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Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

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At last Major Dick Winters tells his story in his own words. Although many of the incidents in the book may be familiar to devotees of Stephen Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and the marvelous HBO series, Dick Winters' war memoirs are still compelling, enlightening and inspiring.

This volume is the next best thing to having this courageous, thoughtful, and exceedingly modest hero come and sit in your living room to tell you about the adventures and exploits of Easy Company. Time and again Dick Winters embodied the true spirit of the Fort Benning Infantry doctrine of "Follow Me."

Major Winters shares his reflections on the fighting and his tactics from Brecourt Manor and the Eagle's Nest. He is most proud of his unit's work at the Island. "In my estimation, this action by E Company was the highlight of all Easy Company's engagements during the entire war and it also served as my apogee as company commander," Winters tell us.

Major Winters is also quick to commend the gallant work of the men in his company, "The company belonged to the men-the officers were merely caretakers." In reading these pages it becomes abundantly clear that these citizen soldiers were magnificent caretakers of our freedom during some of the darkest hours of the 20th century.

"Leaving Easy Company was the hardest thing I had done in my life," the Major tells us. Putting his book down is pretty damned hard, too.

"Beyond Band of Brothers" is Dick Winters' account of his experiences with Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the Second World War. Winters will already be familar to many readers from his role in "Band of Brothers" by Steven Ambrose, and in the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers." As one of the last surviving officers of the unit and as custodian of a collection of diaries, letters, and other material, Winters has written his own war memoirs to complete the story of Easy Company.

The storyline of "Beyond Band of Brothers" will be familar to many readers; Dick Winters adds context, perspective, and additional detail. Winters lacks Ambrose's gifts as a writer; his style is serviciable but undramatic. More importantly, however, Winters provides the "How to" of being a successful leader of a highly effective unit. Winters was highly professional, morally and mentally disciplined, physically fit, constantly learning about his job, and acutely attuned to the spoken and unspoken voices of his troopers. He was supported by a strong religious faith. As Winters progesses from enlisted volunteer through officer candidate, junior officer, commander of Easy Company, and ultimately a battalion command in the 506th Infantry, he allows us to see his growth as a leader. Winters is honest about his fears and concerns throughout the war, especially in late 1944 when many soldiers began to break down under conditions of sustained combat. Throughout the book, Winters' care and concern for his soldiers is clear. He was a hard but fair leader who sought to bring as many of his troopers back alive as he could.

This book is highly recommended to fans of the story of Easy Company, and to those looking for lessons in leadership from a man who was clearly an excellent leader.

Are natural leaders born or made? It seems that Richard D. "Dick" Winters' life has been a quest to answer that question. And in the final chapters of _Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters_, he does provide the answer. Winters, the level-headed commander of Easy Company, portrayed in Stephen E. Ambrose's book, turned HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers," needs no introduction. Written in the autumn of his years, Winters culls a lifetime of inner reflection and a quest to live in peace, after leading soldiers in some of the most deadly combat of World War II. The result is a frank, sometimes brutally honest testament to the moral fiber of the American citizen soldier, who shouldered an undying responsibility to God, country, family, and above all, the men he led into battle. Sixty years from now, when the events of the Second World War sink ever so deeper into the pages of history, Winters' message will still be sought. Like the men he led of Easy Company, he will gain the respect of new generations of soldiers, and, if events mirror those of his life, continue to save lives.

As in a resent biography by Larry Alexander ( _Biggest Brother: ... _ [2005]) Winters pens only a dozen pages of his early life before delving right into his military career. Winters was the product of many good influences in his upbringing: his family, Mennonite background, a strong work ethic, and no vices. Unlike Alexander's gallant attempt to penetrate his subject without much success, Winters' prose is down to Earth. The sense the reader gets of the words coming from the horse's mouth is reassuring, and holds one's attention. Also unlike Alexander's biography, Winters refers to the correspondence with his wartime pen-pal, DeEtta Almon sparingly. Winters confesses early on that his aim in writing the book is to tell the stories that Ambrose and HBO left out. There are some new addenda. Sadly, Winters updates us of the most recent passing of the men from Easy Company we have come to know and admire for their portrayal in the film, and in the documentary, "We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company." It is evident that Winters loves and respects those men as much as they do him. For the most part, however, Winters' version holds true to Ambrose's book, and Hanks and Spielberg's film, barring artistic license of the latter, of course. One can easily detect the strong contribution Winters had on Ambrose's work. In some places, the narrative is so similar to Ambrose, one gets the impression Ambrose quoted Winters liberally, without the customary quotation marks. Winters admires the late historian immensely, however, and devotes a chapter to Ambrose at the end of the book.

