Avenging Eagles: Forbidden Tales of the 101st Airborne Division in World War 2

by Mark Bando

When WW2 ended, the historians who wrote of America's involvement went to unprecedented lengths to censor and sanitize the grittier details. Walt Whitman once wrote of war in "The real war will never get in the books." In this original presentation, historian Mark Bando shows the reader a real slice of WW2 that was previously known to only a handful of individuals at the combat squad level. These are the types of incidents that are normally left out of conventional history books. Although not 'history' in the academically accepted sense, these incidents did happen, and need to be recorded for posterity. You will discover stories about insubordination, sexual encounters, brawls with other servicemen, accidental deaths from parachute mishaps or unexpected firearms discharge, mayhem and summary execution on the battlefield. These are stories that are not openly discussed by combat veterans and are usually only whispered between individuals at military reunions. The tales range from sad to hilarious, from surprising to horrible, but they are real. These are not the creations of a screenwriter or some novelist's pipe dreams; they are actual events that had a lifelong impact on the soldiers who experienced them. Such a collection could only have resulted from 35 years of research on the 101st Airborne Division, which entailed interviews with almost 1000 veterans who wore the 'Screaming Eagle' patch in WW2. No other researcher has devoted as much time to obtaining original source information from WW2 101st survivors. Three quarters of the veterans interviewed for this book have since passed away. This is an entertaining smorgasboard of forbidden tales, from a unit of high spirited, bold volunteers who pioneered a new form of warfare.

Genres: World War II

183 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jon Wort · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book, which covers many of those stories and activities that happen in war, but never get included in official or regimental history books.
Mark Bando's love and admiration for the heroes of 101st Airborne Division shine through his writing. He is neither condemning, patronising or judgemental in his writing and he gives the reader a real insight into the airborne soldiers of WW2. The stories he tells were, almost certainly, repeated across all armies and theatres of war and continue to this day in modern combat. Although TV, media and modern Laws of Armed Combat have reduced the quantity.
It is a book that should be read by all who have an interest in the balance of the Normandy campaign.

[Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book for those interested in the airborne forces during WW2. Bando uses his vast collection of personal stories to show the ugy side of day-to-day war and does so in a very compelling way.
My favorite WWII author by far.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!