Saving Private Ryan: Tie In (Paperback)

by Max Allan Collins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
June 6, 1944. Military forces converge on the beaches of Normandy for one of the most decisive battles of World War II. America would call it a victory. History would call it D-Day. But for Captain John Miler and his squad of young soldiers, this fateful day would become something much more. Washington has sent them on a personal mission to save one life. One paratrooper missing in action. One soldier who has already lost three brothers in the war. Captain Miller and his men quickly realize this is not a simple rescue operation. It is a test of their honor and their duty. Their sole obsession - and their last hope for redemption. In a war of devastating proportions, saving one life could make all the difference in the world Other books about World War II

Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Open market ed edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451197275
• ISBN-13: 978-0451197276
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #603,741 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The movie is better, April 23, 2000

By	Patrick King (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As other reviewers have noted, we expect books to be better than the movie they cover. This is certainly not the case with Saving Private Ryan. It almost seems like the author was in such a hurry to finish the book ( to coincide with the release of the movie ), that he had no time to proof-read or research his subject. I found numerous little quirks that, although minor, added up to make the book a less than perfect reflection of one of the best movies of all time. Just a couple of examples ; Capt. Miller has to cut the pack off a drowning soldier in order to lessen his weight, then, within a few paragraphs, is hauling this same soldier out of the water by the same straps he cut off minutes before. The author also describes the shoulder patch of the 101st Airborne as " the blue and red double-A". The reference he is making is to the 82nd Airborne, not the "Screaming Eagle" patch of the 101st. Minor, maybe, but to me it shows a lack of research into the subject matter. I wonder if the book would have been better if Dale Dye ( the military advisor of the movie and an author himself ) had been given the go to write it. Unfortunatly, we'll never know.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All those guys had names, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

Having read this novel through several times...one of the most poignant, if salient, points it makes is that the fellows with Private Ryan defending the Alamo all had names and hometowns. They all had mothers, families, and were as anxious to get through the war as anyone else. This excellent book also fills in a lot of the missing details that for some reason were edited from the movie. For instance, we see the Miller's squad drive away in a Jeep... then they are walking. In the movie, so much happens that it is easy to overlook this gap. Also, when Wade is shot, the book explains much better how it happened. In the film, you have to wonder why Wade didn't stay behind instead of Upham. For those of us who have seen the film over and over, it's likely we'll want to read the book over and over too. And that's part of the joy in this book. Great job, Mr. Collins.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saving Fritz Niland!?!?, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

I have seen the movie several times and have ordered the book, because - as we all know too well - the book is always better. Anyway, in the process of reading another "semi-related" text (Band of Brothers, by Stephen Ambrose), I happened upon what I believe to be "Private Ryan". Let me explain. In Ambrose's telling of the history of the E Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne and it's actions at Normandy, a soldier by the name of Fritz Niland discovers that one of his brothers (a member of the 82nd Airborne) was killed on D-Day. Immediately following this discovery, Niland hitches a ride over to the 4th Infantry Division (in the area immediately behind Utah Beach) to visit with his 2nd brother (a platoon leader), presumably to inform him of the 1st brother's death. Once in contact with the 4th Infantry he discovers that the 2nd brother was also KIA on D-Day, on Utah beach (aka Sean Ryan). Upon return to E Company (506th/101st Airborne), he is confronted by Chaplain Sampson who informs him that his 3rd brother (a pilot in the Burma/China theatre) was killed the previous week. He is informed that the Army wants him escorted from the combat zone immediately, and flown back to the States. Mrs. Niland received all 3 letters from the War Department on the SAME day!

This HAS to be the story that Saving Private Ryan is based upon. As I recall, in the movie - Ryan was in the 506th of the 101st! And, his 3rd brother did die in the Asian theatre the previous week. Fritz Niland has got to be Private Ryan.

Perhaps this is of little interest to those of you who love this story as much as I do, but I thought it worth relaying, nonetheless, because for me atleast, it adds weight and truth to a story that has already touched me profoundly. I had two Uncles on Omaha Beach that costly June morning in 1944. Both were medics. One survived the D-Day landing and the war. The other never made it off the beach.