The bulk of Winters' memoir is devoted to the people and events that left an indelible mark on his life: the men and battles of Easy Company. He goes on at length about the man we have all come to despise: Herbert M. Sobel. Despite Sobel's brutal leadership style, Winters credits him with molding the character of the core of Toccoa men that made-up Easy Company. Winters offers his take on the myths surrounding Ronald Speirs, who was rumored to have murdered German prisoners, and shot an American sergeant who was allegedly drunk, and disobeyed an order to attack. Curiously, a strategically placed "typo" may perhaps be a loop-hole out of a possible slander suit...see if you can find it, and you be the judge. Likewise, Winters makes no qualms about utilizing what he called "my killers," in vital tactical situations, most notably, the silencing of four 105mm. guns at Brecourt Manor, the textbook execution that was without a doubt, Winters' crowning moment in combat. For devoted "Band of Brothers" fans, the two individuals he singles out will not surprise. There are also heart-felt accolades for his two closest friends, Lewis Nixon, and Harry Welsh, as well as, a cadre of Easy Company enlisted men, most notably, Floyd Talbert, and Carwood Lipton, just to name a few. The loving relationship Winters formed with the English couple he was quartered with at Aldbourne, Wiltshire, his "second parents," never left him.

Winters' life after the war is treated as briefly as his life before. Winters was a self professed "ninety-day wonder," whose warrior spirit was molded running up Currahee, and tempered in combat. As a combat leader, he felt there was no place for him in a peacetime, and "chickens**t army." His chapter spelling out his principles of good leadership should be memorized by every aspiring military officer or corporate manager.

So were Winters' leadership abilities innate, or nurtured? That is for the reader to decide.

We are indeed privileged to have this memoir of a truly extraordinary and humble man. But I am sure he would be the first to agree, that there were probably scores of Dick Winters who fought their way across the fields of Europe, or the deserted islands of the Pacific. Many lie beneath thousands of white marble crosses, or Stars of David. Many more, like the men Winters led, are embarrassed by the word "hero," and prefer to remain silent. Dick Winters is their messenger, their representative, and a model field grade officer of the Second World War. The media has made Winters a celebrity, and his peaceful life that he promised himself on D-Day has been shattered by well-wishing, and autograph seeking fans from all over the world. There is even a campaign to up-grade his Distinguished Service Cross to a Medal of Honor. This memoir is, I suspect, Winters' final word on the subject. Read it! Learn from its many lessons, and respect the officers and men of Easy Company. That is Dick Winters' legacy, and worth more to him than a chest full of medals.

Most of this book is repetitive to Band of Brothers, the Stephen Ambrose novel, but this is the first time Major Winters has told the story of the 506th PIR in his own words. Those of us already familiar with the former know a lot of what Winters is talking about here, but it's still interesting hearing Major Winters tell the story from his point of view. Major Winters not only voices his opinions about the 506th PIR, but also gives a lot of good advice within these pages, most of it geared towards becoming a better leader. Also, there are a few tidbits that appear from time to time that I hadn't known about before. One of these such tidbits was the information that Albert Blithe did not die in 1948, but fully recovered from his wound and went on to have one of the most illustrious military careers of anyone in Easy Company.

A truly compelling read from cover to cover, I recommend that everyone in America read this book, whether or not they even remotely care about what Winters and the 506th PIR went through. Not only does Major Winters tell his story, but he fills these pages with the important knowledge of skills you cannot learn except from practice. Major Winters was and is an excellent leader and role model, and truly defines the word HERO.

MAJ Winters distills the lessons absorbed over three years of training and combat in a 320 page treatise on what it means to be an officer. In lean prose he illustrates the leadership principles required to accomplish the mission while taking care of the troops. That an officer must demonstrate technical and tactical competence, be fit, and lead from the front may seem like simple common sense to some readers, but as Clausewitz wrote, "Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult." MAJ Winters' account of how he led his men to overcome these difficulties makes for great reading. The success of Easy Company, 506th PIR is well documented, but MAJ Winters adds a new perspective to the familiar stories recounted in Ambrose's Band of Brothers. Highly recommended.

