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Behind Hitler's Lines: The True Story of the Only Soldier to Fight for Both Amer
As the twentieth century closed, the veterans of its defining war passed away at a rate of a thousand per day. Fortunately, D-Day paratrooper Joseph Beyrle met author Thomas H. Taylor in time to record Behind Hitler's Lines, the true story of the first American paratrooper to land in Normandy and the only soldier to fight for both the United States and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. It is a story of battle, followed by a succession of captures, escapes, recaptures, and re-escapes, then battle once more, in the final months of fighting on the Eastern Front. For these unique experiences, both President Bill Clinton and President Boris Yeltsin honored Joe Beyrle on the fiftieth anniversary of V-E Day. Beyrle did not strive to be a part of history, but history kept visiting him. Twice before the invasion he parachuted into Normandy, bearing gold for the French resistance. D Day resulted in his capture, and he was mistaken for a German line-crosser - a soldier who had, in fact, died in the attempt. Eventually Joe was held under guard at the American embassy in Moscow, suspected of being a Nazi assassin. Fingerprints saved him, confirming that he'd been wounded five times, and that he bore a safe-conduct pass written by marshal Zhukov after the Wehrmacht wrested Joe, at gunpoint, from execution by the Gestapo. In the ruins of Warsaw his life was saved again, this time by Polish nuns. Some of Joe's story is in his own words - a voice that will be among the last and best we hear firsthand from World War II.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2002
97 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Happer Taylor
7 books4 followersThomas Happer Taylor (born 1934) is a highly decorated veteran of the United States Army, a military historian, an author of seven books, and a champion triathlete. He served in Vietnam following in the footsteps of his father General Maxwell D. Taylor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 11, 2013
A real page turner. Books like this are the reason I love nonfiction. Hollywood could never make up a better story than this.
By the book's jacket, you know how it will end. Joe Beyrle (pronounced "buy early" is captured shortly after D-day, eventually escapes and joins up with the Russians. Its all that happens in between that makes this book so interesting. With each page I kept thinking, "what more could happen to this man?"
There are times when the author strays from the main story and talks about other soldiers' experiences that take place during Beyrle's captivity. These chapters don't detract from the book, but rather add a sense of continuity and round out the story.
Books like this give me a greater appreciation for America's "greatest generation."
By the book's jacket, you know how it will end. Joe Beyrle (pronounced "buy early" is captured shortly after D-day, eventually escapes and joins up with the Russians. Its all that happens in between that makes this book so interesting. With each page I kept thinking, "what more could happen to this man?"
There are times when the author strays from the main story and talks about other soldiers' experiences that take place during Beyrle's captivity. These chapters don't detract from the book, but rather add a sense of continuity and round out the story.
Books like this give me a greater appreciation for America's "greatest generation."
June 14, 2012
This book told the story of Joe Beyrle, the only person during the Second World War to have fought for both the United States and the Soviet Union. The information provided includes: his training for the 101st Airborne Division, his two secret drops into France months before D-day, his capture during D-Day, the horrors of his imprisonment and interrogations, his escape after transportation to a POW camp in Poland, his fighting with a Soviet reconnaissance unit. The book also provides information on other battles that the 101st fought against the Germans, from D-day to Bastogne. The book was an overall good read, though I hoped to read far more about the time spent on the Eastern Front.
Some tidbits gleaned from the book
• Germany for the most part adhered to the Geneva Convention on the Western Front, even though the signing had occurred before the Nazis came to power. They did not adhere to it on the Eastern Front as the Soviet Union did not sign onto the Geneva Convention (Question: Were they offered a chance to do so or were they ignored as they were with so many other diplomatic efforts in the 1920s and 1930s.) Japan, which did sign onto them, blatantly ignored them (by, for instance, requiring officers as well as soldiers, to do prison labor). Over 30% of American POWs under Japanese control dies as opposed to 2% of those under German control.
• The Waffen (Armed)-SS were all-Nazi units, usually division-size, tactically integrated with the Wehrmacht, which was otherwise made up of conscripts rather than party members. These units were “Hitler’s elite” and accordingly best equipment and replacements. They were also used most and accordingly had the least rest and suffered the most casualities. They were under the general command of Himmler, who parceled them out to Wehrmacht field armies according to Hitler’s wishes.
• Stalin developed an equivalent to the Waffen-SS, the Guards divisions, comprising of fervent Communists.
• The Soviets never used the term Nazi, as they felt it disparaged Socialism; everything was called “Hitlerite”.
