The Short Version
If Band of Brothers left you wanting more, this one’s for you. Six books to read next, all true stories.
I picked them for what Band of Brothers does best: ordinary men, told up close, in their own words, with the big battles in the background.
Beyond Band Of Brothers
Number one: Beyond Band of Brothers, the war memoirs of Major Dick Winters, written with Cole Kingseed, from twenty oh six.
It’s the same story, told by the man at its center. Quieter and more modest than Ambrose, and full of his thoughts on leadership. If you only pick one, pick this.
Brothers In Battle, Best Of Friends
Number two: Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends, by Bill Guarnere and Edward Heffron, with Robyn Post, from twenty oh seven.
Two Easy Company sergeants from South Philadelphia tell it their way, funny, rough and blunt. Pick it for the view from the ranks.
Citizen Soldiers
Number three: Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen E. Ambrose himself, from nineteen ninety seven.
It zooms out from one company to the whole American army, from Normandy to the end of the war. Pick it for the bigger picture, in the same style.
The Longest Day
Number four: The Longest Day, by Cornelius Ryan, from nineteen fifty nine.
It’s the classic hour by hour account of D-Day, from paratroopers, generals, French villagers and Germans. Pick it if the Normandy chapters were your favorite.
With The Old Breed
Number five: With the Old Breed, by E. B. Sledge, from nineteen eighty one.
A young Marine’s memoir of Peleliu and Okinawa, in the Pacific. It’s darker and more brutal than Band of Brothers, and it’s one of the books behind HBO’s The Pacific.
Unbroken
Number six: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, from twenty ten.
The true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner whose bomber went down in the Pacific, and who survived the ocean and then the prison camps. Pick it for one unforgettable life.
How To Choose
So, how to choose. For Winters himself, Beyond Band of Brothers. For the sergeants’ side, Brothers in Battle. For the big picture, Citizen Soldiers.
For D-Day, The Longest Day. For the Pacific war, With the Old Breed. And for one man’s survival story, Unbroken.
Your Turn
Which one are you reading first? Tell me in the comments. My review and the book versus series comparison are linked below.
