Rating: 
Summary: The Other "Band of Brothers"
Review: If you have read and enjoyed Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose and/or have seen the HBO mini-series, then this book is a must read! The author, David Kenyon Webster, is one of the "Band of Brothers" and is the main character in episode eight, "The Last Patrol". This book is a fast paced, sometimes humorous, and often moving account of the late Mr. Webster's experiences during WW II. If you can imagine reading "Band of Brothers" had it been wriiten by one of the participants, that will give you an idea of what this book is like. Some elements of the Band of Brothers mini-series were obviously taken directly from Mr. Webster's book, and I thought he should have received more recognition in the credits.
On another note, Mr. Webster could not get this book published while he was alive, because back then, publishers were looking for more "sensational" fictional war novels. What could be more sensational than jumping into France on D-day or jumping into Holland during Operation: Market-Garden? It was not published until 1994 during the revived public interest in WW II triggered by the 50th anniversery of D-Day.
Thank you Mr. Webster - we are in your debt!
Rating:
Summary: The Other "Band of Brothers"
Review: If you have read and enjoyed Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose and/or have seen the HBO mini-series, then this book is a must read! The author, David Kenyon Webster, is one of the "Band of Brothers" and is the main character in episode eight, "The Last Patrol". This book is a fast paced, sometimes humorous, and often moving account of the late Mr. Webster's experiences during WW II. If you can imagine reading "Band of Brothers" had it been wriiten by one of the participants, that will give you an idea of what this book is like. Some elements of the Band of Brothers mini-series were obviously taken directly from Mr. Webster's book, and I thought he should have received more recognition in the credits.
On another note, Mr. Webster could not get this book published while he was alive, because back then, publishers were looking for more "sensational" fictional war novels. What could be more sensational than jumping into France on D-day or jumping into Holland during Operation: Market-Garden? It was not published until 1994 during the revived public interest in WW II triggered by the 50th anniversery of D-Day.
Thank you Mr. Webster - we are in your debt!
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning!! Exceptionally well written.
Review: Kenyon David Webster was a Harvard graduate and it shows in the quality of his writing. This is a memoir that reads like a novel. This is, by far, the best memoir I have ever read. Period.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning!! Exceptionally well written.
Review: Kenyon David Webster was a Harvard graduate and it shows in the quality of his writing. This is a memoir that reads like a novel. This is, by far, the best memoir I have ever read. Period.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: One of the best books I have read this year! If you really like first hand accounts, this is the book for you. I would agree with some other reviewers that this book is somewhat incomplete but only because the author could not describe the experiences of the 101st in his absence. I would not recommed this book for someone who is looking for research information on the 101st Airborne but it is a very entertaining book to read. This book really gives the reader an idea of what it was like to be an allied soldier in WWII.
Rating: 
Summary: A little too earnest
Review: One of the original members of his platoon and a featured character in the HBO series, Band of Brothers, Webster reproduces some fine moments from his experiences in the war. He has surprisingly little to do on D-Day, wandering around swampy ground, gets in some very dirty work in Holland, and enjoys the spoils of war in Austria. There is clearly an element of Ernest Hemingway; Webster is better educated and literate than many of his comrades and seems to have looked to the war as a source of material. There is also a strong element of Ernie Pyle present; Webster suffers from 'chickens**t' leaders, bad decisions, wet foxholes, and a general contempt from and for authority. He promises to himself to never 'sir' anyone again after the war, although he has a few kind words for Band of Brothers lead character Dick Winters.The bad news to report from this front is that there is also a bit of Ernie (as in Bert and Ernie) and the buffoonish character Ernest (from 'Ernest goes to camp' and other forgettable movies). Webster insists on being slow. He hates almost everything he is told to do, much of what he does, and most of those around him. A few, goofy buddies offer insights into the dark side of soldiering, from looting, to whoring, to harassing the defeated German populace, while also shuffling and grinning through a significant part of his story. Webster comes across as mean-spirited, unlike his portrayal in Band of Brothers and while he makes some reference to his education and wealth, it doesn't show. He makes little of the distance from his platoon when he returns in February 1945 after four months of convalescence from a flesh wound in Holland (and he's most sorry that it was no 'million dollar wound'). He comes across as constantly put upon, abused, and mistreated by his own army. Sure, much of military life allows and calls for grousing, and his company faced some pretty sorry times; it just seems repetitive and pointless. He probably deserved and he would have been better off with better instruction, information and leadership from his superiors. His sense of sound, smell, weather and place is helpful to the reader. The way he describes the sound of different German shells and ordnance provides a better sense of presence to the inexperienced reader. But the story lacks a strong narrative. He jumps around from place to person without useful transitions. It would seem fair to conclude that he patched together (or did his editor, posthumously) diary entries capturing events in real time. To one interested in and pretty well read in this genre, the text dragged and disappointed. Up close and personal this may be, it just left me surprisingly unsympathetic and bored.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST personal memoir of WWII!
Review: That's a sweeping statement, but I mean every word. Webster was a gifted writer, who could transport you with immediacy back to his experience in and out of combat. I couldn't put this book down. Reading it immediately after reading Band of Brothers had an incredible effect. It gave a personal face to the story so aptly told by the late Stephen Ambrose. Webster's book should qualify as a work of literature. The writing is that good! Webster deftly shifts between stream of consciousness and first person. His command of writing techniques exceeds my ability to describe it. Much speculation has occurred about why this book was not published until almost 50 years after it was written. I think there are several reasons. First of all, the language, while relatively mild by 2004 standards, was quite strong for the late 1940's; in fact, I believe it was even sanitized for the first printing in 1994. The period immediately following WWII was a very different time, and Webster's ability to hit hard emotionally, coupled with the accurate, sometimes profane, language was probably too raw for the more genteel mid-1900's. Second, this book makes no pretense of being history. It entirely is a personal memoir, and if you look at what was published about WWII through the mid-60's, it was almost all history; most memoirs began cropping up after the mid-Sixties. Third, I think the writing is almost too good. Webster was a master wordsmith. His passages are sometimes so good that you will re-read them just for effect. I can think of relatively few books, no matter how well written, that can elicit that response. If you want to understand what an Airborne Trooper felt like during WWII, you can't find a better, more immediate and personal description than David Kenyon Webster's.
Rating:
Summary: If you like first-hand accounts¿
Review: then this is an excellent book. David Webster is at times introspective, bitter, proud, angry and, like all combat troops, depressed and frightened. On more than one occasion the reader wonders why he volunteered in the first place. But his story is so convincingly told, so personal, that the reader experiences the same conflicting emotions. This narrative of a paratroop over Normandy and beyond, fills a gap left in most other accounts of the airdrop on the western flank of Overlord. Webster masterfully moves the reader with him, dressing out for the big jump. Assignments are reviewed, equipment is explained in detail, the movement of men on to the tarmac by truck, the numbness over the Channel, the searchlights probing the night skies and, finally before the jump, the hellish flack. Realism is maintained throughout the work as much of it was based on letters written during the war and recollections reduced to writing shortly after the war. This book and bits of it are mentioned in Stephen Ambrose's excellent "Band of Brothers".
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This Book is amazing. I am a huge fan of WW2 and I have a large collection of WW2 books and this is one of the few i would want to read again. This first hand accoutn book is amazing. It is very detailed and makes u want to keep reading. It gives you a great description of what it was like for David Webster. I would highly recommend this book for pleasure reading, it is not a real good research book but it is a must of you are looking for a great WW2 book to read for pleasure. GET THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest books I've ever read!!
Review: This book is excellent, it tells you the life of a brave, smart soldier in the 101st Airborne Division during World War Two!
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