No Better Place to Die: Ste-Mere Eglise, June 1944--The Battle for La Fiere Bridge

by Robert M. Murphy

The you-are-there story of one of the most ferocious small-unit combats in US history . . . As part of the massive Allied invasion of Normandy, three airborne divisions were dropped behind enemy lines to sew confusion in the German rear and prevent panzer reinforcements from reaching the beaches. In the dark early hours of D-Day, this confusion was achieved well enough, as nearly every airborne unit missed its drop zone, creating a kaleidoscope of small-unit combat. Fortunately for the Allies, the 505th Regimental Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division hit on or near its drop zone. Its task was to seize the vital crossroads of Ste Mere Eglise, and to hold the bridge over the Merderet River at nearby La Fiere. Benefiting from dynamic battlefield leadership, the paratroopers reached the bridge, only to be met by wave after wave of German tanks and infantry desperate to force the crossing. Reinforced by glider troops, who suffered terribly in their landings from the now-alert Germans, the 505th not only held the vital bridge for three days but launched a counterattack in the teeth of enemy fire to secure their objective once and for all, albeit at gruesome cost. In No Better Place to Die, Robert M. Murphy provides an objective narrative of countless acts of heroism, almost breathtaking in its "you are there" detail. No World War II veteran is better known in 82nd Airborne circles than Robert M. ("Bob") Murphy. A Pathfinder and member of A Company, 505th PIR, Bob was wounded three times in action, and made all four combat jumps with his regiment, fighting in Sicily, Italy, Normandy, and Holland. He was decorated for valor for his role at La Fiere, and is a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. After the war, he was instrumental in establishing the 505th RCT Association. A selection of the Military Book Club

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, Military History, War, France

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 Stars! It was very informative but lacked depth at times!

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle for La Fiere Bridge was one of dozens of small actions fought by U.S. airborne troops after their drop on the Normandy countryside. The author, Bob Murphy, was one of the soldiers involved in the battle, but most of the battle narrative is told from the perspective of others who were there. While it would have been interesting to know a bit more about what the author personally experienced, his aim was to provide a recounting of the entire fight, not just his little bit.

Based upon a multitude of interviews and letters, the book takes you through the hectic first days after the Normandy invasion as a small group of paratroopers and glider troops tried to prevent the Germans from getting to Utah Beach. The action is a bit jumbled, but that's to be expected as combat is rarely linear.

There are also recollections from civilians who were in the area at the time of the fighting, and a few German soldiers as well. After the war, the author was instrumental in many events and memorials for the 82nd Airborne Division, and many of those are recounted here as well.

A fine snapshot of one little battle in a big war.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really incredible book. About half the book is the story the battle at La Fiere and the surrounding area from D-Day to the few days after. And the remainder of the book is a collection of primary sources; stories from the participants on all sides: paratroopers, glidermen, officers, enlisted, civilians, and German soldiers.

It was recommended to me by a tour guide when I visited Normandy and the La Fiere bridge, and it certainly did not disappoint. I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in the battle or D-Day.

[Ruth York · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book better than I did. It is an interesting story of a battle that took place on D-Day, and the few days after. However, it could have stood a bit more editing, in my opinion. I appreciate what the author went through. However, there were several instances where it seemed like he didn't want to leave any name out of the narrative. Which meant, some were only mentioned to say they were killed in action. The book felt somewhat haphazard in how it was put together, with several different points of view included. Which for me, made it sometimes hard to keep track of.

[Adam Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to get this book, however , ended up a little disappointed . I wish more of the book went to the authors personal story. The author attempts to give the full story of the battle, however , the meshing of stories just isn’t easily read . It’s really an important story I just wish it was written differently .

[David Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short 255 page book I stumbled onto when I was picking up library books for my 11 year old grandson … I really liked this “true-story” rendition of a key D-Day battleground. In the same vein as Band-of-Brothers, this series of short stories tells the tales of parachute troops, pathfinders, glider troops, and all kinds of civilian tales also. It even has interviews of German survivors and of French citizens. Since the author is a civilian veteran, it reads amazingly well … probably because the subject is compelling and writing is short. I truly wish I had read about this key battle site at La Fiere Bridge five years earlier so that when I visited Ste. Mere-Eglise and the Normandy beachhead I could’ve lingered in this area and seen it for myself. As it was, because I had been there, the authors colorful wording and detailed recollections helped paint the picture in my mind as I read … my mark if a good book. The pictures and captions in the book are priceless.
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of D-Day and the heroism that was exhibited in that long campaign.

[Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading in my childhood hometown newspaper for August 1944 how my cousin, Guy, jumped into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne, something I had never heard before and that his descendants say he never talked about, I went on a search of what actually happened there. This is a first-hand primary source account that includes several other first-hand accounts of the horrific close-quarters combat and terribly lethal industrial war of the 20th century. Reading this helped me understand why cousin Guy never talked about his experiences. For a combat veteran actual combat, up-close and in your face, is too sickening to recall to memory with the family sitting around a cookout fire. The memories must be gripping and the nightmares probably never go completely away. It is a remarkable book and if you are a student of World War II you simply must read it.

[Robert M. Roth MD · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little known battle

The book provides details of a little known but very costly battle involving paratroopers during the D Day invasion.

The book is divided into 2 sections, that of the actual battle and is followed by individual accounts by some of the participants, including civilians and, in one case, a German trooper.

The first section is provided with sufficient maps to readily follow the course of events. While there are some personal anecdotes, for the most part, it reads like an after action report. The second half adds little to the narrative of the battle.

[Bryan Mcquirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good bit narrowly focused accounting of the first battles fought by the 82nd Airborne after they dropped in during D Day.
It primarily focuses on the 505th (the author's unit), 507th and 508th, with some other glider units tossed in as well. It mostly focuses on June 6th to June 11th, and the early days of battles in the hedgerows.
Overall an interesting book, especially the survivor accounts from other units, French civilians, and even German soldiers.

[Jdblair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, very detailed description of the battles for Ste. Mere-Eglise and the La Fiere Bridge. It got a little tedious for me but the story of the battles is incredible and gave me a better understanding how the 82nd Airborne was involved in the D-Day invasion. I wish the photos in the paperback edition were higher resolution and larger.

[Steve Dedier · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have said it is a somewhat disjointed account of this historic battle. Like many accounts it sorely needs detailed maps of the situational areas. The author describes the 'stone wall' etc and you really can't get any picture of what is going on.
Still a short read that gives you the perspective of someone who was there.

[John Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

God Bless America!

I am proud to read the names of the Americans who fought for our freedom. This book is a memoir of them and what they went through to save us all. Thank you and God Bless you.

[Joe Creason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the ~8 hour audible version of this book narrated by Stephen Bowlby. The final paragraph of this review pertains to that production specifically.

3 stars. Not too much was spent on the author's personal experience.

This is a battle history/memoir focusing on the actions of Bob Murphy’s unit in the 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne during three days of relentless combat behind enemy lines after D-Day, June 6th 1944. Murphy intermixes history about the battle at St.-Mere-Eglise, first hand accounts from fellow paratroopers, other soldiers (from both the Axis and Allies) and French civilians with a few anecdotes of his own personal recollections on the action to deliver this informative though lacking account.

Before jumping into the drawbacks, I should first point out the many pros offered in this work. This is a battle with a clouded background (certain parts were sensationalized in THE LONGEST DAY and by other troopers, much to the chagrin of Murphy and others he interviewed) and the 82nd’s part in the D-Day invasion is usually overshadowed by the experiences of paratroopers in the 101st (due in part to BAND OF BROTHERS). So such a tight focus on a particular bridgehead and the role of the 82nd made for an intriguing battle history to read for the first section of the book.

The remaining sections were comprised of introductory passages written by Murphy and several first-hand accounts from paratroopers, glidermen, German soldiers and even civilians. I have yet to find a memoir on the Normandy invasion from the German enlisted-man’s POV (I recently purchased WN62 but it is rather short and embellished) so the German accounts and the French civilian accounts were especially informative.

And let’s face it, this book doesn’t claim to only be a memoir based on Murphy’s personal experiences. In the introduction he states that this book is a history of the battle and part memoir and unfortunately, that latter part is very, very scant. Only here and there are fleeting snippets of personal experiences given by the author. Just when we think he’ll dive in a bit more and explain what he did specifically during the battle, we’re jolted back to the big picture or to one of the several primary sources from officers who fought in the battle.

This was such a missed opportunity because Murphy was a combat veteran before jumping on D-Day. We find out that he made at least two jumps prior and made the D-Day jump as a pathfinder! It’s that latter fact that pushed me to buy the book: I have read a lot of combat memoirs and there has yet to be a single one written by a pathfinder during WW2 (there is a very excellent Vietnam memoir called PATHFINDER by Richard R. Burns, though). We are only given brief bits of information on that role in the invasion, which is frustrating considering the author was a pathfinder.

One of the sections features a few pages written by Spencer Wurst, another 82nd paratrooper and I highly recommend you check out his memoir that covers his entire combat tenure entitled, DESCENDING FROM THE CLOUDS. I am fairly certain the part Wurst wrote is a passage taken from his memoir. This brings me to another drawback in this book: much of it was quite repetitive. Wurst’s contribution, along with several others, describes almost exactly the same pre-Invasion experience and a lot of exposition provided by the different sources kept sounding redundant. Some had different experiences that Murphy was right to leave in (such as those of the glidermen) but the same points are belabored over and over again that it dragged down the pacing.

Despite these drawbacks, several of the accounts were riveting and novel enough to award this book 3 stars, though I wish the author had added more of a personal touch to the narrative considering what a true hero he certainly was.

The audiobook is fine, narrator and all, though nothing special. I would recommend reading this one, because it’s harder to follow a story that jumps between general history and quotes and you can easily skip over the repeated info dumps.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly detailed and thoroughly researched account of the 82nd Airborne’s role in theD-Day invasion, this book provides an excellent, almost moment-by-moment narrative of the fighting in and around St. Mere-Iglese. At times, the book reads almost as an after-action briefing - stark, w/ lots of detailed references to platoons and battalions. At other times, the author inserts editorial comments re: the bravery, preparedness, commitment, etc., of a particular unit. These descriptors are sometimes in stark contrast to the almost sterile tone of the “after-action briefing” narrative surrounding them. Still other times, the author tells stories of particular men or groups of men whose selfless service - and sacrifice - contributed to the success of the operation. The detail and personal touches of these portions draw the reader in, creating the feel of being at least a firsthand observer, if not participant. The author allows the reader to become acquainted w/ some of the characters - some of whom are lost. In this way, the reader shares that sense of loss and grieves the death of those soldiers.
The author (and his editor/publisher) include addendums and appendices that feature even more firsthand accounts from soldiers and civilians caught up in the conflict. I enjoyed some of these features as much as I did the body of the narrative itself.
I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone who is an enthusiast of the Battle for Normandy. Even for those who may not share my fascination for details of the Normandy invasion, this book may well create a passion for the critical episode in our history.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall story told in this book is very interesting. However, it could really have used an editor. It is obviously cobbled together from first-person narratives of various participants in the battle, and these different perspectives are stitched together quite poorly. The perspective changes constantly changing place and going backwards and forwards in time. For example, when the same event is told multiple times (e.g., the arrival of an anti-tank gun), this leads to confusion; it is often very unclear whether this is the same event from a second perspective or a second, but similar, event.

Second, the intended audience is seemingly other participants in the battle. The bigger picture is explained only very briefly. It can be difficult to keep track of all the different unit abbreviations given the constant changing of perspective and retelling of events multiple times. And, most of the details are peppered with proper knowns of everyone down to the privates, which leads to almost overwhelming specificity.

In summary, the book is definitely worth reading for those intensely interested in military history and Normandy specifically. But the casual reader or someone just exploring this campaign should start their reading elsewhere.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of war books generally, as I usually find them both too "gross" and too depressing for my liking. This means I don't know as much about any of the wars of history as I ought. If Robert Murphy wrote all the books about war, I would be much better informed. His book "No Better Place to Die" is written in a very matter-of-fact style, without either embellishing or belittling the horrors of battle. It tells of the mission of some of the Airborne troops dropped on D-day, and what it took to achieve the mission; specifically, taking and holding the la Fiere Bridge at Ste-Mere Eglise. Despite obstacles which began immediately with inexperienced pilots dropping troops in the wrong places, and heavy losses of troops, the bridge was taken and held. What was in the minds of the men - actually, boys, many of them - through out these days? Reading "No Better Place to Die" is like having a conversation with the veterans, with first hand accounts that tell exactly what they were thinking, and what kept them going against all the odds. It will cause you to wonder whether you would have what it takes, and inspire you to stand for your convictions however strong the enemy.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little too detailed, too technical for me in many parts, but the pictures were really what saved it. I also liked the first person accounts at the end. If you are interested in reading about the experience of paratroopers and gliders during the invasion of Normandy, I would not make this my first pick. But it's worth checking out for the pictures alone. And that was on the kindle, so I'm sure they're even better in print.

[Diane Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the author was sometimes repetitive, and the narrative needs some additional editing and proof reading for typos- for those interested in D-day, this work, by a participant, provides a detailed look at one focused battle to secure one river crossing. The book also provides insight into the paratroopers' role in D-day, with a bit of info on the glider groups.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed look at a specific D-day battle, this was factually put forward. I think it assumes some knowledge of weaponry and the overall E-Day picture.