• At least 7.5 million Red Army soldiers were killed by the Germans. Hitler had ¾ of his 3 million military KIA on the Eastern Front. The British Commonwealth, in all theatres, lost half a million. The United States, in all theatres, lost 300,000. Civilian deaths for both the Allies and the Axis were 90 million (Using the 1937 Japanese invasion of China as the start of the conflict).
Some tidbits gleaned from the book
• Germany for the most part adhered to the Geneva Convention on the Western Front, even though the signing had occurred before the Nazis came to power. They did not adhere to it on the Eastern Front as the Soviet Union did not sign onto the Geneva Convention (Question: Were they offered a chance to do so or were they ignored as they were with so many other diplomatic efforts in the 1920s and 1930s.) Japan, which did sign onto them, blatantly ignored them (by, for instance, requiring officers as well as soldiers, to do prison labor). Over 30% of American POWs under Japanese control dies as opposed to 2% of those under German control.
• The Waffen (Armed)-SS were all-Nazi units, usually division-size, tactically integrated with the Wehrmacht, which was otherwise made up of conscripts rather than party members. These units were “Hitler’s elite” and accordingly best equipment and replacements. They were also used most and accordingly had the least rest and suffered the most casualities. They were under the general command of Himmler, who parceled them out to Wehrmacht field armies according to Hitler’s wishes.
• Stalin developed an equivalent to the Waffen-SS, the Guards divisions, comprising of fervent Communists.
• The Soviets never used the term Nazi, as they felt it disparaged Socialism; everything was called “Hitlerite”.
• At least 7.5 million Red Army soldiers were killed by the Germans. Hitler had ¾ of his 3 million military KIA on the Eastern Front. The British Commonwealth, in all theatres, lost half a million. The United States, in all theatres, lost 300,000. Civilian deaths for both the Allies and the Axis were 90 million (Using the 1937 Japanese invasion of China as the start of the conflict).
March 12, 2018
This is a truly amazing story. You will hear everything you wanted to hear (and much that you didn't) about POW camps, Nazis, torture, hunger, courage, and bravery in this astonishing book about the story of one man's battle to survive the war. I honestly can't believe he did, after all he went through.
This book was well researched, thorough, and easy to comprehend. I'd recommend it to any avid reader of WWII history. :)
This book was well researched, thorough, and easy to comprehend. I'd recommend it to any avid reader of WWII history. :)
July 1, 2018
I was familiar with the story of Joe Beyrle from internet research. He is famous as the only soldier to fight on both Western and Eastern fronts during World War II. A coworker named Vicky saw the book somewhere and picked up a used copy for me, knowing I was interested in this kind of stuff, but it took me a while to get around to reading it.
SUMMARY
The author, a veteran, begins by describing the fame of Joe Beyrle that he became aware of at reunions. Then he digs into everything else; Joe’s early life is touched on, his training, and later secret airborne jumps he made into France prior to D-Day (acting as a “paymaster” for French resistance groups). Joe is captured during the D-Day jump, and spends the rest of the book escaping, being recaptured, enduring prison life, and eventually escaping to the Eastern Front where he links up with a Russian tank unit.
OVERALL: 2.8 out of 5
First off, Joe Beyrle’s story is amazing and he seems like an incredible person (sadly, he passed away in 2004). This book is a gripping World War II account, and readers can feel like they’re really in the thick of things. A lot of stuff here was new for me; what 101st Airborne was doing prior to the invasion on D-Day, life in German prison camps (the only other account I had read was that of Carl Lehmann, a Ranger who was captured in Italy and later a kind of pen-pal of mine).
What is surprising is how easily it could be for someone to deny most of it ever happened. There are documents, such as Joe’s prisoner-of-war file typed up by the Germans, and later a Russian dossier on him, but nearly every single witness to Joe’s actions died or disappeared. At one point he escapes with two other POWs, is recaptured in Berlin, and is tortured by the Gestapo. The other POWs are later killed. A German guard named Schultz actually plays a fairly important role but can’t be questioned later. Joe obtains a “pass” signed by General Zhukov himself, but it later disappears. Joe is cared for by nuns in Poland, but when he returns in the 1980s, only two of the nuns from those days are still alive and neither remembers him.
Don’t mistake me, I am not saying this stuff isn’t true. It’s probably one of the best examples of the quintessential war story that is “too incredible to be believed”, yet is truth. Joe would not have been honored years later by Russian President Boris Yeltsin if he was just blowing smoke.
