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Vanguard of the Crusade: The 101st Airborne Division in World War II Hardcover – June 1, 2003

by Mark Bando (Author)

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Contents. In an age of exaggeration and hype, when words like "great," "famous," and "legendary" are often used to describe the ordinary and slightly-above-average, it is difficult to describe the truly special. Further, when so much has been written about a subject, it is hard to find fresh perspectives and new ways to approach it.

With Vanguard of the Crusade, author Mark Bando has accomplished just these things. Through decades of painstakingly collecting and verifying first-hand accounts of some of the fiercest fighting in the European Theater, he has illuminated the personal experiences of the members of this truly and justly famous American airborne division. From their baptism of fire in the advance echelon of Operation Overlord, to capturing the first objectives of Operation Market-Garden, and defiantly holding the key crossroads at Bastogne during the German Ardennes Offensive, the exploits of the "Screaming Eagles" are expertly recounted in this heavily-illustrated single volume.

Expanding significantly on the author's previous work, Vanguard of the Crusade includes dozens of previously unpublished, rare photos as well as significantly enhanced versions of photos which have appeared in some of his works before. Historians, buffs, reenactors, and collectors alike will be fascinated by the extensive new sections about airborne equipment and parachutists' uniforms, as well as the all-new special feature segments about the major German formations defeated by the 101st in its campaigns in France, Holland, and Belgium. Ten brand new, highly-detailed maps based directly on primary source documents also support the text, which, like Bando's previous works, draws heavily on vividly-recounted, authentic anecdotes gleaned from the airborne veterans themselves.

Significance More than any of the other combatant forces in the Second World War, the US Army standardized its divisions' organization, training, and doctrine. This allowed unparalleled flexibility of employment and a consistency of battlefield performance rivaled by the tactical forces of no other army. Airborne divisions, on the other hand, were the closest thing the US Army had to specially trained and organized "assault" units, designed specifically for striking behind enemy lines and holding key terrain while isolated and cut off.

The 101st Airborne Division thus required and attracted a special kind of soldier, of whom unusual-and deadly-demands were made routinely, in training as well as combat. By chronicling the Division's combat experience through the eyes and in the words of its soldiers themselves, Vanguard of the Crusade provides priceless insights into what made this division so distinctive and the traditions it built so worthy. Perhaps one of their own, Private First Class Tex McMorries, put it best, "The best and toughest of the paratroopers were cold, fearless killers, who went to great extremes to kill the enemy." Vanguard of the Crusade is their story.

Told without a shred of sentimentality, but with an implicit and profound respect for the paratroopers and glidermen who wore the Screaming Eagle patch, the book captures the spirit and the deeds of the Division which, from Normandy to Holland to the Ardennes, was the vanguard-and a bulwark-of the Crusade in Europe.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The Aberjona Press
Publication date

June 1, 2003
Dimensions

8.5 x 0.75 x 11 inches
ISBN-10

0971765006
ISBN-13

978-0971765009
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great book...[the author] vividly recounts the veterans' stories." -- 39/45 Magazine (France)

"Like reading the best parts of 100 veterans war stories while paging through their scrapbooks. What could be more absorbing?" -- World War II Magazine, January 2004

"This enthralling saga...accented by hundreds of mesmerizing photos, showcases the wartime accomplishments of the Screaming Eagles." -- World War II History Magazine, November 2005

About the Author

Mark Bando is the well-known author of three previous books about the 101st Airborne Division in World War II and of Breakout at Normandy: The 2d Armored Division in the Land of the Dead. Expanding on his previous works, Vanguard of the Crusade is comprehensive, addressing the entire WWII record of the 101st.

The author was born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Michigan, attended Cass Technical High School and later Wayne State University, as a history major. He served 25 years as a uniformed Detroit Police patrol officer, working in five different precincts and spending six years in the citywide Tactical Section, during which he heard many shots fired in anger.

Bando began interviewing World War II veterans of the 101st in 1968 and has continued to 2003, with a running total of over 930 interviews. This lifelong pursuit grew out of a recognition of the superior battlefield performance of the WWII 101st and their resulting legendary historical status. His quest has been not only to record their exceptional experiences for posterity, but also to study the combat paratroopers to discover the reasons for their great successes in battle. Uniquely, Bando has focused almost exclusively on the 101st for three decades, providing his books an abundance of rich, untold stories and a depth of detail which other researchers simply cannot match.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Aberjona Press; First Edition (June 1, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0971765006
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0971765009
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.6 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.75 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,665,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #26,349 in World War II History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
30 ratings

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Robert A. Cook, Jr.

