Customer Reviews

The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite what other reviewers may have said, I believe this is a much needed addition to any WWII library. Overall 'The Deadly Brotherhood' is a well written book that contains almost everything you need to know about a GI's life during WWII.

The book is divided into sections that discuss a variety of topics from a GI's food and weapons to what it was like to actually face a german tank with a rifle or see 10 screaming japanese running at you with bayonets fixed. It discusses things that most WWII writers assume you already know...For example what is the difference between a C,K, and D ration or between a Schu mine and a bouncing betty? How was the army organized and what exactly are the different types of weapons the GI used? What was the difference between combat in the Pacific and in Germany? Questions such as these and more are answered. True, for the seasoned WWII reader much of this will be common sense knowledge, but for those who want to understand the basics of combat infantry during WWII, this book is for you.

Most importantly, the author tries to stay out of the way and let the vet talk. Most of the book is a comment by the author followed by the quote of a veteran, so you get to hear many stories told here for the first time.

Once again, a great addition to your library...

This book focuses on the World War II infantry soldier. McManus does a great job of balancing facts, context, and individual soldiers' memories of the war, including excellent presentations on soldiers' food, equipment, weapons, fighting conditions, attitudes, leadership, and motivation -- not to mention a detailed refutation of a "scholarly" study of how most soldiers avoided combat.
Now, as one reviewer said, if you've read 100 books on World War II, everything you read on the same subject has some repetition to it. But if you've only read 20 or 25 books, like me -- or if this is going to be your first book on World War II -- this book will be well worth reading.
McManus especially manages to convey that American soldiers were effective and proud, while staying away from the "American soldiers do no wrong and defeat every enemy" fallacy, and avoiding portraying combat as something glorious.
The passages on fatalism were well-done, as soldiers realized that the probable outcomes for them consisted of getting killed, wounded, or captured. Wounding was preferable. One soldier writes, "My glove was blown off and a big spurt of blood reddened the white snow.... I could not believe this had happened to me. I was not meant to be shot. Acceptance came slowly as two medics worked on me. My thoughts turned to good thoughts. I was still alive. I should have been killed. I was OK and I was getting out of this frozen hell." And another soldier reports, "Sgt Glisch came walking by me, heading rearward. There was a hole in his helmet and blood running down his face -- a face that was covered with a boyish grin. That million dollar wound! I felt left out, and wished I had a bullet through an arm or a leg."
If you're interested in human nature, US history, psychology, conflict, armed conflict, warfare, and/or World War II, this is a great book!

There is no fault to find with the personal stories of the combat veterans. The author makes a mistake on page 132 when he says that there were sizeable U.S. surrenders to the Germans at Elsenborn Ridge. He is likely thinking of the surrender of the 106 Div. during the battle of the bulge. The Elsenborn Ridge was held against the Germans by the 99th Div. and there was no surrender.

This book is well written and though provoking. Though this book is not written as a first-hand account,(it tells the stories of many) it is detailed and interesting. Though some think it's uninteresting, this book is not for entertainment, but more for the study of the American combat soldier in WWII. There are funny stories and compelling truths about the grunts who fought in Europe and the Pacific. McManus is one of the professors at my University and teaches a few courses about combat soldiers. He really knows his stuff and this book shows it! I also met a man who was quoted several times in the book, and McManus portrayed him perfectly! For anyone who is truly interested in more than just the story of a few soldiers, this book is a must read!

John McManus has compiled several comments from the men (and women) who were in combat, and creates a very interesting insight into the minds of the soldiers on various details. From the food, to being wounded, he is able, through the words of others, to give us the tale of life as a combat soldier.
My only complaint in his style is I want to hear more from the soldiers. Generally a short paragraph is taken and together with other narratives, form the story. He pulls it together very well, and I enjoyed the book. 'Worth reading' at the very least, 'worth owning' as well.

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Well-researched, well-written, well-edited (Presidio Press; did you expect anything less?), eminently readable, smartly considered, badly needed.

