Not quite done, but am rewatching The American pendant "Band of Brothers" (having also read Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" a while back) while listening to this one. It makes sense for this story to be told, too, as it makes the story of an individual battalion into a narrative of national pride through the perspective of some. Not surprisingly, then, the books are not very different, down to the cast and the characters. Major Richard Winters, US army, is perfectly mirrored in CO Stanley Christopherson of the Sherwood Rangers as an example of a fair and competent leader, we have examples of suffering, humour, bravado, the shortcomings of such a big campaign and, most of all, companionship for which the term "brotherhood" is only partially correct, but makes for a strong sense of belonging and mutual confidence. Overall, both paint a horribly realistic picture of the absurdity and the atrocities of war.
Both books may overdo it a little bit it terms of German determination and strength by focusing on the most bloody encounters (although casualties were still cruelly high!), but God knows we did wreak havoc all around the world and cause an incredible amount of suffering even in retreat, so if that were so who can blame the authors.
Addition: Now that I've read it and know the numbers of casualties and - quite literally - odds of surviving, at least for this regiment, I take back the claims that the Germand may have been represented as too strong. Strength and determination may have been wavering by the end, but until then, both German orders (to stand fast and not yield) and allied orders (to advance as quickly as possible so as not to give respite to the enemy) inflicted severe losses to both sides.

James Holland continues to tell the story of WW2 well and with great interest. We follow a British Tank Regiment from D-Day until VE Day and we learn much about the Sherman Tank, a frequently reviled weapon of WW2. Life in a WW2 tank was extremely dangerous, especially for the commander, as he was required to direct the tank by standing up in the turret.
Holland's depiction of the Sherwood Ranger's bloody tour from D-Day to the V-E conclusion is a vivid reminder of an oft-daily litany of grievous wounds, deaths, and terrible slogs through the bocage, mud, and ugly weather. The dedication of men like those depicted is often overlooked when history is written. ( )

Considering the never-ending onslaught of books on World War II, I've been aware of James Holland for awhile, but nothing that he has previously written really seemed essential to me. However, the "Band of Brothers" treatment of a tank unit did seem like a worthwhile exercise, and from here on out I'm going to be paying attention to this author. While the focus is on the men who passed through this unit, and the sheer awfulness of the war of attrition that they were thrown into, Holland does a very good job of imparting hard information on just how all the moving parts worked, making no presumptions that the reader understands how such a basic tank unit does its job. There is really nothing to mark this book down for but it does peak early with its coverage of the battles to break out of Normandy, before settling into coverage of the grinding infantry-support battles that the Sherwood Rangers were involved in. ( )

Another excellent history from James Holland.

It may come as a surprise as to how vulnerable a crew inside an armoured vehicle actually were. Especially as they were often in the lead when approaching enemy positions, with accompanying infantry either alongside or following behind. The effects of being hit by an armour-piercing round from other tanks, anti-tank guns or the hand-carried 'Panzerfaust' weapons is described in harrowing detail. Even if a crew managed to escape from a tank that was 'brewing up' after being hit, they still stood a good chance of being hit by machine gun fire from the enemy position.

There was an extraordinarily high casualty rate from the Sherwood Rangers, and the effects of this on the men are described, together with the letters that had to be written to their families. Of particular interest is the extraordinary bravery and persistence of their Padre, which regularly put himself into danger rescuing bodies and seeing that they had a decent burial and that he position of the grave was marked. Some of the details of what he had to deal with are also harrowing.

More positively, this is also a story of great bravery and sacrifice. One feature that is mentioned on several occasions age of many of the main players. Young men of 20-21 with huge responsibilities for a crew and their part in the campaign, and many of these lost their lives.

What is particularly sad is those who died in the very last days of the war, when it all seemed so pointless, but a surrender had not yet been declared.

Highly recommended if you want to understand about sacrifice and also the ultimate waste of war. ( )