A comprehensive World War II history of the U.S. Army's famous 101st Airborne Division.

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

Historian and author Mark Bando, an expert on the paratroopers and glidermen of the "Screaming Eagles" of the U.S. Army's famous 101st Airborne Division, has written a comprehensive history of that division and it's men during the Second World War. Bando interviewed more than 1,000 veterans of 101st over the years, and chronicles their experiences in training, preparing for combat, and in combat in Normandy, Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, and Southern Germany. Illustrated with many b&w photos, this is the very best one-volume book on the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Highly recommended.

Helpful

John E. Larsen

2nd Edition 2013 - Even more epic

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2013

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This is the long awaited reprint of Mark Bando's epic account of the 101st Airborne Division in WW2. I just missed out on the earlier edition and I've been avidly waiting for it to become available again (and had to go through quite a process, being sent the French edition twice!) Bando has been strongly interested in the 101st for decades and has conducted hundreds of interviews with its veterans. This book covers the 101st from its formation to the end of WW2.

The crux of the book is the epic battles the 101st fought against the German army, starting with the legendary jumps into Normandy and Holland before the epic stand at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge. It is primarily a book about these battles and let there be no illusion about what this means. This is no sanitized, politically correct puff, the combat stories contained are frequently extremely graphic. There is a lot of brutality in war and here the veterans and Bando spell it out in absolute clarity. The fighting is very savage and the effect of weapons on flesh and bone is terrible. It is the reality of war that some men become adept at it and I think one of the strengths of Bando's work is that he doesn't apologise for this. Rather he is clear that winning battles means killing the enemy and he gives due credit to those who were proficient enough to do just that. Over the four campaigns, there is a lot of combat and many casualties. This includes atrocities; the killing of prisoners (by both sides) and even examples of torture and sadism.

Yes Burgett and Winters and others well known from their separately published memoirs are here but their contributions form only a minor part of the text. Bando has interviewed almost a 1,000 men from the 101st and the great bulk of the text consists of their exact words, so there is a host of primary material to digest. It's almost impossible to summarise, the trooper wounded seventeen times, the many heroes, the ornery types, some fools and the host of troopers who grimly did their duty and slogged forward every time they were asked. Bando is clearly a trusted confident and many men have revealed a vast range of intimate personal stories about fighting, comradeship and tragedy.

While the book is handsomely presented, the French company who has reissued it has not always got it right. A few times continuity is lost between pages and some passages are missing. There are some typos and most annoying, the potted histories for some of the German divisions that opposed the 101st (listed in an index and a great idea) have been badly mixed around. I also think it would've helped if the numerous first person contributions were more clearly differentiated from the main text but these are all minor quibbles when weighed against the incredible volume and quality of the first hand combat stories and numerous period photos. This book really delivers in terms of revealing the face of battle and even more so the face of the extraordinary American fighting men of the 101st Airborne Division.

5 people found this helpful

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John J.

From the 1000 or so Veterans Mark Bando interviewed years ago. Classic!

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

Mark Bando is without a doubt the most knowledgeable man on the face of the earth as far as the 101st Airborne during WW2 is concerned. Fun and entertaining stories!

One person found this helpful

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sherman49

Good piece of history!

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

Good book, nice read!

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Sandra P.

Very good. Author knows his stuff

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very good. Author knows his stuff.

One person found this helpful

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Wick

Good book, took too long to receive it.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

Book as good as expected. Enjoyed the pictures detailing differences in equipment and clothing patterns. Disappointed in delivery of the purchase. Three weeks from NY to FL way to long.

One person found this helpful

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Diane Sigl

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent price & quality book. Nicer than expected & fast delivery.

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Scott Kretschmer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great history lesson

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Top reviews from other countries

anthony

A broad view

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

Great book it covers way more than you would think. There is a lot of great information about the whole of the Para operations not just the narrow view you get by focusing on the Band of Brothers point of view.

Mark

Good condition well packed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Very happy with purchase

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book; excellent documented!

Eduard van Praag

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2014

Verified Purchase

good

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Vanguard of the Crusade: The 101st Airborne Division in World War II Hardcover – June 1, 2003

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