Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

A perfect book to read around Memorial Day, Beyond Band of Brothers is the story of Easy Company, a paratrooper unit that dropped into Normandy on D-Day and achieved great success in combat. The book is written by Easy Company's leader Major Dick Winters, a man who is celebrated for his innate leadership skills and amazing acts during World War II. He wrote the book as a result of the success and interest in Steve Ambrose's book, Band of Brothers, which is about Easy Company and their completed mission on D-Day and beyond. Ambrose's book was made into an HBO series and had a big following. As a result, many hundreds of people wrote to Major Winters thanking him for his service and requesting to hear more about him, his company, and their experiences. His reply, this book. I have never read a war book for obvious reasons (so intense, so violent), but Jess read it first and gave me the okay. Winters does a wonderful job conveying the resolve, the commitment, the character of he and his men without the extreme intensity that I was able to really focus on the men, what they were able to do, what they had to deal with, and how they could handle and be a part of such an experience. Amazing indeed. Toward the end of the book, Winters gives the reader a simple explanation of how to become a good leader, he explains:

How do you become a good man? You start with a cornerstone - honesty - and from there you build character. If you have character, that means the guy you are dealing with can trust you.

And Major Dick Winters did just that. He was honest with his men, they knew they could trust him, and they were willing to do anything he asked. I enjoyed this book so much, I'm reading another WWII book about another amazing company. Happy Belated Memorial Day and a very sincere thanks to all servicemen past, present, and future.