具体描述
内容简介
As good a rifle company as any in the world, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, kept getting the tough assignments -- responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. In Band of Brothers, Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze, and died, a company that took 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office. Drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers' journals and letters, Stephen Ambrose recounts the stories, often in the men's own words, of these American heroes. 作者简介
Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers are: Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage.He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about keeping an audience engaged is put best in his own words: "As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next." Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-Day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board. His talents have not gone unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. He has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic.
前言/序言
旌旗下的群像:二战欧洲战场上的普通士兵与他们的不朽战友谊 战争的侧面:聚焦凡人英雄的史诗 在宏大战争叙事的阴影下,总有无数个体的命运被卷入历史的洪流。这本书并非聚焦于战略家的运筹帷幄或是指挥官的惊天决策,而是将镜头对准了那些最直接面对炮火、泥泞与死亡的普通步兵。它以一种近乎残酷的真实感,描绘了二战期间,一群在欧洲战场上浴血奋战的美国伞兵连队,从训练营地的青涩懵懂,到登陆诺曼底、穿越法国的血腥巷战,再到深入德国腹地的残酷围剿,最终见证了战争的终结。 本书的叙事基调沉稳而有力,它避开了过度浪漫化的英雄主义描写,转而深入挖掘了士兵们在极端压力下的人性光辉与挣扎。这不是一部关于胜利的颂歌,而是一部关于生存、责任、恐惧和深厚战友情谊的编年史。作者通过细致入微的田野调查、对大量幸存老兵的深度访谈以及对官方军事记录的审慎考证,重构了那个时代最真实的战场图景。 从伊西瓦尔到阿尔登:战火中的成长与蜕变 故事的开端,设定在1942年夏末的美国本土训练基地。一群来自不同背景、怀揣着各自梦想的年轻人,被集中到空降部队,接受着超乎想象的严酷训练。这里的描述细腻得令人窒息:单调乏味的体能操练、对“T-5跳伞装具”的恐惧、以及在教官近乎残忍的要求下,如何将一盘散沙迅速铸造成一个有机的战斗整体。这种集体制服个体意志的训练过程,为日后他们在战场上能够相互依赖、生死与共奠定了基础。 随着部队被部署到英国,他们开始感受到战争的迫近。然而,真正的考验在1944年6月6日凌晨降临。在臭名昭著的“D日”夜间空降行动中,伞兵们被分散在诺曼底的黑暗中,面对着德军密集的防空火力,他们像被风暴撕碎的纸片一样,在敌后区域零星降落。书中对这次空降的描绘极具现场感,士兵们如何在黑暗中摸索,如何寻找失散的战友,如何从恐惧中强迫自己拿起武器投入战斗,每一个细节都充满了张力。 随后的剧情,带领读者穿越了诺曼底的血腥滩头阵地、法国小镇的巷战,以及至关重要的市场花园行动(Operation Market Garden)。市场花园行动,这场雄心勃勃却最终以惨烈收场的战役,在本书中被赋予了深刻的悲剧色彩。在这里,我们看到的是一个连队如何顶住德军装甲部队的疯狂反扑,在荷兰的一座关键桥梁上坚守了数个昼夜,付出了难以承受的伤亡。 围城与冰封:巴斯托涅的考验 全书的高潮部分,集中于1944年末,德军在阿登地区发动的最后一次大规模反攻——巴斯托涅战役。当这个连队在圣诞节前夕被部署到比利时寒冷、被白雪覆盖的森林中时,他们几乎被德军的攻势所吞没。一夜之间,他们从进攻者变成了被围困的孤岛。 巴斯托涅的围城战,是检验人性与钢铁意志的终极战场。书中细致记录了补给的断绝、严寒的侵蚀、零下二十度的低温如何冻伤四肢,以及德军要求投降的最后通牒。面对绝对的劣势,指挥官那句著名的、简洁有力的回复——“NUTS!”——不仅是对敌人的蔑视,更是对自身信念的坚守。作者并未回避战争的残酷,那些关于冻伤、疾病、简陋医疗条件以及在雪地中搜寻战友遗体的描述,令人心碎。在这里,战友情不再是口号,而是互相依偎取暖、共享最后一块口粮的实际行动。 深入龙穴:跨越莱茵河与帝国终局 进入1945年,战线转向了德国本土。随着盟军跨越莱茵河,这些疲惫不堪的士兵们进入了纳粹帝国的核心地带。他们见证了集中营的恐怖真相,目睹了那些被囚禁者的枯槁与绝望,这使得他们对“为何而战”的问题有了更为深刻的理解。他们不再仅仅是为了完成任务,更是为了那些被系统性摧毁的人性而战。 书籍的尾声,描绘了战争结束后,士兵们在回归家园前的那段复杂心境。他们带回的不仅是勋章和伤疤,更是那些永远无法与和平世界完全分享的经历。他们目睹了太多的死亡,不得不学会与失去的战友共存。战争结束了,但对许多人而言,真正的战斗——如何重新融入一个没有战火、没有生死时速的社会——才刚刚开始。 叙事风格与价值 本书的价值在于其彻底的去神化处理。它用非虚构的严谨态度,捕捉了士兵群体的集体无意识。你将看到指挥官在压力下犯下的错误,看到士兵们如何通过私藏的威士忌来麻痹自己,看到他们在短暂的休整期里对家书的痴迷,以及他们对死亡的恐惧如何通过黑色幽默来短暂地压制。 这本书献给所有那些曾经并肩作战的人,那些在最黑暗的时刻依然选择坚守岗位的人。它是一部关于勇气、韧性以及人类在极端环境下建立起的无可替代的兄弟情谊的永恒记录。阅读它,如同亲身走过欧洲战场最艰难的岁月,感受那份沉甸甸的、无法磨灭的集体记忆。