But what I find interesting is that the author seems to focus on the lack of witnesses and evidence, as though he is daring readers to claim this is all malarkey. I wonder if this was done on purpose or not, but I do wish that if more research had been done (besides just interviewing Joe himself), the author had touched on it a little.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 3 out of 5
The author does a good job of giving the reader a clear picture of Joe Beyrle himself, though his motivations remain kind of nebulous (even with several paragraphs being direct quotes from the man himself in his older age). For instance, why is he so hellbent on escape when many others aren’t (or at least don’t have the same initiative)? Maybe it’s the fiction-lover in me, but I wanted a reason why he was constantly motivated to get loose, even when the prospects of success were nil. He didn’t have a girl to get back to, but I don’t doubt the strength, intelligence, and patriotism of other prisoners-of-war, but Joe seemed to be escaping every other page.
Other characters don’t get a lot of background, at least not enough to make them leap off the page. A German prison guard probably receives more background material than anyone else.
PACE: 3 out of 5
The book moves at a good pace, though the disturbing parts (when Joe is interrogated by the Gestapo) lasted too long.
STORY: 4 out of 5
The story here is nothing short of incredible, and I doubt that the book actually does it real justice. Joe’s experiences in World War II are the stuff of movies (both action and drama). It’s amazing no one in Hollywood has taken notice yet, though it’s likely they would consider many parts too incredible for modern audiences.
There are some parts about prisoner-life in German camps that I had not guessed at. A guard dog is eaten, and later a camp infiltrator (sent in by the Germans to pretend to be a prisoner) is murdered and dismembered; I wasn’t expecting that kind of stuff, but it’s always interesting to hear about stuff that no one else has mentioned before.
I am not positive, but it does feel like the research wasn’t as thorough as it could have been.
DIALOGUE: 3 out of 5
There isn’t a great deal of dialogue here. What does exist does feel like an accurate representation of how people were probably talking at the time.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 2 out of 5
The book is well-written, but I have to complain about the “middle bridge”. The author takes a break from Beyrle’s story to describe events happening to his old unit. These parts seem to be told somewhat through the eyes of soldier Ed Albers, but not completely. Thus it feels disjointed. It’s never boring, and exciting stuff to get a new perspective on Operation Market Garden and later the Battle of the Bulge, but the real problem is that this stuff isn’t revisited later. The narration turns back to Joe, and everything with Ed Albers is forgotten until the very end when he earns a single final sentence about his fate. It just felt a bit sloppy.
SUMMARY
The author, a veteran, begins by describing the fame of Joe Beyrle that he became aware of at reunions. Then he digs into everything else; Joe’s early life is touched on, his training, and later secret airborne jumps he made into France prior to D-Day (acting as a “paymaster” for French resistance groups). Joe is captured during the D-Day jump, and spends the rest of the book escaping, being recaptured, enduring prison life, and eventually escaping to the Eastern Front where he links up with a Russian tank unit.
OVERALL: 2.8 out of 5
First off, Joe Beyrle’s story is amazing and he seems like an incredible person (sadly, he passed away in 2004). This book is a gripping World War II account, and readers can feel like they’re really in the thick of things. A lot of stuff here was new for me; what 101st Airborne was doing prior to the invasion on D-Day, life in German prison camps (the only other account I had read was that of Carl Lehmann, a Ranger who was captured in Italy and later a kind of pen-pal of mine).
What is surprising is how easily it could be for someone to deny most of it ever happened. There are documents, such as Joe’s prisoner-of-war file typed up by the Germans, and later a Russian dossier on him, but nearly every single witness to Joe’s actions died or disappeared. At one point he escapes with two other POWs, is recaptured in Berlin, and is tortured by the Gestapo. The other POWs are later killed. A German guard named Schultz actually plays a fairly important role but can’t be questioned later. Joe obtains a “pass” signed by General Zhukov himself, but it later disappears. Joe is cared for by nuns in Poland, but when he returns in the 1980s, only two of the nuns from those days are still alive and neither remembers him.
Don’t mistake me, I am not saying this stuff isn’t true. It’s probably one of the best examples of the quintessential war story that is “too incredible to be believed”, yet is truth. Joe would not have been honored years later by Russian President Boris Yeltsin if he was just blowing smoke.
But what I find interesting is that the author seems to focus on the lack of witnesses and evidence, as though he is daring readers to claim this is all malarkey. I wonder if this was done on purpose or not, but I do wish that if more research had been done (besides just interviewing Joe himself), the author had touched on it a little.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 3 out of 5
The author does a good job of giving the reader a clear picture of Joe Beyrle himself, though his motivations remain kind of nebulous (even with several paragraphs being direct quotes from the man himself in his older age). For instance, why is he so hellbent on escape when many others aren’t (or at least don’t have the same initiative)? Maybe it’s the fiction-lover in me, but I wanted a reason why he was constantly motivated to get loose, even when the prospects of success were nil. He didn’t have a girl to get back to, but I don’t doubt the strength, intelligence, and patriotism of other prisoners-of-war, but Joe seemed to be escaping every other page.
