Rating: 
Summary: Single Best Book on "The Bedford Boys"
Review: This book is easy to read, accurate (but for use of a few terms) and engrossing. As a 20 year member of the 116th Infantry Regiment, former unit historian and current librarian, this is the single best book I know of about this unit and "The Bedford Boys" from 1940 to 1945. A related book is "Eyewitness on Omaha Beach" by Dr. Harold Baumgarten.
Rating:
Summary: Freedom's Inordinate Price Tag
Review: This is an utterly engrossing chronicle of one Virgina town's supreme sacrifice during the Normandy invasion. Bedford, VA lost 19 sons within minutes of their landing at Omaha Beach. Three more died later in the campaign. Among those to perish were two pairs of brothers. Five Bedford Boys --including one whose twin brother was among those cut down on the beach -- were spared when their landing craft sank on the approach to Normandy, and they narrowly survived the chilly, roiling Atlantic swells. Bedford is very much a microcosim of America -- a sleepy town of 3,000 -- whose sons and their loved ones paid an inordinate price for freedom. The Bedford Boys never intended to be heroes -- or warriors, for that matter. (Most joined the National Guard in the 1930's for the few extra dollars to supplement Depression-era wages.) But heroes they became, and Alex Kershaw has paid them fine tribute with this vivid, heart-rending account of their experiences. "The Bedford Boys" is a particularly timely read now, with young Americans once again being asked to bear the ultimate sacrifice.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring
Review: Twenty-two young men, all from a small town in Virginia, made the ultimate sacrifice. Nineteen died during the first wave on Omaha Beach; later, three more died in the campaign that followed. This is their story - theirs and the other young men from Bedford. It is also the story of the people they left behind and the country they were fighting for. This book is sad but inspiring and informative. You will follow these youngsters from a small- town childhood through the tragedy of Operation Tiger to the fierce brutality of Normandy, June 6, 1944. You will find out more than you ever really wanted to know about why you chose the top of six bunks on the Queen Mary (converted to a troop ship) instead of the more convenient lower ones. You will learn, perhaps with some comfort considering today's news, that the country was not totally united during WWII, in spite of what we are now believe. John L. Lewis conducted his strikes, and there were race riots in Los Angeles and Detroit. This book inspired Saving Private Ryan . . . as it will inspire you.
Rating:
Summary: terribly moving
Review: Very refreshing to read a book about war which is also about the people left behind and how war impacts a small community. A tender story, gripping and finally emotionally devastating. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: The Way History Should Be Written
Review: Wow. As an avid reader of World War II history, this book stands out with the likes of "Band of Brothers" and "Flags of Our Fathers" as one of the greats. This book appealed to me on several levels. First and foremost, I'm a living historian with the 29th Infantry Division re-enactment group and therefore have special feelings for that particular units sacrifice on D-Day. Also, I used to go to college twenty miles from Bedford, so I could relate to things like climbing Sharp Top mountain and strolling through the town. Other than that, the story pretty much sells itself. It's hard not to fall in love with the Bedford boys with all of the anecdotes and intimate stories that Kershaw tells in the book. The writing is crisp and sucks you in to the point where you really feel like you're there, struggling with them. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still gasped a few times. In short, if you're a World War II buff or just someone who appreciates the cost of freedom, you should definitely grab this book. It's well-written, factually correct, and tugs at the heart -- just the way a good history book should. 29th, Let's Go!
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