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All the Way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe by Megellas, James (2004) Mass Market Paperback
In mid-1943 James Megellas, known as “Maggie” to his fellow paratroopers, joined the 82d Airborne Division, his new “home” for the duration. His first taste of combat was in the rugged mountains outside Naples.
In October 1943, when most of the 82d departed Italy to prepare for the D-Day invasion of France, Lt. Gen. Mark Clark, the Fifth Army commander, requested that the division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Maggie’s outfit, stay behind for a daring new operation that would outflank the Nazis’ stubborn defensive lines and open the road to Rome. On 22 January 1944, Megellas and the rest of the 504th landed across the beach at Anzio. Following initial success, Fifth Army’s amphibious assault, Operation Shingle, bogged down in the face of heavy German counterattacks that threatened to drive the Allies into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Anzio turned into a fiasco, one of the bloodiest Allied operations of the war. Not until April were the remnants of the regiment withdrawn and shipped to England to recover, reorganize, refit, and train for their next mission.
In September, Megellas parachuted into Holland along with the rest of the 82d Airborne as part of another star-crossed mission, Field Marshal Montgomery’s vainglorious Operation Market Garden. Months of hard combat in Holland were followed by the Battle of the Bulge, and the long hard road across Germany to Berlin.
Megellas was the most decorated officer of the 82d Airborne Division and saw more action during the war than most. Yet All the Way to Berlin is more than just Maggie’s World War II memoir. Throughout his narrative, he skillfully interweaves stories of the other paratroopers of H Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The result is a remarkable account of men at war.
In October 1943, when most of the 82d departed Italy to prepare for the D-Day invasion of France, Lt. Gen. Mark Clark, the Fifth Army commander, requested that the division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Maggie’s outfit, stay behind for a daring new operation that would outflank the Nazis’ stubborn defensive lines and open the road to Rome. On 22 January 1944, Megellas and the rest of the 504th landed across the beach at Anzio. Following initial success, Fifth Army’s amphibious assault, Operation Shingle, bogged down in the face of heavy German counterattacks that threatened to drive the Allies into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Anzio turned into a fiasco, one of the bloodiest Allied operations of the war. Not until April were the remnants of the regiment withdrawn and shipped to England to recover, reorganize, refit, and train for their next mission.
In September, Megellas parachuted into Holland along with the rest of the 82d Airborne as part of another star-crossed mission, Field Marshal Montgomery’s vainglorious Operation Market Garden. Months of hard combat in Holland were followed by the Battle of the Bulge, and the long hard road across Germany to Berlin.
Megellas was the most decorated officer of the 82d Airborne Division and saw more action during the war than most. Yet All the Way to Berlin is more than just Maggie’s World War II memoir. Throughout his narrative, he skillfully interweaves stories of the other paratroopers of H Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The result is a remarkable account of men at war.
Mass Market Paperback
First published March 4, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 14, 2016
This is an intense story by James Megellas, a paratrooper in the storied 82nd Airborne, 504 Parachute Infantry, about he and his brother paratroopers in World War II. They fought in Italy, Holland, Germany, they landed on the beaches of Anzio, jumped into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and on to Berlin. It's a difficult but inspiring journal of the will of courageous men and their leaders on the front line.
Many years later, my son and I met James Magellas at Ft. Bragg where Megellas was signing his book. I had gone down to see my son, who was in Megellas' old company, before he deployed to Afghanistan. My son was wearing a Ripon College T-shirt. Megellas asked my son if he had gone to Ripon College, a small liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin. When my son answered in the affirmative we discovered that "Maggie", as Megellas was know, had graduated a year before my mother, 1942. He knew my mother and autographed a book for her also.
After my son deployed he was sitting at his desk in Afghanistan when in walked Megellas. He asked my son how his grandmother was doing. It seems that Maggie was looking up those in his old platoon and spreading cheer. Now you have to realize that the US Army doesn't provide transportation to a war zone for 80 something civilians, no matter how much a hero they may be.
However, to the Dutch he will always be a hero, so he hitched a ride on a Dutch plane and showed up in Afghanistan to cheer his old platoon. My mother maintained a correspondence with him for many years. A sorority sister of my mother's (class of '43) said that after reading this book she understood why her husband (a WWII veteran) always refused to go on a picnic.
Read this book. It's a good one.
