Fighting with the Screaming Eagles: With the 101st Airborne Division from Normandy to Bastogne

Robert Bowen was drafted into Company C, 401st Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, as World War II broke out, and soon afterwards found himself storming ashore amid the chaos on Utah Beach, through unfamiliar terrain littered with minefields and hidden snipers. He was wounded during the Normandy campaign but went on to fight in Holland and the Ardennes where he was captured and his “trip through hell” truly began. Written shortly after the war, Bowen's narrative is immediate, direct and compelling. His account, one of the few by a member of a glider regiment, is a brutal insight into the battlefields of World War II and a vivid recreation of just what life was like in an elite unit. From the horror of D-Day and the despair of captivity, to the taste of C Rations and the fear of soldiers under fire, this memoir tells the full story of one man's total war. ILLUSTRATIONS 50 photographs

About the Author :
Robert Bowen was drafted into Company C, 401st Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, as World War II broke out, and soon after found himself storming ashore amid the chaos on Utah Beach, through unfamiliar terrain littered with minefields and hidden snipers. He was wounded during the Normandy campaign but went on to fight in Holland and the Ardennes, where he was captured and his "trip through hell" truly began. Christopher J. Anderson has written many articles on military history, and is the author of The U.S. Army Today, Patton's Third Army and The Fall of Fortress Europe in the G.I. Series. George Koskimaki was born in Michigan in 1922. While still in college, he enlisted in the Army and joined the famous 101st Airborne Division, The Screaming Eagles as a paratrooper and radio operator. After retiring, Koskimaki served as the Executive Secretary of the 101st Airborne Division Association. He was a, teacher, military historian and author of multiple books on United States military operations in the European Theater of World War II, particularly operations carried out by the 101st Airborne Division. He passed in 2016 at the age of 93.

Review :
Normally books written about the American airborne Divisions are a bit 'gung-ho', but this carefully crafted text by ex-gliderman Robert Bowen is truly one of the best first hand accounts of warfare that I have ever read. The Glider Troops of the 101st did not have such an illustrious time as their 'jumping' brothers and did not even get to wear the boots or badge until months after Normandy. The author paints a vivid picture of life as a gliderman and life as a combat soldier. The author states quite categorically that his life was changed forever by the twin experiences of battle and imprisonment as POW for the last months of the War - and not for the better. He was obviously an effective soldier who did his job well but who also had plenty of luck. His text tell show he did his best to look after the comrades around him both before and after his promotion and he also describes the desperate loss of comrades whose 'luck ran out' and this he does in a most compassionate way. Highly recommended. Immediate, direct and compelling. His account, one of the few by a member of a glider regiment, is a brutal insight into the battlefields of World War II and a vivid creation of just what life was like in an elite unit. From the horror of D-Day and the despair of captivity, to personal recollections of ordinary men in an extraordinary conflict, this memoir tells the story of one man's total war. The author writes in an easy to follow engaging manner: I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual book and can recommend it. Uniquely captures the thoughts and emotions of a soldier from the 1940s, his narrative reads like a diary instead of a history. His accounts are largely drawn from his own wartime letters, dutifully saved by his wife. The letters, which provide first-hand accounts written within hours of each event, are a treasure of facts and emotions not subject to memories 50 years faded. They are, quite simply, a time capsule of the emotional culture of the period . . . Bowen points out that just being a survivor in war is an achievement. His amazing story, from historic pitched battles to prisoner-of-war experience easily supports that testament. I highly recommend Bowen's book for several reasons: it is good recreational reading for the historical student'; it is a good historical reference of World War II glider troops; and it is an excellent resource for understanding the period experiences of the common infantry soldier. Bowen describes the horror of his war, sometimes in graphic detail. ... One of the best aspects of this book is its collection of photographs. When combined with the descriptive stories, the fifty or so photographs make you feel as if you were lucky enough to have this veteran sit down with you as he brought out his personal photo album, touching each photo, his voice full of emotion, as he tells you the story behind each photo and the stories of the soldiers with whom he served. Bowen shares his experiences in vivid detail. Fighting with the Screaming Eagles is a worthy book about a common soldier on an extraordinary journey. Bowen compiled his account just after the war, drawing on his memories and the collection of letters he had written home to his wife over the course of the campaign. The precision of his descriptions and his ability to tell a story make his experience come to life, proving once again that there is no substitute for the historian who had lived his or her subject. The understated heroism of Bowen and his comrades shines through his humility and candor. The authorÕs wit and ability to cultivate the images of his experiences in the minds of his readers make Fighting With The Screaming Eagles a valuable contribution to the growing body of works that cover the Allied invasion of Western Europe in World War II. Robert Bowen has written an enlightening and riveting book that details his service in the 101st Airborne Division during the latter half of World War II . . . Vivid mental images readers can visualise, smell and conceptualise . . . Readers will find Nazi treatment of American POWs gut-wrenching and horrifying. His eye-opening experience at the stalags will keep any reader spellbound, as it paints a picture any author has unlikely to have provided before . . . From one former Screaming Eagle to another, an excellent book and a real credit to the story of the 101st Airborne Division during the cold days and nights of Winter 1944, leading to Victory in Europe (VE) day.' Truly one of the best first-hand accounts of warfare that I have ever read . . . The author paints a vivid picture of life as a gliderman and life as a combat soldier . . . Highly recommended.