Customer Reviews

Tonight We Die As Men: The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day (General Military)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nearly everyone knows the exploits of the "Band of Brothers" of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This book covers the much less exposed Third Battalion of the 506th PIR.

Combining personal, first-person recollections of surviving veterans with details unearthed in several years of research, authors Ian Gardner and Roger Day cover the Third Battalion from training in Georgia and England, into action in France.

Written in an easy to read style, the story is not burdened with footnotes to draw away the reader's attention but instead utilizes frequent pull-quotes. These attributed quotes provide the referential validity that supports the accuracy of the narrative. There is also a short bibliography at the end. Six sections of photographs cover the entire timeline of the story. Clear and concise maps provide geographic context for the action.

This book will appeal to a broad range of readers from those casually interested in history, to D-Day enthusiasts, to serious historians seeking a clear and accurate account of a specific unit within the massive D-Day universe.

I highly recommend this book - you will want it in your D-Day collection!

This book is a crisp and engaging mix of historical detail and personal narratives that moves at a brisk pace. The story of the 3rd Battalion, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment is one of sacrifice, tragedy and bloody triumph. Personal asides and humor keep the account on a human scale, which the authors manage to balance with a bird's eye view of the hard realities of vigorous training and combat. An overall narrative emerges as the account progresses, without being forced. The narrative threads really come together with the events of June 6, 1944 and the following days, as eyewitness accounts of veterans and French civilians are interlaced with careful analysis of the 3rd Battalion's mission to hold the bridges on the Douve River and subsequent actions in Normandy. Gardner and Day illustrate how these well trained enlisted men, non-coms and junior officers quickly adapted to a grim and chaotic situation, where most of the battalion's leadership were killed or captured.
Tonight We Die As Men is an important addition to the airborne canon and stands alone as a fine World War 2 read.

After a lifetime of researching my Uncle Jim, who was killed in Normandy, I have purchased the book written by Ian Garnder and Roger Day. I was overwhelmed by the depth and first hand accounts of this history. I learned how my uncle was killed....which was not how his mother and sister thought he had died. They thought he was killed before even hitting the ground. In reality not only had he landed safely near his drop zone, he made his way to the bridges (which we now know where they REALLY are) and was killed in the process of leading others safely to the bridge. Whenever I read D-Day accounts, I always put a book down after the boys jumped from the plane, thinking there was no point to read any further because Uncle Jimmy would be dead, but by reading on I found out so much more, and even though he did die (no matter how many times I re-read it, hoping for a different outcome) I could follow his buddies through the end of he war. This is a definite read. Definite!

Upon reading renown 101st Airborne Division historian Mark Bando's glowing Introduction to Ian Gardner and Roger Day's Tonight We Die As Men: The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day (General Military) this reviewer thought he in for an amazing read. Unfortunately, the pay-off was not quite as great as the build-up suggested. This is not to say that Tonight We Die As Men: The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day (General Military) is a poor book, quite the contrary, it's a really good book, just not as amazing as this reviewer was expecting.

Most casual readers of Second World War history are familiar with the 101st Airborne Division through the "Band of Brothers" - E Company (Co)/506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) - made famous by Stephen Ambrose and the splendid HBO series based on Ambrose's book (Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest). However, there were nine other companies in the 506th PIR: A, B and C (comprising 1st Bn); D and F (together with E comprising 2nd Bn); G, H, and I (comprising 3rd Bn); and HQ Co. Over the course of 321 pp. Gardner and Day present a compelling story of the 3rd Battalion (Bn)/506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR)/101st Airborne Infantry Division in WWII; from its inception and training (Chapts. 1-3) to time its actions associated with the invasion of the Normandy coast in June-July of 1944 (Chapts. 4-13) and return to England before preparation for its next `jump' (Chapt. 14). In their single page Epilogue, Gardner and Day discuss the 506th PIR from Operation MARKET-GARDEN to its current deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. As one can see from the chapter outline above, the majority of the book is dedicated to D-Day and immediate post-D-Day actions of the 3rd Bn/506th PIR. From a standpoint of basic historiography Gardner and Day score big points for their work to generate a 3rd Bn/506th PIR history, giving G, H and I Companies of the 506th their day in the sun. Thus, Tonight We Die As Men: The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day (General Military) is a new and informative piece of work.

Where Gardner and Day fall down is not with the content of their book, but rather on occasion with their presentation of that content. The story they present is at most points quite engaging, moving from one action to the next (temporally and spatially) with ease, and at other times fairly choppy and hard to follow. This may reflect the generation of prose by two writers, but whatever the reason the books flow is uneven. Thus, despite the splendid new information and unit history that is present in the text, reading it can be tedious now and again. Add to that some editorial errors (e.g., reference on p. 279 to a map on p. 226, which is actually on p. 282). Yet, if readers can stick with the 333 pp. of prose from start to finish they will be rewarded with a decent historiography.