Many years later, my son and I met James Magellas at Ft. Bragg where Megellas was signing his book. I had gone down to see my son, who was in Megellas' old company, before he deployed to Afghanistan. My son was wearing a Ripon College T-shirt. Megellas asked my son if he had gone to Ripon College, a small liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin. When my son answered in the affirmative we discovered that "Maggie", as Megellas was know, had graduated a year before my mother, 1942. He knew my mother and autographed a book for her also.
After my son deployed he was sitting at his desk in Afghanistan when in walked Megellas. He asked my son how his grandmother was doing. It seems that Maggie was looking up those in his old platoon and spreading cheer. Now you have to realize that the US Army doesn't provide transportation to a war zone for 80 something civilians, no matter how much a hero they may be.
However, to the Dutch he will always be a hero, so he hitched a ride on a Dutch plane and showed up in Afghanistan to cheer his old platoon. My mother maintained a correspondence with him for many years. A sorority sister of my mother's (class of '43) said that after reading this book she understood why her husband (a WWII veteran) always refused to go on a picnic.
Read this book. It's a good one.
December 21, 2008
I was travelling through the Dallas airport and saw a retired military man doing a book signing. I am sure I had just finished some testosterone filled spy novel and was looking for something to get me home. Also, I was not about to walk away from a man that reminded me of my grandpa Crumet, and how he risked his life in the greatest war of all time. I am a proud owner of a signed copy of this book.
War accounts are generally written by the men who commanded the troops. Rarely do you read an articulate account written by the foot soldier in the middle of the action. If you want to read about military strategy devoid of feelings, you better look somewhere else. Although I liked this book, I found that the day to day life of training and war on the soldiers made the book seem to drag on. Ironically, Mr. Megellas truely told the story of the details required to fight and win the war, without embellishing to make his story a different read.
War accounts are generally written by the men who commanded the troops. Rarely do you read an articulate account written by the foot soldier in the middle of the action. If you want to read about military strategy devoid of feelings, you better look somewhere else. Although I liked this book, I found that the day to day life of training and war on the soldiers made the book seem to drag on. Ironically, Mr. Megellas truely told the story of the details required to fight and win the war, without embellishing to make his story a different read.
September 27, 2012
First off, this is probably my new favorite book and I recommend it to anyone who is interested with World War II or is just looking for a good book. I thought he did a great job with voice, making it come alive, and using a great variety of words to say the same thing. I think this is a special book because it wasn't written by historians or high prestige generals and such, but instead by someone who was actually there doing the fighting. It gives the individual battles more meaning then in most where every thing is just major battles and the final outcome of the war. Another aspect is that he was a soldier in WWII and not a professional writer. The book involves a lot a quoting from letters he wrote and other men he fought with. Just going to a random page you can see the great skill in the writing of the book, "His comment took me aback for a moment, but, actually, it was a true reflection of our friendship" (Megellas 218). Another great excerpt is, "When I arrived at the regiment, Tucker and the staff were gathered around a large map of the divisional area. In his usual somber and serious tone, Tucker said, 'Maggie, division needs some prisoners, and soon...'" (Megellas 154). Lastly on of my favorites, "Whenever we were approaching an enemy position and within range of their artillery, the entrenching tool carried on our belts automatically came out and went to work. A hole in the ground can be a welcome place to when enemy artillery is nearby" (Megellas 195). So I think All The Way To Berlin is a great, well written, enjoyable book that will probably remain one of my favorite books.
November 16, 2012
I really like the way the book is told. It makes the war sound much more interesting when told from the perspective of one of the men in it. It has just the right amount of action and story telling.
March 3, 2012
The book is enjoyable, but very poorly written.
April 30, 2023
Author James Megellas was a 2nd Lieutenant when he entered the Army and became a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He served as a platoon leader in Company H, 504th Parachute Regiment throughout the war. His best friend, Lieutenant Richard G. LaRiviere assumed command of another platoon in H company. They remained together through the end. Megellas was knicknamed "Maggie" and LaRiviere " Rivers". Their fighting began in Italy and they experienced Anzio. They jumped into Holland for Operation Market Garden and fought through Belgium, the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany. Maggie finished his overseas service on occupation duty in Berlin. Rivers returned to the states earlier.
This story is the perspective of an infantry officer and as the author puts it, war through the sights of his Tompson sub-machine gun! He carried a Thompson and a sniper rifle as well as his pistol. His description of the fighting is from that perspective. Megellas was highly decorated, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He was the highest decorated officer in the 82nd Division. The author has a lot of good things to say about fighting soldiers and not so much affinity for the rear echelon soldiers. He is partial to paratroopers naturally. It is a good memoir and an interesting read.
