Rating:  Summary: Personal Account Review: I think the vast majority of the people interested in this book and author are because of his fame from the TV and not as an author. I know this is how I approached this book, I was hopping for the biting humor from his appearances on 60 Minutes but concerned that it would not come through in the written word. What I found when reading the book is that he was representing a different person then the one on TV. He was providing the reader with his experiences during World War 2 in Europe and I found that the writing seemed to come from a much younger and more innocent mind then the current TV personality. Due to this writing style I found that the book was more enjoyable then I expected. The author gives us some very good stories written in a comfortable way that seems more like holding a conversation with a close friend. This book is not for he person looking for page after page of combat action, just the interesting person story of a war reporter that sees a little bit of everything in the European theater.
Rating:  Summary: Personal Account Review: I think the vast majority of the people interested in this book and author are because of his fame from the TV and not as an author. I know this is how I approached this book, I was hopping for the biting humor from his appearances on 60 Minutes but concerned that it would not come through in the written word. What I found when reading the book is that he was representing a different person then the one on TV. He was providing the reader with his experiences during World War 2 in Europe and I found that the writing seemed to come from a much younger and more innocent mind then the current TV personality. Due to this writing style I found that the book was more enjoyable then I expected. The author gives us some very good stories written in a comfortable way that seems more like holding a conversation with a close friend. This book is not for he person looking for page after page of combat action, just the interesting person story of a war reporter that sees a little bit of everything in the European theater.
Rating:  Summary: Brutally Honest View from a Reporter at Stars & Stripes Review: I'm not a big fan of Andy's 60 Minute spots although I do enjoy them. I was drawn to this book because so many other soldiers and writers mentioned that Andy was in the B-17s and on the front lines of Europe all through the war. I thought his impressions would be unique and I was not disappointed. Interstingly, he is quick to point out that he was not at the front lines (even when he was). He makes sure we understand that it was the soldiers doing the fighting and dying. Like most people I imagine, we are so consumed with all of the major battles of WWII that we overlook the newspaper carrying news to the troops. His accounting of how the paper was to be run via Ike's directive, the day to day operations, striving not to be biased or give away too much information, and the unknown leaders who won the war as well as the pompous leaders (look out Patton lovers), all make this a fascinating read. I was particularly interested in the stories they didn't tell - no soldier wants to read about other soldiers dying, etc. This book is all the more interesting because Andy was nearly a conscientious objector - a significant fact when he arrives at the concentration camps. Good stuff told with great wit.
Rating:  Summary: An honest account of Andy's war.... Review: If you enjoy Andy Rooney, you'll enjoy My War. Even if you don't care for grumpy Andy on Sixty Minutes, you still should read this account for its honesty and tribute to those who fought and died in WWII. In his preface, Andy notes that when he started checking his memory with the historical record, he was surprised at how often they didn't jibe. And that when in doubt, he relied on memory! A person who takes his World War II history seriously will find an error here and there, a misinterpretation now and then. But this is not footnoted history; this is Andy's story--and, as always, he tells it well with admirable brevity of words, dabs of humor, and occasional sentamentality. Andy has his likes and dislikes--General Patton being one of those he disliked, no despised, the most--and he also snipes a bit at a few of his fellow war correspondents and some of the officers who made life difficult for the enlisted man. But three parts of his book stand out. For nearly two years Andy covered the Eight Air Force and their bombing campaign against Germany and German-occupied France. He is sympathethic to the airmen and the horrendous losses they suffered in those early years. To his credit, Andy volunteered for a mission that turned out to be a difficult target--Wilhelmshaven--in which his plane was damaged and of his own role in reviving a crewman who had had his oxygen supply cut off. As a former WWII AAF navigator [20th AF], his feelings and reactions to air combat ring true. A second section is his account of the liberation of Paris in which Andy chose to enter the city with the French Army. Much of this is mildy amusing, but also poignant, as the liberators argued over who "first" came into the city, of the political aspects of this in dealing with the French and General Charles de Gaulle, and the vast excitement as this momentous event unfolded. No matter who came first, the Parisiens were overjoyed at being at last freed from their oppressors. Finally, Andy's account of Buchenwald and of his own mixed feelings--he had originally thought the stories of extermination camps somewhat suspect--are a tribute to his own candor. He also reminds us with his honest account of own biases of the mindsets of many Americans when WWII descended. Anyone interested in World War II and the men who fought in it will be enlightened by Andy's account.
Rating:  Summary: It's Andy Rooney's War - right! Review: Interesting book: However it is classic Rooney. Arrogant, vindictive, disdainfull of authority. He was drafted, did not volunteer. He found his way into cushy jobs behind the lines; Always in a relatively safe place and whenever authority infringed on his comfort he was quick to criticise. It is not the story of the GI who sacrificed his freedom for the better good of society instead it is 'my war', Andy Rooney's War, and not that of the typical U.S. service man. Carry on Andy Rooney! You make a career of being that kind of person.
Rating:  Summary: Sincere, exceptional detail of the period Review: Of all the history books I have read, this book opened my eyes more than most because the author backs his recollections with such detail and description. His contempt for George Patton is well founded. The attention he brings to historical figures who were so important to the war, yet seldom mentioned, such as Maj. General Maurice Rose, makes this a very poignant and pertinant historical account of what happened during WWII. If it is possible to convey to a reader the horrors of war, and give an accurate description of how soldiers felt on all fronts, then this is a book worth reading.
Rating:  Summary: Nostalgic look back at WW2 Review: Reading this book is like having the last 5 minute segment of 60 minutes go on for hours. You can hear Andy Rooney with every page you read. The phrasing, the sarcasm. The wry sardonic observations, which after you read them seem obvious. I found this book an enjoyable read of a first hand account of the air war in London, the land war, taking of Paris and Germany and final observations from India and China. The book is more Andy's narrative of what he saw over there, versus a history. He does little to fill in the story around his experience. I suspect that I enjoyed it more having read several other history books on the subject. As always Andy is opinionated, however to his credit he largely acknowledges when they border on prejudice. This is balanced by a lot more opportunity than 5 of the 60 minutes to round out his overall view. On 60 minutes all you get is his sarcasm in this book you have much well rounded view. ...
Rating:  Summary: Rambling but interesting Review: Rooney presents an interesting point of view of WWII (from that of a reporter for the military paper, Stars and Stripes). The book has some poignant moments and some interesting details about the war, soldiers, the civilians, etc. His writing style is not smooth, but it is sincere. Too bad he's associated with the tv yellow paper, 60 minutes.
Rating:  Summary: My War Review: Short, punchy style typical of the way Rooney talks on 60 minutes. Very good view back of WWII as he saw it. Very entertaining and informative view of some historical figures-esp. Gen. Patton. Lots of wry humor/sarcastic wit.
Rating:  Summary: Telling it like he saw it Review: The book reads like Andy sounds on tv. Unafraid to give opinions and unashamed to describe himself, sometimes unflatteringly, this is a useful addition to one's knowledge of the events of WWII.
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