Rating: 
Summary: Moving Book About One Towns Ultimate Sacrifice
Review: June 6, 1944. Many books have appeared about this famous date in history. However, none quite like this one. It details the town of Bedford Virginia and the lose of 22 of its young men in Normandy. No other town in America gave as much as Bedford.The book starts in pre-war Bedford and follows the yong men from training through battle to coming home. Sadly, most never saw Bedford again. The research that went into the battle chapters is impressive. It is some of the best battle writing I have read. Having grown up in a town like Bedford, I could understand the small town feeling the boys grew up in. I highly recommend this book. You will not soon forget it.
Rating:
Summary: very informative and moving
Review: Kershaw pulls you right into the 1940's with his storytelling. I actually felt like I knew the soldiers. The book is very easy to read, and the included pictures and letters are excellent. I was moved to tears at the end to see how the town changed. Kershaw tells the story in a very personal way.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREAT CRUSADE
Review: Many readers may wonder why so many books about D-day are published and why so much more attention is paid to that battle than other battles in World War II. Certainly we landed on other hostile shores during the war, i.e. Tarawa, Salerno,Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Certainly we had fought the Germans already by D-Day in North Africa, in Sicily and in Italy so why is D-Day so special? The War in the Pacific was a war of self defense and revenge for Pearl Harbor and Bataan. We fought the Japanese for the most part on islands in the Pacific that most Americans had never heard of that were populated with little or no indigenous culture and certainly without a legacy of Freedom and Liberty. In Italy even though most Italians were grateful for us evicting the Germans we still were fighting a country that had at one point sided with Hitler and declared war on us. When we landed in North Africa we were occupying a French colony that had decided to side with the Nazi collaborationist Vichy regime.
Overlord of which D-Day was the first day however was different. Here we were liberating a proud people with one of the most advanced civilizations in the world who had not wanted war and who had been conquered and brutally subjugated by the Nazis. And although ulimately it was in our best interests to beat the Germans we didn't have to storm the shores so quickly to do so. We could have done what so many wished us to do and bomb Germany into annihilation and peck away at their empire on it's fringes while letting the Red Army grind down the Wehrmact. Instead we flung our soldiers against the Atlantic wall and assaulted Festung Europa.
These men were not professional,rather they were Citizen soldiers. They were there because they had been drafted or because they had joined out of a sense of Duty. There were also those who had joined the National Guard before the war because they needed the extra money to survive the Depression and because their friends and brothers had joined also. When the National Guard was inducted into Federal Service in 1940 these men were taken away from their families and their homes and jobs and then eventually sent overseas.
Therefore the unique significance of D-day is the story of a peaceful enslaved people being liberated by a peace loving bunch of citizens with no direct stake in the oppressed people's fate. And these citizen Soldiers undertook this struggle without complaining and with great heroism. President Franklin Roosevelt summed it up in his prayer address to the nation on D-Day:
"...Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity."
"...For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home."
The cost of that heroism was very high however, especially on Omaha Beach which was one of the biggest bloodbaths in American history. The cemetery above stands in mute testimony. Now many people have seen Saving Private Ryan which is a great movie. The opening scene takes place on a sector of Omaha Beach called Dog Green. That twenty minute scene is one of the most harrowing in the history of film.
Now imagine that in reality it was far worst than depicted in the movie and lasted not twenty minutes but five hours. That was the real Dog Green. And one of the units that landed on that beach was Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th infantry division. Out of that 192 men that landed that day less than 10 members of the company could report for dinner. The rest had been killed or wounded. Over twenty of the members of Co. A came from the small town of Bedford, Virginia. Within minutes of the beginning of the battle over a dozen of the Bedford Boys were killed and by the end of the day a total of twenty one had been killed.
This book is the story of those men and the town they lived in and how they grew up in the Depression and went to war and how the war affected that town.