This story is the perspective of an infantry officer and as the author puts it, war through the sights of his Tompson sub-machine gun! He carried a Thompson and a sniper rifle as well as his pistol. His description of the fighting is from that perspective. Megellas was highly decorated, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He was the highest decorated officer in the 82nd Division. The author has a lot of good things to say about fighting soldiers and not so much affinity for the rear echelon soldiers. He is partial to paratroopers naturally. It is a good memoir and an interesting read.
November 7, 2021
This is a well written, first hand account from a real soldier. We are lucky to have this, because it's unlikely that he lived through it. For example, his unlikely passage across the river in Market Garden, with full German gunfire upon him and his Company, with many not having paddles in the crossing. His stories are amazing, as well, the perspective from a boots on the ground, recent college graduate in a tough environment, authenticates everything. RIP Mr. Megellas, the world owes you a great deal.
November 24, 2017
This book and this great combat veteran leave me speechless. Thank you for your service and sharing that in your extremely well written book.
This book should be read by every school aged child to show the dedication and love and total commitment to the country. We all pray that war never happens but the reality is, thank God for Men like James Megellas who give more for this country then they will ever get in return.
Thank you Sir.
This book should be read by every school aged child to show the dedication and love and total commitment to the country. We all pray that war never happens but the reality is, thank God for Men like James Megellas who give more for this country then they will ever get in return.
Thank you Sir.
September 26, 2024
Contains many unvarnished accounts from the front lines. Maggie isn’t a phenomenal writer or a historian. The book is uneven and feels like it was written at different times. Sometimes too many perspectives interfere with the narrative flow. But it’s full of fascinating details, focusing on the combat soldier’s limited perspective. He overuses the phrase “looking down our throats.” The section on the early occupation of Berlin was interesting.
What I learned: When a man is listed MIA the family didn’t get the insurance benefits. Soldiers were given options about their burial; including being buried at the field of battle. B2 = it would be too bad if that’s not one of our planes. You can sleep while walking around a tree. Gammon grenades are nuts! It’s like a soft ball made of C4 that explodes on impact. Soldiers had deferred tax bills waiting for them when they came back from overseas! I bet that policy created a lot of republicans.
What I learned: When a man is listed MIA the family didn’t get the insurance benefits. Soldiers were given options about their burial; including being buried at the field of battle. B2 = it would be too bad if that’s not one of our planes. You can sleep while walking around a tree. Gammon grenades are nuts! It’s like a soft ball made of C4 that explodes on impact. Soldiers had deferred tax bills waiting for them when they came back from overseas! I bet that policy created a lot of republicans.
October 12, 2024
The writer captured the uncertainty in war that a small unit leader is faced with. Unfortunately he leaves the reader in a similar quandary. If you have read significantly on the battles the 82nd Airborne Division fought in WW2 then you might enjoy a detailed account of the personal reflections and feelings of a soldier. A reader with less historical knowledge will find this book difficult to appreciate.
April 6, 2020
Action packed book. Great account of the war through a true hero's eyes. My only thought was it felt like it was really brief. 7 chapters that burned through in short order I think the longest ones were still under 30 minutes on audible. Regardless though, he said what he meant to and it was a good read for me. I love these first hand accounts, of history.
November 6, 2021
It has a very useful section on Operation Market Garden. It describes the engagement from an american Division under British leadership perspective, who were tasked with facilitating the advance of XXX Corp.
It was told simply, chronologically, and from a small unit POV.
A refreshing and fair account.
It was told simply, chronologically, and from a small unit POV.
A refreshing and fair account.
August 20, 2020
Great book!
Trul,y one of the best books on WWII that I Have read. Very detailed and accurate. I don't see how Maggie was able to keep notes during his time in combat. Total recall was astounding. Great job!
Trul,y one of the best books on WWII that I Have read. Very detailed and accurate. I don't see how Maggie was able to keep notes during his time in combat. Total recall was astounding. Great job!
July 2, 2023
An enthralling personal history of the 82nd Airborne Division in WW2 from a frontline soldier's point of view. From Tunisa to Sicily to France, Belgium and Germany and the final victory parade in NYC, Megellas relates what most WW2 vets don't.
