Citizen Soldiers

Abridged
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
Narrator: Cotter Smith
Genres: History
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: August 2001
Length: 5 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 4/5
Formats:
  • CD
  • MP3

Overview

Citizen Soldiers opens on June 7, 1944, on the Normandy beaches, and ends on May 7, 1945. From the high command on down to the enlisted men, Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides who were there. He recreates the experiences of the individuals who fought the battles, the women who served, and the Germans who fought against us.

Ambrose reveals the learning process of a great army -- how to cross rivers, how to fight in snow or hedgerows, how to fight in cities, how to coordinate air and ground campaigns, how to fight in winter and on the defensive, how citizens become soldiers in the best army in the world.

A masterful biography of the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations, Citizen Soldiers provides a compelling account of the extraordinary stories of ordinary men in their fight for democracy.

Reviews (4)

Citizen Soldiers

Written by Anonymous on September 6th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Loved this book. One of the authors best! If you enjoyed Band of Brothers, you will like this one too.

Citizen Soldiers

Written by Anonymous on January 7th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Very enjoyable and enlightening. Great history lesson as to the sacrifices made during WW II.

Another Ambrose Winner

Written by Daniel Wainwright from Fresno, CA on December 20th, 2004

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Another epic story told by the soldiers who fought in Europe after Normandy. This book is more of a history book with somewhat less in the way of personal stories. The book is unable to focus on a small group of soldiers, which makes it a little less personal than some of his other works. Ambrose is much more critical of the military intelligence, which at times is a distraction to what the people on the front were doing to win the war.

Very powerful...

Written by Ricardo Fagundes from Visalia, CA on August 28th, 2004

  • Book Rating: 5/5

For me this audio book was a very powerful listen. The way that the lives of the men played into the historic events made it all seem so more real instead of something you learn about at school or that Grandpa talks about.

Author Details

Author Details

Ambrose, Stephen E.

"Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian, biographer, and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers were: NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD, CITIZEN SOLDIERS, BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY - JUNE 6, 1944, UNDAUNTED COURAGE, and WILD BLUE. TO AMERICA: Personal Reflections of an Historian is his latest book; and coming out in the winter 2002 is MERIWETHER LEWIS, THOMAS JEFFERSON, AND THE OPENING OF THE AMERICAN WEST: The Climactic Battle of World War II.

He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrated how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about audience engagement was best put in his own words:

As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next.


Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board.

His talents did not go unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks also purchased the film rights to his books CITIZEN SOLDIERS and BAND OF BROTHERS, which resulted in a 13-hour HBO mini-series in 2001.

Ambrose also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic."