You’re dropping through the air, five hundred feet above the ground, with sounds of gunfire all around you, explosions filling the night sky, your parachute opening above you as you drop into the darkness filled with enemy soldiers, ready to kill you on sight. It’s D-Day, June 6th, 1944. The men of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment experienced this terrifying event, which is portrayed in the book Band of Brothers. Its author Stephen Ambrose takes you through their journey, starting with training in the U.S. to taking Germany at the end of World War II.

The novel follows the journey of Easy Company, a military unit, during the disastrous conflict of World War II. First, after leaving the United States, the book details how they traveled to Great Britain for more training. Then, from Great Britain, they parachuted into France which was the beginning of combat for them. Along the way, the men endure horrifying experiences, losing many of their closest friends. Through their struggles, the reader gains wisdom in friendship, dedication, positivity, teamwork, and, above all, brotherhood.

In addition, Band of Brothers speaks to the world today in the form of advice. It shows the horrors of war and why a war like World War II should never happen again, drawing similar lessons as other great war movies such as Saving Private Ryan, Glory, and Fury. But whereas these three films are either fictional or have been altered for the sake of Hollywood, Band of Brothers is a true story, with accounts from the real men who fought in Easy Company.

In the general sense, Band of Brothers puts into perspective the hardships many might be going through now. Right now, many are feeling isolated because of the pandemic and are having a hard time; but, at one point in the novel, in the forest around Bastogne (in Belgium), the band of brothers were truly isolated and had harder times - helpless, hopeless, freezing, and under heavy fire. Ambrose writes, “the temperature fell to well below freezing, the wind came up, even in the woods. The men were colder than they had ever been in their lives. They had only their jump boots and their battle dress with trench coats. No wool socks, no long underwear. Runners went into Bastogne and returned with flour sacks and bedsheets, which provided some warmth and camouflage. In the foxholes and on the outposts, men wrapped their bodies in blankets and their boots in burlap. The burlap soaked up the snow, boots became soggy, socks got wet, the cold penetrated right into the bones. Shivering was as normal as breathing”. Relatively, doesn’t the pandemic lockdown pale in comparison to such freezing conditions?

Furthermore, in the forest, the men were surrounded by German soldiers, isolated in foxholes. This isolation and discomfort put into perspective what we in quarantine are going through today as well as speaking to the determination and grit of these men.

Band of Brothers also shows what war does to people. Ambrose writes about how two soldiers, William “Wild Bill” Guarnere and Joe Toye, were horribly injured by the war. Ambrose writes, “Sgt. Joe Toye was out in the open, shouting orders to his men to take cover. ‘They always said if you can hear the shells, you’ll be O.K.,’ he (Joe Toye) recalled. ‘I did not hear the shell.’ It exploded just above him. Shrapnel all but tore off his right leg and hit him in the stomach, chest, and both arms”. After that, Bill Guarnere attempted to rescue Joe Toye, lying in the open. When Guarnere got to him, “the shelling resumed. The Germans had planned well. As they anticipated, the pause had brought men out of the foxholes to help the wounded. A shell burst over Guarnere’s head. Shrapnel tore into his right leg, mangling it”. In sum, this horrible incident shows how terrible war is and how it affects everyone participating. Luckily, Guarnere and Toye survived, sadly many did not. Above all, Ambrose tells us, in the present day, that we aren’t going through the worst we could have. As shown, Band of Brothers has many great strengths. It is filled with inspiring messages and action-packed episodes. It has several situations and ideas that emphasize the importance of teamwork as well as others that illustrate the horrors of war and the necessity of peace. Unexpectedly, there are multiple comedic anecdotes that help to lighten up the dark overtones of the book. Furthermore, Ambrose’s writing is very accessible. He doesn’t spend pages poring over every little military detail, focusing instead on the experiences of the soldiers and their humanity. Nevertheless, the novel has several weaknesses. For one, it isn’t very poetic. It’s pretty straightforward and there aren’t many symbolic or metaphorical meanings. Another weakness is that it isn’t very suspenseful and you don’t always feel like you are right there in the scenes with the band. Lastly, one thing that I would have liked in the book is more information about what the men were like and what they did before the war, which would have made the reader form closer bonds with them.

In the end, though it has weaknesses, I think that is an interesting book that tells a profound story. Because of this, I recommend it! If you’re a history buff, a fan of war movies like Saving Private Ryan and 1917, or interested in what mortal combat was like, then this book is for you. Also, if you are a fan of Star Wars, you might like this book since Star Wars was heavily influenced by tales of World War II. Furthermore, this book makes you appreciate how amazing peace is. It makes you grateful for how we live now, that we aren’t being forced to give our lives or our humanity for our country. Finally, it is an interesting and entertaining book. There is action, thoughtfulness, and comedy. Comedic anecdotes sprinkled throughout help make it a lighter read, and they help show how the soldiers used humor to deal with their struggles. It’s a good read. Perhaps the best way to describe the book is in the words of Major “Dick” Winters: “the result of sharing all that stress throughout training and combat has created a bond between the men of E Company that will last forever”.

IB Stars out of 8: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ★★ (6/8)