It is a great book. It is not necessary to be a knowledgable student of military history to get everything from the book. Indeed the author makes a few very minor factual errors himself in the story which in no way detract from it. (He states twice that the pre-war US army was only 75,000 men. in fact it was about 140,000. He also mentions in one point armor piericng howitzers. Howitzers use indiect fire to lob high explosive, incedniary and smoke rounds, they do not fire armor piericng rounds- anti-tank guns do.) These two errors aside which many will not even notice this book is a highly accurate, emotionally packed well written powerhouse. Although I have read hundreds of books on WW2 and at least 20 on D-day I still could not put this down. Definitely one of my favorites
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking, irresistible
Review: Reading about the soldiers from Bedford, Virginia preparing to hit the beaches on June 6, 1944 I found myself sharing their anxiety. They were in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach as part of the allied invasion. They were cannon fodder. That Author Alex Kershaw makes us so empathetic of these men is a tribute to his skillful story telling.
Kershaw masterfully introduces the men of this small US town in the waning days of the great Depression. We then follow them as the United States enters the war and they being serious training, first in the states then for over a year in England.
By the time of D-Day, readers will be quite familiar with many of the soldiers and share their quite understandable fear. The results are predictable, with a disproportionate number from Bedford slaughtered during the invasion, many before reaching the beach.
Kershaw wisely does not spare us the gruesome details. The real story of war is as much in the horrific deaths and injuries as in the battle tactics and formations.
The heartache really sets in as Kershaw returns to Bedford to recount the reactions of the families back home. There is no way to overstate the impact of war on the victim's families. "Beford Boys" shares the heart breaks of the Americans back home.
Many Americans, such as myself, have had strong misgivings about US military actions in our lifetime, but there is no such ambiguity about the efforts to liberate Europe from the Nazis. "The Bedford Boys" is the latest in a long line of excellent accounts of that war. It is rife with bravery, terror, personal tragedy and all that makes war humankind's worst creation.
This book is a must for students of D-Day, World War II, war, U.S. History and that strange and wonderful animal, the human being.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply Moving and Absolutely Unforgettable
Review: Reading this book on the bus going to work I found I had to stop
myself from bursting onto tears several times.There are alot of names mentioned in this book so at times it is hard to remember who is who. I don't think it matters though. The point of this book is the incredible bravery shown by these men in the face of certain death.The book puts a face on D-Day beyond what you see in old newsreels. It is a story to tell your children. If you know anyome who was in D-Day shake their hand and say Thank You.
This is history the way it should be taught in school. Absolutely unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Story of the Town that Suffered the Greated D-Day Burden
Review: Rural Bedford, Virginia, suffered the highest per capita D-Day casualty rate of any American town. Nineteen of its residents, or residents of Bedford County, in which the town is located, were killed at bloody Omaha Beach on that longest day, the first day of the Allied Normandy invasion. Three more residents were killed within the next few days. These Bedford soldiers were members of Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division--the first troops to go ashore on H-Hour at Omaha Beach. The book is well written, a balance of contextualizing historical narrative and oral history of survivors and relatives. This work is not a history of D-Day, nor of the Omaha Beach attack, nor of the Normandy campaign--nor is it designed to be, there are other books which deal with these larger topics. Rather the author skillfully narrates the story of the Bedford boys who joined the National Guard during the Depression to earn a few extra dollars, were called into federal service and endured extended training in the U.S. before deployment to England for the invasion of France. The author portrays an emotionally compelling story of the devastating effects of the loss of so many sons, husbands, lovers, and fellow soldiers by the people of Bedford, reminding us both of the horror of war, its brutal and lasting effects, as well as the unfortunate fact that at times it may be necessary for the liberation of the oppressed and the preservation of freedom. Anne Frank, whose family in hiding learned of D-Day by their radio, entered in her diary that "the best part of the invasion is that I have the feeling that friends are approaching." (Bedford Boys, page 170) Today Bedford is the home of the National D-Day Memorial, a site well worth visiting, as is the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. The valor and sacrifice of those young men who perished so quickly in the massive D-Day invasion cries out to be remembered by every generation of Americans and citizens of the free world--especially since soon there will be no living survivors of D-Day, with the death each day of thousands of World War II veterans. This book, this D-Day Memorial, this D-Day Museum, and the lives of these brave young men and their families from rural Virginia, deserve a remembrance wherever that perpetual vigilance which is the price of liberty is honored. It was Erwin Rommel who called D-Day the longest day. And it is this day, and every day in which great sacrifices are made for freedom, from the American Revolution to soldiers today bravely defending freedom around the world, that deserves the longest of memories.
