Airborne

The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company

By: Ian Gardner

Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan

Some men are born to be warriors, and Ed Shames is one of these men. His incredible combat record includes service at D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and Bastogne and finally in Germany itself.

He was the first man in the Dachau concentration camp and captured Hitler's infamous Eagle's Nest. Shames appeared in Band of Brothers, but now, with the comprehensive support of the man himself, the full story of his life and experiences can be told. Written by the author of Tonight We Die as Men, this is a searing account of the combat career of a remarkable young lieutenant serving at the sharp end of World War II.

His insistence on high standards together with a perfection of tactics and techniques did not always win him friends, but that was never the intention. His aim was to win each encounter, each battle, and ultimately the war itself with a minimum loss of life among his men. He was once told by one of his subordinates, "Shames, you are the meanest, roughest son of a bitch I've ever had to deal with. But you brought us home."

©2015 Ian Gardner (P)2015 Recorded Books

The Story of Ed Shames WWII Hero

This book is a first hand account by Ed Shames of his WWII exploits from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle Nest. From winning the U.S. Military's 19th Battlefield Commission during the Normandy Invasion to an amazing number of accomplishments during the War, Ed Shames was involved in a wide range of heroic actions and became one of the 101st best military leaders. This is a great read of one of the original members of the the 101st Band of Brothers.

Excellent

A great story of World War II combat told First hand. Filled with authentic history and detail. Highly recommended.

Lesser known EASY company men

I am in my Band of Brothers phase and have finished Winters, Malarkey, Powers, Spiers, and Webster biographies. Will do Compton next. The book by Don Malarkey is so far my favorite, but I got it through the local library and was not able to leave a review. Webster's was not very enjoyable as it comes across as just a Harvard man complaining about everything. Ed. Shames comes across as a Spiers type leader and fits the title of "killer" as defined in Winters' book. This is primarily about third platoon and has a few of the people in the original book, but many more who were in that incredible company. It is not as well written, but still fills in some blanks from all the above and is well worth the read

Interesting people live in interesting times!

What a great read! This unit has to have the most written about it than any other unit in US Army History. From the leading commander’s , their NCO’s to the enlisted men. It’s amazing to hear each ones story and how they interpreted through their own eyes. I thank them for sharing their story & opening up to what life was like in a PIR Infantry Unit in WWII. There record serves as a reminder of how freedom is never free & to remember those who did not survive but gave all.

Read it

This is a great addition to the 101st trove of knowledge. A different view and adds details and context outside of the BOB lens. Really so good and seems quite honest. Try it!