Other characters don’t get a lot of background, at least not enough to make them leap off the page. A German prison guard probably receives more background material than anyone else.
PACE: 3 out of 5
The book moves at a good pace, though the disturbing parts (when Joe is interrogated by the Gestapo) lasted too long.
STORY: 4 out of 5
The story here is nothing short of incredible, and I doubt that the book actually does it real justice. Joe’s experiences in World War II are the stuff of movies (both action and drama). It’s amazing no one in Hollywood has taken notice yet, though it’s likely they would consider many parts too incredible for modern audiences.
There are some parts about prisoner-life in German camps that I had not guessed at. A guard dog is eaten, and later a camp infiltrator (sent in by the Germans to pretend to be a prisoner) is murdered and dismembered; I wasn’t expecting that kind of stuff, but it’s always interesting to hear about stuff that no one else has mentioned before.
I am not positive, but it does feel like the research wasn’t as thorough as it could have been.
DIALOGUE: 3 out of 5
There isn’t a great deal of dialogue here. What does exist does feel like an accurate representation of how people were probably talking at the time.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 2 out of 5
The book is well-written, but I have to complain about the “middle bridge”. The author takes a break from Beyrle’s story to describe events happening to his old unit. These parts seem to be told somewhat through the eyes of soldier Ed Albers, but not completely. Thus it feels disjointed. It’s never boring, and exciting stuff to get a new perspective on Operation Market Garden and later the Battle of the Bulge, but the real problem is that this stuff isn’t revisited later. The narration turns back to Joe, and everything with Ed Albers is forgotten until the very end when he earns a single final sentence about his fate. It just felt a bit sloppy.
October 30, 2022
There are millions of truly unbelievable and amazing stories of World War II that defy the imagination, and that in many cases would be rejected by a publisher if submitted as fiction. This is one of those.
Joe Beyrle's story is one of fantastic luck, grit, and history, and is one that should have been far more known prior to his passing. This book does an admirable job of telling his story, but bogs down on at least two tangential stories in the middle of the book that really appear to have no direct correlation - Operation Market Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge - because Beyrle didn't participate and the story told of the exceptionally minor connection does not move the story along. I was tempted to skip ahead, but didn't for fear I'd miss an important connection. I didn't.
A good addition would have been a more detailed story of the Soviet armored Guards Captain Aleksandra Samusenko under whom Beyrle served during his short stint in the Red Army.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy the unusual stories of war, this is certainly a fine choice.
Joe Beyrle's story is one of fantastic luck, grit, and history, and is one that should have been far more known prior to his passing. This book does an admirable job of telling his story, but bogs down on at least two tangential stories in the middle of the book that really appear to have no direct correlation - Operation Market Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge - because Beyrle didn't participate and the story told of the exceptionally minor connection does not move the story along. I was tempted to skip ahead, but didn't for fear I'd miss an important connection. I didn't.
A good addition would have been a more detailed story of the Soviet armored Guards Captain Aleksandra Samusenko under whom Beyrle served during his short stint in the Red Army.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy the unusual stories of war, this is certainly a fine choice.
June 20, 2021
This is a non fiction book but it reads like a thriller and goes on to establish the fact that even the gravest of grave injuries and wounds can not stand in the path of determined soul.
This is the story of war of the creed of screaming eagles and the story of utter defiance and perseverance where even in the heavenly powers must have stopped and scratched their head “what stuff this man is made off ?”
A page Turner read soaked with history. Highly recommended to all WW2 enthusiasts.
This is the story of war of the creed of screaming eagles and the story of utter defiance and perseverance where even in the heavenly powers must have stopped and scratched their head “what stuff this man is made off ?”
A page Turner read soaked with history. Highly recommended to all WW2 enthusiasts.
June 16, 2017
Amazing story of grief, pain, physical punishment from imprisonment by the Germans and finally miraculously surviving to tell his real experiences to the world
It is hard to imagine how a human being could have gone through all that and still keep his sanity, integrity and respect and love for his country and its people
It is hard to imagine how a human being could have gone through all that and still keep his sanity, integrity and respect and love for his country and its people
February 7, 2018
A must read for all history lovers!
Wow, don't know what to say. I am an amateur historian and have read WWII accounts and official historical documents for over 40 years now and I had no knowledge of this incredible saga. Thanks for opening my eyes. A must read.