If you consider yourself a good student of American military history, you have no excuse for failing to get this book into your hands.

None whatsoever.

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"The Deadly Brotherhood" by John C. McManus. Subtitled: "The American Combat Soldier In World War II".
Ballantine Books, New York 2003.

The author, Historian John C. McManus, has worked diligently and has done a great deal of research to compile in one place the whole spectrum of experiences endured by the American combat soldier in World War II. He breaks the book into two parts, the first dealing with the environment, ("The World Of The Combat Soldier") and the second half of the book dealing with the human angle, ("The Soul Of The Combat Soldier"). Throughout this compendium, the author has condensed the feelings and experiences of the combat solider into brief anecdotes concerning the particular issue at hand. So, you will see comments from a soldier on how good the food was (see page 16) and then, remarks on how the American wounded were treated (see Chapter 6, "Becoming A Casualty"). John McManus does address the feelings of the American fighting man towards their German and Japanese enemies, and he compiles and condenses their comments in two separate chapters. A lot of work went into this book.

Having said that, I would point out that, in my humble opinion, the author favors the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) and further, favors the United States Army. I do no think that he has done enough to understand the U. S. Marine. For example, on page 160, McManus quietly states that the term ..."'corpsman', as marines called medics" was used in the Pacific. First, "Marines" should always be capitalized. Secondly, McManus appears to miss the tradition of the U. S. Marines. As sea born soldiers, they would strike their target (say, the Barbary Pirates in 1803), and then return to their ships with the Marine wounded and dead. The Marines depended upon U. S. Navy personnel for medical attention...the "corpsman". One of the men raising the flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, February 23 1945, was a Navy corpsman. Finally, I do no think that the author mentions the orders of then Colonel "Chesty" Puller, USMC, concerning the treatment of Jap prisoners. It is in the biography of General Puller, whose face graced an American Postage Stamp in 2005. So, I would give this book four stars.

This book is great becaus it is loaded with many chapters that each tell a topic about the great war. It tells a story in not one, but many soldiers opinions.

John C McManus is a military history professor and author of some renown. Though he has many books under his belt, The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II is his first, and in this reviewers opinion, his best. While McManus' subsequent books have been good sellers and garnished praise, The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II is a tour de force study of the American GI and his experiences in the Second World War. Casual readers of WWII historiography may not take to this book readily but the more seasoned student will likely devour it. Few studies of this sort and caliber have been made (Peter Mansoor's Gi Offensive in Europe the Triumph of American In representing probably one of the very best) and for that McManus certainly deserves praise.

The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II is divided into two major parts: 1) 'The World of the Combat Soldier' and 2) "The Soul of the Combat Soldier'. In the first part McManus systematically leads the reader through a description of who the 'citizen soldiers' were who formed the US Army in WWII; how they trained, what they ate, and their instruments of trade; what is was like to fight in Europe vs Asia; what the fighting was like; and what it was like becoming a casualty. All of this is done through first-person stories and insightful analysis by McManus. In the second part of the book McManus tries to give the reader a sense of who the American GI was on a human level, how his morals influenced how and why he fought, how his prejudices influenced his fighting, and why the 'brotherhood' of the average infantry grunt is so important to survival and success. It is in this second section of the book that McManus really truly excels and is likely to hook the more studious.

All in all this is a 4.5 star book for content and prose. Highly recommended, especially to serious students of WWII, military history and battle performance.

I picked this book up a few years ago and finally got around to reading it this year. It's a highly informative collection of anecdotes from American soldiers during World War II, covering various aspects of combat, training, reviews of weapons and differences between the two main theatres of war. Some of the more mundane parts concern the equipping and feeding of American troops, but overall this book provides quite a bit of insight into many aspects of the lives of American soldiers. If you're looking for a book with nothing but combat, this won't be the book for you. But if you're looking for something which covers a wide range of experiences from soldiers, rangers, paratroopers and marines this is a pretty good read.