Citizen Soldier by Stephen Ambrose is about the combat soldiers serving in WWII starting the day after D-Day and ending May 7, 1945, the end of the war in Europe. This collection of memoirs is filled with personal accounts of soldiers from both sides; German, American, British, and Canadian. It is written from the soldier he had interviewed memories and he bound them together with facts and historic happenings.
In depth it tells stories of how life was for the infantry soldier and the battles that took place. The book’s title depicts what the book is exactly about, not the politics or top Army brass, but the citizen soldiers fighting the war. In addition to text, the novel includes numerous pictures, tables, and maps. Tables show statistics of the dead and wounded of various military divisions. Maps give a visual explanation of where the battles took place. The book thoroughly explains the horrors of war and the grim reality of it such as the Concentration Camps found by the Allies. There is in which a German and American medic fight to the death in the middle of a firefight to treat the wounded. There are very few incorrect interpretations such as in one photo that depicts a Stuart tank, and in the caption it states it is a Sherman tank. The book is broken into campaigns during WWII such as the Normandy Breakout, Falaise Gap, the Siegfried Line, Battle of the Bulge, and Battle of Germany. Other, smaller battles that grab the readers attention such as when Infantrymen of the US Army attempt to blown open a Medieval, steel door with everything they have, including: bazookas, howitzers, and tanks at point blank range.
I strongly recommend this book because it explains how past generations sacrificed their lives to fight for their country. It follows soldiers and does it in a way that makes the reader want to read more.