Brotheridge ,the key destruction of a mk4 Panzer and later a patrol boat by men armed with only the erratic and makeshift PIAT,the discordantly amusing destruction of a German OP situated on a water tower by means of a captured AT gun, all clearly recreated in the mind of the reader by the concise prose and carefully chosen eyewitness accounts. There are some minor gripes.Most non-American readers will feel that Ambrose has more understanding of the pysche and motivations of G.Is than of Tommies, but this is understandable. While wholeheartedly agreeing with his assessment of the Sten and PIAT as erratic and alarming weapons to use, he errs when describing the Bren in like terms as inferior to the German equivalents. These are not major issues. "Pegasus Bridge", with "Band of Brothers", stands as a wonderful read and a fitting tribute to the young men of 1944 who gave so much for freedom.

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The Stuff Movies (Should) Be Made Of

Hollywood's resent production of "Saving Private Ryan" is a wonderful tribute ot the men who took part in the greatest of endevour of World War II, however, THAT NEVER HAPPENED! I feel that it is sad that many people feel the need to invent some feat of grand military derry-do To make a good story. If one studies the history of any great event, such as the Normandy invasion, one can find real heros and real acts of heroism that far out shine any fictional event a Hollywood writter might dream up. This event, involving a mere company of British Paras, is one of those actions. Mr. Ambrose did a fine job of telling their story, and hopefully, keeping Major Howard from fading into obscurity, as have other heros, such as Lt.Col Frost, Lt Col Herbert Jones, and countless others.

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The Stuff Movies Are Made Of(or should be)

Hollywood's resent production of "Saving Private Ryan" is a wonderful tribute ot the men who took part in one of the greatest of endevours of World War II, however, THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED! I feel that it is sad that many people feel the need to invent some feat of grand military derry-do to make a good story. If one studies the history of any great event, such as the Normandy invasion, one can find real heros and real acts of heroism that far out shine any fictional event a Hollywood writter might dream up. This event, involving a mere company of British Paras, is one of those actions. Mr. Ambrose did a fine job of telling their story, and hopefully, keeping Major Howard from fading into obscurity, as have other heros, such as Lt.Col Frost, Lt Col Herbert Jones, and countless others.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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