- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Delta; Rev Rep edition (Oct 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385336497
- ISBN-13: 978-0385336499
- Product Dimensions: 15 x 2.1 x 22.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
145,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #50 in Books > History > Military History > World War II > D-Day Landings
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
David Kenyon Webster’s memoir is a clear-eyed, emotionally charged chronicle of youth, camaraderie, and the chaos of war. Relying on his own letters home and recollections he penned just after his discharge, Webster gives a first hand account of life in E Company, 101st Airborne Division, crafting a memoir that resonates with the immediacy of a gripping novel.
From the beaches of Normandy to the blood-dimmed battlefields of Holland, here are acts of courage and cowardice, moments of irritating boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, and pitched urban warfare. Offering a remarkable snapshot of what it was like to enter Germany in the last days of World War II, Webster presents a vivid, varied cast of young paratroopers from all walks of life, and unforgettable glimpses of enemy soldiers and hapless civilians caught up in the melee. Parachute Infantry is at once harsh and moving, boisterous and tragic, and stands today as an unsurpassed chronicle of war--how men fight it, survive it, and remember it.
From the beaches of Normandy to the blood-dimmed battlefields of Holland, here are acts of courage and cowardice, moments of irritating boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror, and pitched urban warfare. Offering a remarkable snapshot of what it was like to enter Germany in the last days of World War II, Webster presents a vivid, varied cast of young paratroopers from all walks of life, and unforgettable glimpses of enemy soldiers and hapless civilians caught up in the melee. Parachute Infantry is at once harsh and moving, boisterous and tragic, and stands today as an unsurpassed chronicle of war--how men fight it, survive it, and remember it.
From the Back Cover
“Webster left this gutsy, sometimes bemused and sometimes angry memoir behind.... It bites and hangs on.”
--The New York Times
“Beautifully written... perfectly evokes life and battle in a parachute infantry company.”
--The Washington Post Book World
--The New York Times
“Beautifully written... perfectly evokes life and battle in a parachute infantry company.”
--The Washington Post Book World
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
IT WAS THE END OF MAY, 1944. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
IT WAS THE END OF MAY, 1944. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book really takes you beneath some of the important events from training for D-Day to the end of world war Two. It brings you into the mind of one who was there. It is a great accompliment to Band of Brothers and fills in the human story that is sometimes missing. Where Band of Brothers lets us know the historical background of what happened, Webster lets us know how the footsoldier saw his superiors and judged their decisions. He explains the highs and lows and his reflections of conquering Europe and how he reacted to Europeans and how the different people reacted to him. This book is at times a deep spiritual journey that is a must for anyone interested in how and why men did what they did. Why it was refused for publication in the 1950's beggers believe.
Webster's illustrations of maps and soldiers and his letters to his parents are worth it on their own.
Webster's illustrations of maps and soldiers and his letters to his parents are worth it on their own.
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thorough recommend anyone who has read Band of Brothers to read thisbook. Band of Brothers whilst an excellent book was put together from thememories of those who served in Easy Company some 50 years after the endof the war, and interpreted by American patriot Stephen Ambrose who onoccasion lapses into dewy-eyed romanticism. Webster's book was written inthe early 1950's from his personal memories and using his own letters andis a more raw account than the often rose-tinted spectacle served up bythe TV series. Webster tells it like it is, fully admitting his fear ofbattle and hatred of life as a soldier. It is as fresh and a sobering aread as anything written today.
I don't know why in the last episode of Band of Brothers when describingwhat each soldier went on to do no mention was made of Webster writingthis book. If they had it would provide a facinating reference for fans ofthe series and another perspective on the experiences of the 101st.Perhaps there lies the answer.
I don't know why in the last episode of Band of Brothers when describingwhat each soldier went on to do no mention was made of Webster writingthis book. If they had it would provide a facinating reference for fans ofthe series and another perspective on the experiences of the 101st.Perhaps there lies the answer.
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For fans of Band of Brothers, both the book and TV series (Speilburg/Hanks) David Kenyon Websters memoirs of his experiences in the 506th PIR are more than a complementary read.
Not only a young and gifted writer, his observations and opinions give a much better insight into the story of E company.
In fact do not be fooled by the TV series Band of Brothers, as good as it is, it has been changed significantly and does not always show events as they really happened, but rather re-hashes through a mixture of Ambrose's original book, interviews with other veterans and Websters personal memoirs. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who watched episodes 8 and 9 of Band of Brothers and wants the true detail behind Websters experiences and his fellow soldiers in company E in Germany. His account is personal, emotive and cuts through the Hollywood perception of guts and glory. Webster tells it his way, a war of fear and personal survival, a struggle with courage and inner strength.
Not only a young and gifted writer, his observations and opinions give a much better insight into the story of E company.
In fact do not be fooled by the TV series Band of Brothers, as good as it is, it has been changed significantly and does not always show events as they really happened, but rather re-hashes through a mixture of Ambrose's original book, interviews with other veterans and Websters personal memoirs. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who watched episodes 8 and 9 of Band of Brothers and wants the true detail behind Websters experiences and his fellow soldiers in company E in Germany. His account is personal, emotive and cuts through the Hollywood perception of guts and glory. Webster tells it his way, a war of fear and personal survival, a struggle with courage and inner strength.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
This is the book Ambrose should have written.
The book 'Band of Brothers', by Stephen Ambrose borrows so much from this book, that a joint-authorship should have been the case. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Stuart Bradley
The most immediate BoB autobiography.
This differs from all of the other Easy company biographies due to its more personal and immediate nature. Read more
Published on 22 July 2009 by Crazy Bald Heid
An honest portrayal of WW2 without the propaganda
Reading this book I realized Webster was writing in a very modern style.Not unlike "the Beats" who were later to come. Read more
Published on 26 May 2009 by Glenn Horvath
David Webster
I have read several of the books related to Band of Brothers (not all) and have found this one the best so far because it was written in a way unaffected by the fame that the... Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2008 by Mr. D. Rudd
Good book, leaves a bad taste.
While I agree with many of the other reviewers here that this is a good first hand account of a young soldier's experience of WW2. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2008 by B. Cooper
Very good, but flags a bit towards the end
I generally agree with the other reviews as the book's easy to read and flows very much like a novel (I wonder a little how accurate it is - There's a lot of detail in there that... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2008 by M. Saxby
Better than Band of Brothers
The day I read Band of Brothers, my life changed forever. My newfound obsession with WW2 led me to many other detailed accounts of the war- None of which begin to compare with the... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2007 by Webster's Biggest Fan
war from the soldiers point of view
After Band of Brothers, reading this book gave me a greater insight into the life of a solder during world war two. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2006 by P. H. Spencer
the lost brother
This is the best WW2 book i've read and i've read a lot. It's written like a novel and is as gripping as it could be. Yet it is all true. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2005 by "age2002"
An honest account which altered my opinion
I'm glad I read this memoir because it put the 'Band of Brothers' record a bit straighter! David Webster was portrayed as a shirker and barrack room lawyer in the TV series but in... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2004 by Tony1962
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