With an incredible World War II combat record that includes parachuting into Normandy on D-Day and service during Operation Market Garden, at Bastogne and in Germany itself, Ed Shames was involved in some of the most important battles of the war. A member of the legendary Band of Brothers, Shames offers his own words and recollections that fuel a searing account, giving a soldier's glimpse into the ferocity of the fighting on the ground and the close fellowship that developed between the men in Easy Company. The first member of the 101st to enter Dachau concentration camp just days after its liberation, Shames ended the war in the bombed-out shell of Hitler's Eagle's Nest, surrounded by his comrades in arms.

In this paperback edition by the author of Tonight We Die As Men is the phenomenal story of a remarkable young lieutenant during World War II, from the grueling training at Toccoa right through to the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.

Colonel Ed Shames is a Band of Brothers veteran. He received a battlefield commission into E (“Easy”) Company of the 506th PIR on June 13, 1944, in Carentan, France. He retired as a colonel and is a member of veterans' societies.

Ian Gardner served five years in Support Company, 10th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, as a medic before leaving in 1993. His interest in the 101st Airborne Division led to the critically acclaimed Tonight We Die As Men, co-written with Roger Day. He lives in Hampshire, UK.