Brothers in Arms: One Legendary Tank Regiment's Bloody War from D-Day to VE-Day

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In many ways, then, Holland has achieved his aim of writing a British version of Stephen E Ambrose’s Band of Brothers; the use of ‘brothers’ in the title is surely a nod to that classic of Second World War literature. The War in the West - A New History, Volume 1: Germany Ascendant 1939-1941. London: Corgi. ISBN 978-0552169202. Holland, James (2003). Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940–43. London: Orion. ISBN 978-0752852881. Holland often talks extensively and passionately about the SRY in his podcast ,(WeHaveWaysOfMakingYouTalk) and has written/edited An Englishman At Ear by Major Stanley Christopherson who is CO the SRY and features heavy in Brothers In Arms. As a writer, I want to produce books that are always entertaining, easy to read and follow, and which contain damn good stories.

Tells the story of the hard, bloody, muddy fighting that filled the rest of 1943… this excellent book reinforces Holland’s reputation as the busiest and most popular military historian of the second world war working today’ Spectator From the bestselling author of Normandy '44 and Sicily '43, a brilliant new history of the last days of the war.when winter ended the Sherwood Rangers easily pushed into Germany albeit still at the expense of many lives. I had previouly no idea just how much trouble Panzerfausts caused the allied tanks right up into the end of war, they were essentially just an anti-tank gun fired by one soldier but they inflicted huge casualties to tank crews. despite this they pushed on even though the war was all but over the German command Continued to defend fanatically blowing up bridges and laying minefields all across their country. even in April, people in the Regiment were still being killed, I found it especially sad when one of the most popular soldiers, Denis Elmore was killed with just a few weeks to go in the war. after the war, the Sherwood Rangers were dispanded and Holland dedicates a chapter at the end to all the major participants post-war lives.

This book is a testimony to Hollands handwork over the years of speaking to the veterans, their families and doing what he does best walking the ground. What I also liked is that Hollland tells us what happend to a lot of the men mentioned in the book after the war. I always appreciate and author doing this.James Holland’s The War in the West is set fair to become one of the truly great multivolume histories of the Second World War.” —Andrew Roberts, New York Times-bestselling author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War and Napoleon: A Life Holland's first historical account of World War II was published in 2003. Fortress Malta – An Island Under Siege, 1940–1943 was favourably reviewed by Nicholas Roe for The Guardian: "Fortress Malta succeeds brilliantly in showing war's human position. James Holland deftly interweaves the personal histories of pilots, soldiers, submariners, sailors, nurses, office clerks and other civilians. All are brought compellingly to life in a brisk, tightly constructed narrative that has the impetus of first-hand experience." [5] This is a remarkable book, and quite possibly James Holland's best so far. He tells the story of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, who started the war as mounted part-time cavalrymen in Palestine and ended it as a seasoned and professional tank regiment with the most battle honours of any unit in the British Army. Specifically, he is looking at their involvement in the NW Europe campaign from D-Day to VE Day. Prewar, the Sherwood Rangers had been a Territorial Army unit of part-time “Saturday Night Soldiers,” the British equivalent of the National Guard. But as Holland makes clear in this engrossing book, the Rangers evolved into a highly effective instrument of combat. Originally horse-mounted cavalry, the regiment converted to tanks and learned the hard way how to fight in the desert; it suffered badly at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 but emerged as a tough and tested unit. Its 1944-45 campaign, which began on Normandy’s beaches and ended deep inside Germany, was bloody, but successful. in terms of the style of the book there will occasionally be a break in the action as details are deluged about the soldiers personal life away from the field, such as late-night drinking sessions Golding,s latest escapades with the locals and bill Wharton's touching letters to his wife. although I enjoyed this for the most part I felt some details of the many figures in the regiment could have been spared, or possible have had a more focused look on just a few of the soldiers to limit confusion on the endless amounts of stories taking place. the struggles of life in a tank are divulged in detail, like how they stop themselves suffering fatigue while spending hours on end in what amounted from their point of view to a metal tin waiting to be hit. the Shermans themselves and the reasons they were so successful weren't discussed as much as I expected which I found disappointing considering they were some of the finest tanks ever produced up to that point.