Tonight We Die As Men: The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day (General Military) is a solid piece of history that provides plenty of new insights into the actions of the 101st Airborne Division in WWII. Four and one-half stars for historical content, 3 stars for readability, and 4 stars total.

We all tip our hats to Stephen Ambrose for introducing us to the insanely brave exploits of the 101st Airborne on D-Day. For readers looking for a deeper perspective on the 101st, Tonight We Die as Men is an excellent start. It follows the 3rd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, from their first day at Toccoa to the end of their mission in Normandy. The 3/506 took the greatest casualties of any battalion on D-Day, 93, and achieved their mission of holding the Germans at two strategically located bridges near Carentan. They also fought bravely at the Bloody Gully. This is their story.

This book is written from the point of view of those who have fought and bled during the 20th century's most impactful event. Tonight We Die As Men brings you behind enemy lines during the invasion of Normandy.
From training in Toccoa, GA to D-Day itself, the authors chronicle the heroic deeds of the men the Screaming Eagle's 3/506 PIR in the veterans' own words. Tonight We Die as Men starts gently with humorous soldier stories and personal experiences from training camps. The pace really picks up as the men of 3/506 embark for Normandy. Thrilling and powerful.
This book reveals the struggles and accomplishments of some of our nation's greatest warriors beyond that of the Band of Brothers of Easy company; showing that the war was won by more than the deeds of one group of soldiers.

Tonight We Die As Men is an easy read that both the novice and expert should both enjoy. The authors of the book have researched the subject thoroughly. The stories they have recorded from the men who were there range from the training they had to endure, to life in Ramsebury and the battles in France. One of things I like the most is the accounts from the civilians, both english and french, it gives a different perspective of the events. For me this is the first book that tells my fathers story. From the events leading up to his capture to, like most of the POW accounts in this book, his experiences at Starvation Hill. The photos and maps along with the writing style make this one of the better first hand accounts of D-Day.

As a world war 2 history buff,this is one of the best books i've read. Its easy to follow and concise and focuses on Shames platoon. The authors know the history of the areas where battle took place as well as the men of the unit and its a must read to anyone interested in D-Day, the Airborne, Band of Brothers or World War 2 in general.

This is a book about the brave men of the 101st Airborne.
A story about a battalion that is not that well known, but has fought just as hard.

"Tonight we die as men".
The title alone says it all.
Readers will learn where the title of the book comes from, and it makes so much sense after reading the stories in here.
Personal stories about US paratroopers who jumped into France by parachute during the night of 5-6 June, 1944. D-Day. Some of them died right away. Some of them drowned. Some of them got wounded. Some of them managed to stay alive, and tell their stories. Ian Gardner brought these stories to life in a great way of writing.
This book tells the tales of the young men who landed in the fields nearby the little farms and bridges just south of St Come du Mont. All the seperate battles that raged on in this small part of Normandy, are quite unknown, and that is what makes this book a very interesting read.

The book starts with the stories that lead up to D-Day. Young men volunteering for the Airborne units, going through the rough training, and being shipped over to England, staying at Ramsbury.
Detailed information about life in this small village, and the time leading up to D-Day.
Then the paratroopers of 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne hear their objectives:
To capture and secure the bridges over the river Douve.

The men get ready for action, and take off from England, and jump into the fields of Normandy, France.
What follows in the book then, are amazing true stories by survivors who were there.
Ian Gardner digged up facts that have been forgotten or misunderstood for decades. Reading the personal stories from the soldiers, the people who lived in the farms and villages, combined with detailed background information, maps and beautiful photographs, make this book very hard to put down.
I received the book 2 days before I left to visit Normandy, end of May 2009. I kept on reading it, and became fascinated by the actions described in the book. Right there in Normandy, I visited the places that are mentioned in this book. Being there, and reading the book, made this story come to life.
I can't wait to be back in Normandy again, and walk around these areas again.
There is also a DVD available to get even more information about these actions that is very well worth the buy as well.

In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have ever read on Airborne actions. Truly a must for anyone who is interested in D-Day objectives, 506th, or Airborne units and actions.
Ian Gardner is a great writer, and did a great job in getting all this information. His style of writing is clear, and explains everything very well. While I was reading the book, I completely forgot everything around me, and it felt like I was one of the men over there in Normandy.
A must read in my opinion.

A superb book. This book is not only a fantastic account of 3/506 in Normandy, but also adds signficantly to the historical record. Nowhere else will you find such a clear presentation of the battles for the Douve River bridges and the Battle of Bloody Gully. Fantastic work.

The writing here is also notably impressive. It manages to present an entertaining and readable narrative that is also very clear on the history and the relevant specifics. That is no small feat, and an extremely rare one amongst this type of book. Very seldom did I find myself having to lookup bits of information from other sources. And the included maps are extremly clear and to the point. Clearly a lot of work and rigor went into this book, and it is much appreciated.