Wow, don't know what to say. I am an amateur historian and have read WWII accounts and official historical documents for over 40 years now and I had no knowledge of this incredible saga. Thanks for opening my eyes. A must read.
October 21, 2025
A true WW2 thriller from which you really get a sense of not only the war, but what it was like to be a POW. A page-turner in many chapters. Brings smiles of respect for the US military that was fighting to uphold democratic principles.
March 10, 2017
What a story!
May 26, 2017
Amazing story - never knew this occurred. What a great survivor tale.
June 12, 2017
This book was one of the first WWII books I've read. It was a great book from beginning to end.
December 16, 2017
This is the kind of tale that needs to be made into a movie.
February 19, 2018
Thanks, Joe!
Unimaginable pain and hardship suffered by soldiers for our country and our freedom. This book presents one brave soldier's story. Thank you, Joe!!!
Unimaginable pain and hardship suffered by soldiers for our country and our freedom. This book presents one brave soldier's story. Thank you, Joe!!!
April 21, 2018
Very captivating and unique story!
February 13, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. His story is amazing.
December 22, 2021
Great read!
Very good book and an awe inspiring GI. What he went through is just astounding. Definitely a book to be read again.
Very good book and an awe inspiring GI. What he went through is just astounding. Definitely a book to be read again.
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February 22, 2022Very good book. A must read for history buffs.
May 27, 2022
Wonderful little read, told beautifully and colorfully. Enthralling true story. Wish more resources and evidence was cited to support the incredible tale.
September 18, 2023
Heartbreaking at times but interesting and educational as well. Thank you to all our Veterans
December 8, 2023
Talk about your epic journey.
June 25, 2025
Tim Traut would love this book.
August 23, 2025
Very unique true story in a well written book.
October 17, 2025
good book
November 15, 2022
A fascinating journey that I wish was better told.
I'd love to read an alternative historian's take on Beyrle's amazing odyssey. One with the collaborating testimony of primary sources and documentary evidence. The sorts of things historians include. Taylor's account is full of hyperbole and wrong on several well know points, such as the origin of the D-Day clickers and the term D Day for that matter. The result makes me question the elements I can't collaborate elsewhere.
I can honestly say I've never seen any other writer say the Soviets "pulsed out from Stalingrad like schools of piranha" ...
I'd love to read an alternative historian's take on Beyrle's amazing odyssey. One with the collaborating testimony of primary sources and documentary evidence. The sorts of things historians include. Taylor's account is full of hyperbole and wrong on several well know points, such as the origin of the D-Day clickers and the term D Day for that matter. The result makes me question the elements I can't collaborate elsewhere.
I can honestly say I've never seen any other writer say the Soviets "pulsed out from Stalingrad like schools of piranha" ...
February 23, 2013
An interesting story destroyed by lack of editing, and horrible, massive typos. Early in I forgave the extraneous hyphens that were randomly placed in words, but several places in this book suffer from missing *sections* - yes, entire sections. A paragraph ends in the middle of a sentence and the next paragraph begins some place else in the story. It's tiresome to guess what happened.
It's better to google for the story of Joseph Beyrle and simply read about him on Wikipedia. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
It's better to google for the story of Joseph Beyrle and simply read about him on Wikipedia. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
July 19, 2015
This is not the type of book that I usually read, but I found this to be very interesting. It is the true story of a paratrooper in WW II. It made me think about the sacrifices our fathers and grandfathers made to keep us free.
October 1, 2015
Incredible story nearly marred by atrocious typos.
One of the most gripping WWII stories I've read and also one of the worst written. Nevertheless, Joe Beyrle's story is so gripping and intense, glaring errors and awful editing don't quite destroy the impact of this memoir.
One of the most gripping WWII stories I've read and also one of the worst written. Nevertheless, Joe Beyrle's story is so gripping and intense, glaring errors and awful editing don't quite destroy the impact of this memoir.
September 24, 2015
Incredible story!
Overall I enjoyed this book, for anyone who missed WWII this book touches most of what happened in the war in Europe. Hard to reconcile Joe's belief that God chose him to save, but chose others to die.
Overall I enjoyed this book, for anyone who missed WWII this book touches most of what happened in the war in Europe. Hard to reconcile Joe's belief that God chose him to save, but chose others to die.
October 15, 2016
If you want to see "first hand" what war is like. This is the closest you'll get. One soldier's journey from Normandy to Berlin, to Moscow. A truly amazing story and a good reminder of why we stand up and salute our flag.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews