Best Selling Books by Stephen E. Ambrose

Van D-Day tot Berlijn begint op 7 juni 1944 op de stranden van Normandië en eindigt op 7 mei 1945, de dag dat Duitsland capituleert en er een einde komt aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Stephen E. Ambrose vertelt de geschiedenis van de geallieerde legers tijdens hun moeizame tocht van de Normandische stranden naar Duitsland en maakt daarbij gebruik van honderden interviews en nagelaten verhalen, van de generale staf (Eisenhower, Bradley en Patton) tot de gewone soldaten en de Duitsers die tegen hen vochten. Ambrose brengt hun ervaringen op unieke wijze weer tot leven.

Legendární historik druhé světové války Stephen E. Ambrose v knize Den D 6. 6. 1944 – Vrcholná bitva druhé světové války vychází z 1 400 ústních výpovědí mužů, kteří se v červnu 1944 zúčastnili invaze do Francie. Poprvé tak odhaluje, že celý složitý plán byl málem zrušen ještě dříve, než vůbec padl první výstřel. Pravdivá historie v autorově podání pojednává o občanech vojácích (nižších důstojnících a řadových vojácích), kteří, jakmile si uvědomili, že se ocitli ve zcela jiné situaci, než na jakou je připravovali, se na vlastní pěst chopili iniciativy, aby prolomili Hitlerův Atlantický val. Kniha obsahuje strhující popisy bojů na plážích Omaha a Utah, které vycházejí z informací poskytnutých americkými, britskými, kanadskými, francouzskými a německými veterány, vládními i soukromými archivy. Autor, význačný americký vojenský historik a obdivuhodný vypravěč, podává na stránkách této knihy příběh nejdůležitějšího dne v dějinách 20. století.

In the bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, Stephen E. Ambrose portrayed in vivid detail the experiences of soldiers who fought on the bloody battlegrounds of World War II. THE WILD BLUE brings to life another extraordinary band of brothers - the men who volunteered to join the American Air Force and undertook some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war. Focusing on the men of the 741st Bomb Squadron and, in particular, the crew of the DAKOTA QUEEN, these are the boys turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators and gunners of the B24s, who suffered 50 per cent casualties during conflict. With his extraordinary talent for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose sweeps us along in the B24s as their crews fought to the death to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine.

A Easy Company, 506.o Regimento de Infantaria Pára-Quedista do Exército Norte-Americano, foi uma das melhores companhias de fuzileiros do mundo. ''Band of Brothers'' é o relato sobre os homens dessa unidade que combateram, passaram fome, sofreram com o frio e morreram. Uma equipe que teve 150% de baixas e considerava a medalha Purple Heart um distintivo. Baseando-se em horas de entrevistas com sobreviventes, bem como nos diários e nas cartas dos soldados, Stephen Ambrose conta a história desse notável grupo, que sempre recebia as missões mais difíceis, sendo responsável por tudo, do salto de pára-quedas na França nas primeiras horas da manhã do Dia D à captura do Ninho da Águia, a fortaleza de Hitler em Berchtesgaden. De seu rigoroso treinamento na Geórgia, em 1942, ao Dia D e à vitória dos Aliados, Ambrose teceu uma narrativa primorosa, com riqueza de detalhes, sobre as características dos soldados de infantaria de elite, transcrevendo no decorrer da obra as próprias palavras e depoimentos dos combatentes, o que dá mais veracidade à trama.

Parachutée dans l''arrière-pays normand la veille du D-Day, la Compagnie E contribue à bloquer la contre-offensive allemande, malgré un nombre élevé de pertes et la violence des combats, Après une mission aéroportée en Hollande, ces hommes, retranchés à Bastogne, contiennent une fois encore des forces très supérieures en nombre. Puis c''est l''avancée victorieuse à travers l''Allemagne et l''Autriche... Stephen E. Ambrose - le grand historien de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale - dresse un portrait saisissant de cette unité de GI''s, et nous livre un remarquable témoignage sur cette incroyable aventure humaine.

Stephen E. Ambrose''s classic New York Times bestseller and inspiration for the acclaimed HBO series about Easy Company, the ordinary men who became the World War II''s most extraordinary soldiers at the frontlines of the war''s most critical moments. Featu-ring a foreword from Tom Hanks. They came together, citizen soldiers, in the summer of 1942, drawn to Airborne by the $50 monthly bonus and a desire to be better than the other guy. And at its peak--in Holland and the Ardennes--Easy Company was as good a rifle company as any in the world. From the rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to the disbanding in 1945, Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of this remarkable company. In combat, the reward for a job well done is the next tough assignment, and as they advanced through Europe, the men of Easy kept getting the tough assignments. They parachuted into France early D-Day morning and knocked out a battery of four 105 mm cannon looking down Utah Beach; they parachuted into Holland du-ring the Arnhem campaign; they were the Battered Bastards of the Bastion of Bas-togne, brought in to hold the line, although surrounded, in the Battle of the Bulge; and then they spearheaded the counteroffensive. Finally, they captured Hitler''s Bavarian outpost, his Eagle''s Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were rough-and-ready guys, battered by the Depression, mistrustful and sus-picious. They drank too much French wine, looted too many German cameras and watches, and fought too often with other GIs. But in training and combat they lear-ned selflessness and found the closest brotherhood they ever knew. They discove-red that in war, men who loved life would give their lives for them. This is the story of the men who fought, of the martinet they hated who trained them well, and of the captain they loved who led them. E Company was a company of men who went hungry, froze, and died for each other, a company that took 150 percent casualties, a company where the Purple Heart was not a medal--it was a badge of office.