I only recently learned this autobiographical account of Major Winters' World War Two service existed, and I'm glad I read it. After this I feel I know the real man better, as opposed to those descriptions of him written by other authors, or the portrayal of him in the TV retellings/reenactments of his combat experiences. Dick Winters is a person who knows about service, dedication, duty, and what it takes to be an effective leader. He is also amazingly humble, and in a way, believe it or not, that got (dare I say) tiring after a while. I wanted to tell him, "You're a hero! It's all right to give yourself some credit! You earned it! You helped save the world!" In my opinion this is a man deserving of the Congressional Medal of Honor. He is a great American, and this memoir is an inspiring read. It serves to provide more detail about the activities of the soldiers in the 101st whom he lead than was given in either the book or miniseries "Band of Brothers". I found myself moved at the horrors these men endured and was stunned time and again by their bravery. It's amazing Major Winters emerged from the Second World War alive, let alone physically unscathed. His is a remarkable story and I hope it finds a vast and enduring audience.

"Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" "No," I answered, "but I served in a company of heroes." Major Winters, you and all of your men are truly awesome and inspiring heroes! We had the honor and privilege to have Bill Guarnere and Forrest Guth speak to my students and they and I will never forget that day! Several of my students are reading your book; all Americans should read this book. This country is extremely fortunate to have men like you and all the veterans of World War II. We thank you for writing your book so that these stories will live on for the next generation!!

A first hand account by the soldier himself. I enjoyed the dvd of Band of Brothers but became totally immersed in the story by Major Winters himself. On many front the soldiers in the field are maligned. They are/served their country and many gave the ultimate sacrifice. The soldiers of this era are passing away in great numbers. Accounts like this will ensure that their sacrifices are not forgotten nor their lives were not given in vain. To the men who lived through the ordeals of war, Thank you

As an avid fan of all of Stephen Ambrose's work and an admirer of the courage and dedication to duty of the WWII generation, I was excited when Maj. Dick Winters decided to publish his memoirs. I simply could not put this book down! A fantastic insight into one of the most heroic units in WWII, as well as an insight into the life of that unit's biggest hero and biggest brother. This book should be required reading for all high school students today, to let them know what it really takes to be a true citizen of this country. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone that I know, as Maj. Winters is a role model of the type that are few and far between in this day and age.

While being interviewed by Charlie Rose, author and historian Stephen Ambrose compared the leadership of Dick Winters to that of Meriwether Lewis. High praise of the first order. Having researched and written about both men in Band of Brothers and Undaunted Courage, Ambrose was uniquely qualified to make such a comparison. When you think about it, the two men's similarities are striking. Both led courageous men into the unknown, faced unforeseen challenges, grueling physical elements, enormous logistical problems and a host of other obstacles, yet both men not only succeeded, they exceeded the expectations of those on either end of their respective chains of command.

It is most likely that an overwhelming percentage of people who read this book, BEYOND BAND OF BROTHERS: THE WAR MEMOIRS OF MAJOR DICK WINTERS, are already fairly familiar with Winter's story, having already read Band of Brothers, seen the Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg movie, or both. That being the likely case, this book is an incredible companion as it fills in gaps and actually allows the reader the benefit of having Dick Winters himself sitting in the chair next to you, relaying the events to you as they unfolded. In fact, if you are taking the time to read this review, you undoubtedly already possess a deep admiration for this great leader and the heroic Americans who made up Easy Company.

Winter's memoirs take you beyond what you already know. You will come away with a deeper understanding of just what made the men of Easy Company so great. Though I must certainly give Ambrose credit for his outstanding book, and Hanks and Spielberg credit for their equally compelling mini-series, this book takes you more into the mind of Winter's himself with enlightened insight as to just what makes him tick.

Remarkable for the story itself, this book hardly stops there. I believe in time, this book will earn a highly deserved place as a staple in leadership training. Leaders come in all walks of life, and there is an endless list to study from. But whether it be the likes of Jack Welch's or Lee Iacocca's approach to business leadership, Dr. DeBakke's pioneering leadership in heart transplants or Bill Walsh's ability to turn a seemingly endless list of assistant coaches into NFL head coaches, you would be hard pressed to glean more bare bones knowledge on leadership than you will take from this book. Have I gotten my point across that this is truly a masterpiece?

The Western World will forever owe a debt of gratitude to the men of the 506th PIR for what they endured and the legacy they have left in their wake. We owe these men our respect and honor. You owe it to yourself to read this book. You will accomplish much by reading this book. You will enhance your knowledge and understanding, but more importantly, you will finish this book with the desire to be a better a person.

Monty Rainey

www.juntosociety.com