July 4, 2025
A good and compelling account of the 82nd Airborne's fight to Berlin in WWII. The author's persona can be a little off-putting at times, but he does a great job of describing the conditions endured by men in combat.
February 8, 2019
Maggie was a paratroopers paratrooper
August 31, 2019
Obviously written decades after the fact. There are dozens of better first hand accounts by Americans in WWII.
March 19, 2025
Very moving book
March 23, 2019
A candid, straightforward and brutal account of James' experience - his personal comments on how he later came to terms with all the killing were fascinating. Couldn't put it down.
April 14, 2011
This book is a war memoir from a very highly decorated WWII vet who saw a considerable amount of front line action. It's amazing what Megellas lived through and it's obvious that he was a top notch soldier. However, it's worth keeping in mind that this book was written by a retired soldier, not a writer. It was also written by the type of person who signs up to be a paratrooper. Neither of those are necessarily bad things. In fact, I'd say that this book is much more authentic than most accounts of WWII. It is heavy on the details of combat, provides an insight into the mind of a combat soldier, and, if your WWII knowledge is patchy like mine, will help you buff up on your history.
With that said, this book is not especially well-written nor does it undertake much of the philosophical probing that tends to accompany work on WWII (or, for that matter, war in general). And while I don't think that it was Megellas' intention to dabble in themes of the human condition, I was a bit let down by this. For example, when he briefly discussed the process in which soldiers come to enjoy killing, I wanted more. Why? How did he make this transition? What did it teach him? How does he feel about it after 50 years of reflection? Etc.
However, none of this is to say that you will not enjoy the book. I just think that a potential reader should know what they are in for - namely, a WWII memoir heavy on first hand detail but not too heavy on reflection. That's my impression and I'm glad that I read it, I just wanted more of a different kind of narrative.
For Megellas' part, I have nothing but respect for his service. I happened to meet him at a book signing in the Dallas airport and he was very courteous. It was a humbling experience to meet a man who has seen so much.
With that said, this book is not especially well-written nor does it undertake much of the philosophical probing that tends to accompany work on WWII (or, for that matter, war in general). And while I don't think that it was Megellas' intention to dabble in themes of the human condition, I was a bit let down by this. For example, when he briefly discussed the process in which soldiers come to enjoy killing, I wanted more. Why? How did he make this transition? What did it teach him? How does he feel about it after 50 years of reflection? Etc.
However, none of this is to say that you will not enjoy the book. I just think that a potential reader should know what they are in for - namely, a WWII memoir heavy on first hand detail but not too heavy on reflection. That's my impression and I'm glad that I read it, I just wanted more of a different kind of narrative.
For Megellas' part, I have nothing but respect for his service. I happened to meet him at a book signing in the Dallas airport and he was very courteous. It was a humbling experience to meet a man who has seen so much.
October 3, 2012
A warrior’s tale told modestly in the first person, this chronicle of H Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II is bound to please the most diehard fans of the airborne as well as students of the Second World War. “Maggie” was a strange nickname for a fearless fighter but that is how he was known to his fellow paratroopers.
Assigned to the 504th PIR while they were in Italy, Maggie missed fighting in Sicily with the 82nd Airborne Division. When the rest of the division was sent to England to prepare for the invasion of Europe, the 504th PIR was selected to remain with the 5th Army and participate in the seaborne invasion at Anzio. Just one more example of the blatant misuse of paratroopers, the 504th landed on the Anzio beachhead, struggled inland and fought in the mountains as leg infantry.
There they established a reputation as those “devils in baggy pants”, so named in the diary of a dead German soldier who wrote, “Devils in baggy pants are less than 100 meters from the outpost line. I can’t sleep at night, they pop up from nowhere…it seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere.” Rejoining their division in England, they were too battered and weakened to participate in the D-Day invasion but did eventually make the jump into Holland.
Maggie’s description of the Wall River Crossing under enemy fire is pulse pounding and heart stopping. It is a miracle that anyone survived to capture the Nijmegan Bridge but survive he did to write one of the most unforgettable memoirs of the entire war.
Replete with anecdotes from many other paratroopers of the “All American” division, this work by the most decorated officer of the 82nd Airborne Division is a must-read for anyone who appreciates true courage and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, poorly planned special operations and the withering fire of a determined enemy.
Assigned to the 504th PIR while they were in Italy, Maggie missed fighting in Sicily with the 82nd Airborne Division. When the rest of the division was sent to England to prepare for the invasion of Europe, the 504th PIR was selected to remain with the 5th Army and participate in the seaborne invasion at Anzio. Just one more example of the blatant misuse of paratroopers, the 504th landed on the Anzio beachhead, struggled inland and fought in the mountains as leg infantry.
There they established a reputation as those “devils in baggy pants”, so named in the diary of a dead German soldier who wrote, “Devils in baggy pants are less than 100 meters from the outpost line. I can’t sleep at night, they pop up from nowhere…it seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere.” Rejoining their division in England, they were too battered and weakened to participate in the D-Day invasion but did eventually make the jump into Holland.
Maggie’s description of the Wall River Crossing under enemy fire is pulse pounding and heart stopping. It is a miracle that anyone survived to capture the Nijmegan Bridge but survive he did to write one of the most unforgettable memoirs of the entire war.
Replete with anecdotes from many other paratroopers of the “All American” division, this work by the most decorated officer of the 82nd Airborne Division is a must-read for anyone who appreciates true courage and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, poorly planned special operations and the withering fire of a determined enemy.
January 9, 2016
Een aangrijpend verslag van een Amerikaanse paratrooper die meevecht in de campagnes in Italië, Nederland, de Ardennen en Duitsland. Het is geen historisch werk, maar de neerslag van ( eigen) herinneringen, brieven en gesprekken. Wat mij het meeste trof is een ervaring aan de Rijn. Ze bouwen moeizaam een bruggenhoofd uit aan de Oostkant. Een keer alles min of meer is geconsolideerd komt er op de andere (veilige) oever een generaal alles inspecteren. Niet alleen heeft hij kritiek op het voorkomen van de mannen (ruig, ongeschoren) maar hij beveelt ook zonder enige kennis ter zake om het bruggenhoofd uit te breiden naar een gebied waarvan geweten is dat het eigenlijk een mijnenveld is (ook de Duitsers durven langs daar niet aanvallen). Het bevel wordt uitgevoerd en er komen verschillende Amerikanen om door de mijnen. Een parallel met onze huidige "management" maatschappij is dan snel getrokken. Ook hier worden immers beslissingen getroffen door mensen met theoretische kennis maar met een schrijnend gebrek aan ervaring die verstrekkende gevolgen hebben voor bedrijven, klanten en werknemers
February 20, 2021
When I came across this book years ago, I knew I had to read it. My father had fought with the 82nd during WWII but not with the 504. Here you get a look into the war from about the beginning of the Americans being involved in it. First to Africa where the 82nd really did not do much but after that, you get a look into the drop into Sicily and then the invasion of Italy. The 504 would stay in Italy to fight while the rest of the 82nd would prepare for D-Day. They would then meet back up with the rest of the unit for Holland.
You also get to see the role of the 82nd and the fighting that they did during the Battle of the Bulge this part of the was very interesting for me for my father did not talk about that fighting much because of the intensity of it along with Holland. Overall, I found this to be a good book. Follow us at
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You also get to see the role of the 82nd and the fighting that they did during the Battle of the Bulge this part of the was very interesting for me for my father did not talk about that fighting much because of the intensity of it along with Holland. Overall, I found this to be a good book. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com
May 9, 2018
A good account of the most decorated officer in the 82nd Airborne during WWII. Well written., and readable, thought sometimes a little repetitive as it appears sections have been edited togethor with a bit of overlap. Sometimes he goes off on tangents when a particular soldier is mentioned to give a brief history of them, but neither of these things marr the account as a whole
April 29, 2010
I really liked reading this book, it was well written and offered keen insight into some basic leadership ideas. I also appreciated reading about the personal views of battle presented by the author and other paratroopers who served in the 504th Parachute Regiment of the 82nd Airborne
November 16, 2016
I thought this book was great, it was very historical, it gave me much knowledge of the war and lots of events that happened during the war, the thing that i thought was really interesting about James Magellas was how many times he had parachuted out of a plane, i would give this book 5 stars.
March 30, 2009
Father's Day gift from Matt and Keri that was signed by the author. Well written, the author does not omit the grisly details of hand to hand combat.
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December 27, 2008940.54 Meg
June 10, 2009
A great accounting of events in the European Theater of WWII. An excellent companion is Band of Brothers (TV Series). I also recommend A Bridge Too Far (Movie), as a contrast.
July 17, 2012
Very anecdotal but I found extremely interesting tale from the ground level. His insight into what those at the front were actually thinking and how they acted definitely provided new insight to me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews