Victors [Paperback]

Stephen E Ambrose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2004

From Utah bridge to The Bulge and on to Hitler's Eagle's nest in Germany, Ambrose describes the momentous events of the war until the final days when the Allied soldiers pushed the German troops out of France, chased them across Germany, and destroyed the Nazi regime, making this the definitive history of the Second World War. At the centre of this epic drama are the citizen soldiers, the boys who became men as they fought and rose to the occasion, proving eventually unbeatable. THE VICTORS displays Ambrose's scholarship and authority, his readability, and the powerful love and admiration for these young men that make his books on war so moving and popular.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Harry Crumpacker St. Petersburg Times No historian writing today understands and empathizes with the World Ware II generation of Americans better than Stephen Ambrose...Reading this book will leave only a profound understanding of an undeniable truth. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Stephen E. Ambrose, leading World War II historian, was the author of numerous books on history including the Number 1 bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY (on which SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was based) PEGASUS BRIDGE and WILD BLUE. He is founder of the Eisenhower Center and the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He died in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743492420
• ISBN-13: 978-0743492423
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #641,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers are: Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage.He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about keeping an audience engaged is put best in his own words: "As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next." Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-Day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board. His talents have not gone unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. He has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding narrative., January 11, 2000

By 

Hector - See all my reviews

This review is from: The VICTORS : Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II (Paperback)

This is the first book that I've read from Stephen Ambrose and I thought it was remarkable. Ambrose takes us from the battles in North Africa all the way to the German surrender on May 7th 1945. One thing that I truly enjoyed about this book is; Ambrose gives a complete picture of the war, from the orders made by Eisenhower and his staff, to the captains, sergeants and privates who had to carry out those orders. I'll end this review with a passage from the book, which most touched me.

"At the core, the American citizen soldiers knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn't want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought, and won, and we all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful."

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good narrative history, June 30, 2000

By 

James T. King (Chagrin Falls, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The VICTORS : Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II (Paperback)

Stephen Ambrose's "The Victors" is mainly a showcase for the reminiscences of those involved in D-Day and the campaigns which followed, ending finally with the taking of Berlin. As a historian, Ambrose's voice and expertise are most apparent in detailing the early stages of the assault's planning, as he provides insights into the personalities (and distinct styles) of Eisenhower, Patton, Montgomery, et al. The telling is most poignant when it reveals -- in tired, frightened messages composed in the fields of battle -- the plain truths of war for the loved ones back home. My single complaint about this book is its lack of maps; only two are provided, with the second one being an impossible hodge-podge of all the Allied movements between D-Day and VE Day.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a great piece of work!, August 30, 2000

By 

Fontaine "Reese88" (Northern Va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Victors: Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II (Hardcover)

I agree that this book was composed of some of his other great pieces, but it is definately still a great book. Ambrose follows operation OVERLORD with wonderful description. He not only gives us the facts(once again)but he continues with his great style of writing by taking us into the lives of many young soldiers who were there. Once again, I had the feeling that I knew these people. There were quite a few of them that Ambrose paints a picture of so well that I feel like they were my buddies in high school. Being honest though the author does show some biased sides and every piece of information offered may not be EXACTLY how things were done but I know of not one author that was not there that can paint us a perfectly accurate picture of what happened. Even the men and women that will tell stories that were there seem to sometimes exaggerate or forget things. Overall, Ambrose does a great job with this one though it was mainly bits and pieces from his other books. If you are new to Stephen Ambrose, then this is a good overview book before diving deeper into his realm of writing. Remember in school when they had those 100 level classes that were bits and pieces of the higher level classes? That's what this book is. It's a great intro to his better works. I spent six buck for it and it was definately worth it!!!