Rating:
Summary: Story of the Town that Suffered the Greated D-Day Burden
Review: Rural Bedford, Virginia, suffered the highest per capita D-Day casualty rate of any American town. Nineteen of its residents, or residents of Bedford County, in which the town is located, were killed at bloody Omaha Beach on that longest day, the first day of the Allied Normandy invasion. Three more residents were killed within the next few days. These Bedford soldiers were members of Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division--the first troops to go ashore on H-Hour at Omaha Beach. The book is well written, a balance of contextualizing historical narrative and oral history of survivors and relatives. This work is not a history of D-Day, nor of the Omaha Beach attack, nor of the Normandy campaign--nor is it designed to be, there are other books which deal with these larger topics. Rather the author skillfully narrates the story of the Bedford boys who joined the National Guard during the Depression to earn a few extra dollars, were called into federal service and endured extended training in the U.S. before deployment to England for the invasion of France. The author portrays an emotionally compelling story of the devastating effects of the loss of so many sons, husbands, lovers, and fellow soldiers by the people of Bedford, reminding us both of the horror of war, its brutal and lasting effects, as well as the unfortunate fact that at times it may be necessary for the liberation of the oppressed and the preservation of freedom. Anne Frank, whose family in hiding learned of D-Day by their radio, entered in her diary that "the best part of the invasion is that I have the feeling that friends are approaching." (Bedford Boys, page 170) Today Bedford is the home of the National D-Day Memorial, a site well worth visiting, as is the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. The valor and sacrifice of those young men who perished so quickly in the massive D-Day invasion cries out to be remembered by every generation of Americans and citizens of the free world--especially since soon there will be no living survivors of D-Day, with the death each day of thousands of World War II veterans. This book, this D-Day Memorial, this D-Day Museum, and the lives of these brave young men and their families from rural Virginia, deserve a remembrance wherever that perpetual vigilance which is the price of liberty is honored. It was Erwin Rommel who called D-Day the longest day. And it is this day, and every day in which great sacrifices are made for freedom, from the American Revolution to soldiers today bravely defending freedom around the world, that deserves the longest of memories.
Rating: 
Summary: Touching story of sacrifice and humanity
Review: The Bedford Boys tells the heart-wrenching story of the Virginia town of Bedford (and surrounding Bedford County) and how nearly all families in that small rural community of strong faith were touched by the horrors of D-Day. The central characters in this engaging narrative by journalist-author Alex Kershaw are the Beford men of Company A, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. Their's is a story of ultimate sacrifice to the extreme. The majority of A Company landed in the first wave of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Western Europe on 6 June 1944, departing their landing craft at Dog Green, Omaha Beach near the Vierville draw. Within minutes nearly all the Company A men were dead in the hail of MG-42 machine gun fire from Wehrmacht positions above the beach that provided the defenders with superior interlocking fields of fire. It was a slaughter - the Germans shot anyone who moved and some who didn't. The Americans were on the continent but not cheaply.
Kershaw writes in a lilting style that makes The Bedford Boys (as well as his more recent The Longest Winter) quite enjoyable and easy to read. The story of the Bedford men and those at home they left behind is one that embodies the human spirit, patriotism and sacrifice for country. Kershaw's tells this amazing story in three parts. In the first second of the book he describes the events leading up to the American entrance into the Second World War and what lead these Virginians to be part of the National Guard unit that would fight with the 29th Infantry Division. One common theme seems to have played a large role: the Great Depression and desire of these mean to make a few more dollars by being part-time "weekend warriors". Most were farm boys from large families where every dollar mattered.
The second section of the book details A Company's training for war, year and one half in England prior to the invasion, and finally the invasion itself. This section is quite detailed up to the invasion proper but this may not be surprising as nearly all the men who landed in Captain Taylor Fellers Company A unit (the Bedford boys) were killed on the beach and thus haven't been able to tell their stories. Kershaw struggles somewhat through this section of the book to make a historical impact but ultimately fails. This is not to say that his narrative is not engaging - it is. Yet it fails to provide new insight into the first wave battle for Omaha. Readers interested in understanding more about this critical battle are encouraged to read Joseph Balkoski's recent Omaha Beach, which is quite possibly the most thoroughly researched and fullest account of this component of the Normandy landings. By combining Omaha Beach and The Bedford Boys a reader can get both historical "meat" and a touching human saga.
