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Title: Vanguard of the Crusade: The US 101st Airborne Division in WWII by Mark Bando ISBN: 0-9717650-0-6 Publisher: The Aberjona Press Pub. Date: June, 2003 Format: Hardcover List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Brothers in Arms, Men of Courage and Integrity, and Vanguard
Comment: Vanguard of the Crusade: The 101st Airborne Division in World War II by Mark Bando is a truly special chronicle of the 101st Airborne from its time in wait in England prior to the invasion of the Continent to the end of the war and disbanding of the Division. Vanguard stands as a tribute to those who fought with the Screaming Eagles, whether they survived the war or not.
Bando has sculpted his prose from hundreds of interviews and personal diaries (although expressly forbade in combat zones!) of 101st veterans. With often only snippets of information from any single source, Bando has been able to piece together an engaging history of combat of one of the most elite forces the Allies assembled during the Second World War. Where possible Bando has reproduced the words of the veterans verbatim within the context of larger discussions lending a feel of authenticity that many other works do not achieve. Vanguard is not written in the flowery novelette style of so many authors (e.g., Ambrose) and as such may be a "difficult" read for many less interested in historical events minus the Hollywood feel. Yet, having said that, anyone interested in how the 101st earned its reputation should not be deterred from tackling this book. It's a wonderful collection of memories and writings that is weaved into a nearly seamless single story of the Division from England 1943 to late 45 in occupied Germany. If you want HISTORY - untainted and without opinions based on hindsight of 60 years - this is it. Bando and the Editorial staff at Aberjona Press have done an incredible job checking, re-checking and verifying information and this fact alone makes this a wonderful piece of historical writing. One other subtle yet VERY effective editorial trick has been to italicize German unit names. In this way it is always clear who is who without knowing all units by heart.
Vanguard of the Crusade represents an indispensable source of fuller information that has not been pre-digested for those less patient for the complete story. Two obvious examples come to mind: First, many probably think they know the "story" of the Airborne drop in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market-Garden. However, the story told in the classic (and both well written and factually sound) A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan is quite "sanitized" and abridged with respect to the actions in which the 101st were involved. Bando does a wonderful job touching on the breadth of the combat situations in which the Screaming Eagles were involved while trying to keep Hell's Highway open. It is probably fair to assume that many people assume that the 101st fought as a single group in relatively small engagement areas during Market-Garden but Bando's text makes it clear that the reality was that of smaller groups spread over greater distances engaged in multiple hit-and-run (generally) battles with both first and second-rate German troops. Few sources (one exception being It Never Snows In September by Robert Kershaw) make this clear. Second, although the Battle of the Bulge is certainly one of the most recognized military actions of the US armed forces, and many know that the 101st Airborne Division played a crucial role, it is unlikely that many understand what the siege on Bastogne really represented in terms of combat. Contrary to "popular" depictions, the month long fierce battles around town of Bastogne were not simply one battle a la the Alamo. Certainly Bastogne was surrounded by the Germans and siege set, but many small Belgian towns like Foy, Bizory, Marvie, Longvilly, and Noville that were situated around Bastogne played a role in its defense and ultimate reversal of battle. It is important to remember not just those who fought from within Bastogne proper, but also those who battled from a distance of yards to a few miles outside Bastogne itself. It was this collective group that earned the Distinguished Unit Citation en masse for their key role in the Battle of the Bulge. Bando dedicates a large portion of his text to these lesser known but not lesser important engagements.
I found Vanguard of the Crusade to be an extremely pleasurable read. I would sit with maps of the various engagements (...), plot the actions while I moved through the text, and get lost in the hundreds of photographs presented that put a real face on the map coordinates and words. While it is not essential to read Vanguard in this fashion I suggest it, as it is rare that one can so lose oneself so fully in a popular historical text. I give Vanguard a hearty 5 stars for context, presentation and soul!
Rating: 5
Summary: THE book on the 101st to read.
Comment: Forget the rest. If you want to know the true story of the 101st in WW2 this is THE author to read. No one knows more about the unit that Bando. He is THE 101st Airborne Division historian. Period.
He puts many mis-understandings to bed, and provides the most accurate look at this division. Some great rare photos as well.
Well worth the money.
Rating: 5
Summary: Premier individual and small unit action history.
Comment: Mark Bando has done it again. His accounts of individual and small unit action during WW2 is outstanding. His attention to detail, and respect for the WW2 veteran, is vividly apparent. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bando during the debut of his book, 2nd Armored Division in the Land of the Dead, at a 2nd Armored reunion. I met some of the men involved in the actions he recounted, and they confirm his in depth research. I am sure the same devotion goes into every one of his books, and I cannot overstate how informative, and enjoyable, these books are for the WW2 history buff.
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