Rating: 
Summary: Engrossing strategic and personal detail of a soldier's life
Review: Mr. Wilson's account of WWII from his landing at Normandy to the doors of Berlin is a completely engrossing tale. He presents vivid details of the environment, the action , the pain, and the suffering of fighting in the European theater as a foot soldier.The reader learns how fast these young men grew up and became tactical experts on fighting the enemy and fighting to survive. At times when Mr. Wilson describes a battle he was involved in, you start to formulate what he would have done and race to the next page to learn the outcome. Chilling accounts of what it meant to survive in WWII and just how grueling and inhospitable it was being a soldier. An excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. I couldnt put it down. I highly recomend this book! I am going to read it again!
Rating:
Summary: No holds barred WWII story
Review: One of those books I could not put down. This is a very well written first hand account of a young officer surviving some of the worst combat in Europe. An interesting note: The story partially involves the Battle of Huertgen Forest that I had not heard of before. What a death and horror filled battle! I've seen a DVD called "When Trumpets Fade" listed as an HBO 1998 movie that takes place during this terrible battle. Having read what happened there in this book, I plan to pick that up. Grab this if you are a reader of WWII books. My salute and appreciation to the author for his service for our country.
Rating:
Summary: Compulsively readable
Review: This book is a first rate account from a real citizen soldier. I found myself so engrossed in the story that I finished it in just a couple of days. Miller's book is well written, and adds a small, but important, piece to the excellent body of literature available on World War Two. There is an immediacy to this story that emerges as you realize it is truly a firsthand (not just first person) account. If you like Steven Ambrose's work you'll probably enjoy this book. If you enjoyed Cornelius Ryan's "Longest Day" you'll probably like this book. Miller does not try to make an historical or political statement. He simply shares his own experience, and does so very well. I'm thankful he took the time to write it.
Rating:
Summary: The best firsthand account I have read...
Review: This book was extremely captivating. Mr. Wilson's telling of his experiences is so vivid, it's hard to put the book down. I was especially interested in his description of the battle of the Hurtgen Forest, which I had never heard of previously, as well as the deprivations that our troops had to go through. If you enjoy reading about ordinary soldiers in WWII, you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put this book down!
Review: This book was so engrossing--it was very hard to put down. There is not one slow part in this book. I was in awe of George Wilson and was impressed with how well he faced each challenge that confronted him, particularly the challenge of working with fresh recruits. You will also be amazed and saddened by the the number of friendly-fire casualties written about here--many done by jittery new recruits not yet battle-hardened and others caused my unfortunate misunderstandings. The whole book is very well-written and includes so much detail about each battle and patrol. I'm thankful Mr. Wilson took the time to write about his experiences in WWII. Think I'll have to read the book again--I miss it already!
Rating:
Summary: Fast paced
Review: This is a fast paced eye-witness account of a lieutenant in a regular army division in Normandy. Wilson was a platoon leader, then promoted to company commander. It's great to follow along as he goes from being a rookie to a professional in tactics. The book is very readable and held my attention. Wilson arrived after D-Day, and was at the Saint-Lo Breakthrough close to the beaches, the Battle of the Bulge, and twice broke through the Siegfried line.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful account by a true survivor
Review: This is the only book about WWII ground soldiers I've yet read. Suffice it to say, it was a good start. Three things really struck me about this book; 1. The author's uncanny memory of events, 2. The events themselves - offering glimpses into every aspect of being a ground soldier, including bravery, strategy, stupidity, cowardice and tragedy. 3. The shocking carnage. The book's title is derived from a comment a superior officer made to the author before sending him off to battle shortly after the Normandy D-day invasion; "As officers, I expect you to lead your men. Men will follow leaders and I expect my platoon leaders to be right up front. Losses could be very high. Use every skill you possess. If you survive your first battle, I'll promote you. Good luck." With that mortifying send-off, author George Wilson and his fellow officers were sent into battle. Out of all the officers and men starting out in his company, only Wilson finished. The book presents the author's brave, bloody journey in a straight-forward linear fashion. It is very well written, yet not burdened by attempts at literary greatness. The author, though clearly licensed to preach, spares us the sermon and simply tells it like it was. Not until the very end of the book does he tell you "Out of all this damned useless war I hope I am entitled to a few simple observations". What follows is a decidedly brief statement that may at first seem to be too brief. Only after reading the last line do you realize that you've already read the most important anti-war statement the author could make; his recollections in the previous 267 pages.
Rating:
Summary: Combat at the personal level
Review: This is the sort of literature our children should be reading. No great prose, no gut-wrenching drama or heart-pounding action. Just pure & unadorned storytelling of a time so horrific that one must have these precious reminders which cannot fail to have a profound influence. If I could I would be honored to have Mr. Wilson autograph my copy of his book. It will have a special place in my library.
Rating: 
Summary: An honest account of one man's war
Review: While this book may not go down as a milestone in WWII memoirs, it certainly rings true as an honest account of a young infantry lieutenant's brutal experiences in the European war. He was heavily decorated and survived in a unit that took over 200% casualties. In spite of all that, he was only promoted to 1st lieutenant, which sounds exactly like the real U.S. Army. This book is certainly worth reading.
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