Brothers in Arms: One Legendary Tank Regiment's Bloody War from D-Day to VE-Day

Product Information

From the bestselling author of Normandy '44 and Sicily '43, a brilliant new history of the last days of the war.

Brothers in Arms - Penguin Books UK Brothers in Arms - Penguin Books UK

With "Brothers in Arms, The Epic Story of the 761stTank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has become a capable historian in his post-NBA years, and Anthony Walton, finally do justice to the remarkable but almost completely unknown story of the 761st Tank Battalion, whose motto was "Come Out Fighting!" A touching profile of men who fought overt and subtle racism for the chance to prove their mettle, and a poignant reminder of the unreasonable prejudices of that era that almost kept them on the sidelines.”— Sacramento Bee Does not disappoint... Holland takes us down to the individual's experience' Times Literary SupplementAn inspirational, moving account of courage and comradeship on the part of exceptional men.”— Military History Abdul-Jabar does not pull any punches in this book. His words are vivid and work efficiently in sharing the facts with the audience in addition to creating a narrative with melodic flow. Entrenched in the nonsensical racism of their day, the 761st experienced their hardest battles at home, in the US. Seeing the contrast in their treatment abroad versus their treatment in the US, and by White US soldiers, gives the reader a true sense of how these men redefined what it means to be patriotic. These men fought for a country they loved despite the complexities of such a love—despite being hated, treated poorly, and viewed as less than human due to the color of their skin. This is the American history we need to be more present in our educational system and media, because overall, this is a story of human achievement and empathy. A brilliant and moving narrative that through its imagery helps the reader appreciate the hardness of battle.”— Charlotte Observer

Brothers In Arms Books - Goodreads Brothers In Arms Books - Goodreads

For a history like this, it helps to provide some broader context of what is going on around the unit. Here, the book suffers. The commentary on the Sherman tank and the broader war is sometimes accurate, but all too often veers into questionable, controversial, or flat out incorrect areas. As one example, the authors at times confuse the term panzer (shorthand name generally for German tanks) with Panther (the Panzer Mark V German tank.) Tom Marcus, bestselling author of Soldier Spy and Capture or Kill At times darkly funny, at times tragic, this is a powerful and honest book about the British soldier, about the reality of conflict and the struggles some face when they come home.This is a poignant story of the young men’s pure innocence, their loss of innocence seeing their friends’ tragic demise, their unthinkingly, enthusiastic and eager readiness to take part in warfare, and the unfortunate racialization experienced. Yet, it made them tough, self-aware, and disciplined. Their camaraderie made them brothers. Jones writes of his brothers and their Afghan experience, from its adrenalin-filled highs to the many lows, with passion and candour.' – Major Adam Jowett, bestselling author of No Way Out If you could choose which two limbs got blown off, what would you go for?’ Danny said. ‘Your arms or your legs?’