Strike and Hold: A Memoir of the 82nd Airborne in World War II [Hardcover]

T. Moffatt Burriss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2000

This fast-moving memoir of T. Moffatt Burriss shows his extraordinary role as a platoon leader and company commander with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Europe and North Africa during World War II. He saw a great deal of combat on Sicily, at Salerno, on Anzio Beach, in Holland during Operation Market Garden, and during the drive into Germany. This book portrays World War II as seen vividly through the eyes of the young American citizen-soldier.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A very inspiring book . . .a quick read and filled with action.” -- On Point

“written with freshness, reflection, and humor, earning justified praise for the author’s courage and his pen.” -- The State

About the Author

T. Moffatt Burriss is a former South Carolina State legislator. He lives near Columbia, South Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (July 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574882589
• ISBN-13: 978-1574882582
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strike And Hold, November 20, 2000

By 

Phillip Nordyke (McKinney, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strike and Hold: A Memoir of the 82nd Airborne in World War II (Hardcover)

I found Mr. Burriss' book to be very compelling. His book gives the reader background information regarding the circumstances that led to the writing of this book. He gives his perspective then and now regarding his participation in some of history's greatest battles and the 504th PIR's greatest feats of arms. He gives the reader who is not intimately familiar with military history an overview of the campaigns of the 82nd Airborne in Sicily, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. But, in order to give the reader a picture of what life was like as a platoon and company commander with arguably the best division in World War II, he relates his first hand experiences and those of others who fought with him in a very well written manner.

Unlike Mr. Gudmens, I found Mr. Burriss' combination of his first hand experiences along with that of others, his perspectives then and now, and an overall picture of campaigns to be very useful in getting a fuller picture of what happened during combat against German forces.

Every combat veteran will remember certain aspects of a firefight, artillery barrage, attack, etc., while another who was there will remember things differently. Mr. Burriss' is thoughtful enough to include the accounts of others who were there in order to give the reader the benefit of multiple perspectives.

His book begins with his journey after 50 years to the battlefields of his youth. There he visits the places where he and his men fought with incredible bravery against, in many cases, overwhelming odds. Mr. Burriss visits the graves of his men in Italy, Holland, and Belgium, whose bravery still serve to inspire him today. He tells of the poignant reenactment of the crossing of the Waal River in Holland and the appreciation of the Dutch people who, even today are extremely grateful for what the Americans sacrificed so that they could be free of German oppression. It makes one wonder about why there is not a similiar feeling among Americans regarding our freedom and the price paid in blood to maintain it.

Mr. Burriss gives the reader his background before the war, the training as an original member of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the journey to North Africa, and the subsequent campaigns in Sicily, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and Germany.

His first hand description of the battle at Anzio when his battalion stopped a German Panzer breakthrough that threatened to push the Allies into the sea, the courageous assault crossing of the Waal River to capture the railroad and highway bridges in Nijmegen in arguably the greatest feat of arms in WWII, and the clash with the 1st SS Panzer Division in the Battle of the Bulge are priceless. Mr. Burriss tells of how his lightly armed men fought and destroyed superior numbers of German infantry and armor time and time again, but at a very heavy loss of some of the best men that America has ever produced.

The last page of the book, which is very poignant, reveals the real reason why Mr. Burriss wrote it. Any citizen that wants their children to know the real price of freedom should buy this book.

I purchased additional copies for my sons and my brother, and intend to purchase additional copies for the town's library and high school.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent first-hand account, December 19, 2000

By 

R. Charles Petch (Grass Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike and Hold: A Memoir of the 82nd Airborne in World War II (Hardcover)

Strike and Hold follows the author and his unit in the 82nd Airborne from the invasion of Sicily to Italy, to Operation Market Garden in Holland, to the Battle of the Bulge, and the conquest of Germany and Berlin. It is a personal account of the day to day battles fought by Captain Burriss and his comrades in the foxholes. His memories of each battle are detailed and vivid, and he supplements them with extended passages written by other soldiers who fought by his side. Each major battle is covered extensively, and the book ends with his return to Holland in 1994 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the Waal River.

The book has a very personal feel to it, as Burriss holds very little back. He doesn't say much about high level strategy, but tells the story of the everyday foot soldier slugging it out with the Germans under the most miserable conditions imaginable. His story reads very much like Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldier, except that Burriss was there himself, and all of the contributors whom he quotes at length were there with him. I cannot emphasize enough what an excellent personal account this is.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "ALL THE WAY", January 29, 2004

By 

yessca - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strike and Hold : A Memoir of the 82d Airborne in World War II (Paperback)

This book is about the missions of the 82d though out Operation Market Garden and other battles of the war. It follows a Plt. Leader, Burris on his accounts. The book had a very different feel than other war books. Burris gives accounts that he remembers and he also gives accounts of what other parratoopers saw, giving a true and honest approach. The book covers a small part of Operation Market, remember it is just following a plt. leader and his men.
The letters he puts in the book shed a new light on things. I like the fact that the letters where not cut down and where printed in their true form.
I liked the book very much and have great respect for Mr. Burris. The book is very easy to read it is not full of all that military jargon like other books.