The last section of The Bedford Boys is by far the most significant contribution to the genre Kershaw has made here. This last section is dedicated to ETO events after D-Day, the home front and post-war issues. Kershaw has crafted a story full of human characters with which the reader and feel empathy. He has captured the pain and pride of those surviving the A Company men. Although not dealing with military actions per se in this section, Kershaw does an admirable - if not great - job expressing the emotions of proud American families who sacrificed nearly a whole generation of young men to make the world free once again. One can see, hear and feel the angst, anger and sorrow of Bedford County, and WWII-era America in Kershaw's words. Even those expecting or wanting a detailed discussion of battles can't help but be moved by these passages. This portion of the book makes the whole thing worth buying!
All in all The Bedford Boys is a solid 4 star book. Despite some factual problems Kershaw has crafted a fun read that oozes the heart and soul of the Greatest Generation. If combined with Omaha Beach by Joseph Balkoski readers will walk away with an appreciation for the battle and sacrifice that resulted in an American foothold in the section of Normandy beach between St. Laurent and Vierville-sur-Mer.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy tribute
Review: The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice is the true story of twenty-two sons from rural Bedford, Virginia who lost their lives in the devastating battlefields of D-Day and the campaign thereafter. Soberly describing the true story that inspired the hit movie "Saving Private Ryan", The Bedford Boys recounts memories of the fallen, the family and friends they left behind, and the small town hit immensely hard by their sacrfice. An inset section of black-and-white photographs embellishes this carefully researched and straightforwardly presented account. A worthy tribute not only to those from Bedford who perished during World War II, but to all who died defending their country.
Rating:
Summary: Hometown Heroes for Us All
Review: The town of Bedford says it is "the best little town in America," but there are surely other little towns that have the same boast. It is in southwestern Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has one anomalous aspect that makes it different from all those other best towns. It is the site of the National D-Day Memorial. The memorial does not sit on the Mall in Washington, nor on the shores of Normandy. It is in this little town because, although thousands of soldiers perished in the D-Day assault, no other town gave as many of her sons. On 6 June 1944, nineteen Bedford boys died, and three more died in the days of follow-up fighting afterwards. There have been sufficient histories of D-Day already, but _The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice_ (Da Capo) by Alex Kershaw focuses the global events onto the personal level. Not only does it describe the horrendous slaughter on the Normandy beaches, but it also tells the effects of the losses on the families within Bedford. It is a sad tale, of course, but full of heroism on both sides of the Atlantic. None of the boys would have said they had particularly volunteered for anything heroic. They were sons of the Depression, and many of them enlisted in the National Guard simply because of the money. They got a dollar for the one training day each month, and for each of the fourteen days in the summer. It was the luck of the draw that the Bedford boys were assigned to a company that had to experience the wickedest fighting of the most difficult assault of the day, on Omaha Beach. Before that, they crossed the Atlantic on the troop-converted _Queen Mary_, and the months before D-Day they spent in grueling training within England, the longest training of any American infantrymen in the war. There are good anecdotes here to tell the stories of these boys, many of whom were away from Bedford for the first time, and of course a harrowing account of the invasion itself. The most heartbreaking account is not of the boys' deaths, but of the reaction at home. The D-Day invasion was in the headlines, of course, but the families in Bedford knew little of their boys' participation in it. The letters stopped coming after 6 June, raising tensions in the town. Then letters to the soldiers started coming back in packs marked undeliverable. Finally, on 17 July, the telegrams started pouring in. Elizabeth Teass, on duty at the Western Union office at the rear of Green's Drugstore on 17 July, expected to be getting sad announcements as part of her job, but was in shock as the machine clacked on and on, one official "deep regret" after another. Kershaw was writing about another project when he came across the Bedford story and realized it had not been told in full. He interviewed as many of the survivors as he could, and the family members still living; naturally, almost sixty years on, he has not gotten to interview all he would have wanted. He has documented meticulous research into official records and past books on the great assault, to make an account that is memorable for its degree of personal detail. D-Day was the greatest amphibious attack in the history of warfare. The Germans and the Allies both knew that the war would be won or lost on these beaches. It was the Bedford boys, and thousands of their counterparts, who made a difference and quite literally saved civilization. They deserve commemoration, and Kershaw's fine history brings them home to us again.
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