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chxrles_'s review against another edition
4.0
This book was a well written and interesting read. The way it read more like a fiction novel helped me understand and enjoy the whole book. Spearhead tells a well written, true and accurate story about both German and American tank crews in WW2 and does so in a respectful way.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
emotional
informative
slow-paced
5.0
This book is about a Sherman tank crew and a Panzer tank crew, who were part of the most intense tank duel in the city of Cologne. This book was so, so moving. I never really considered what life as part of a tank crew would be like. I never expected it to be the way that it was described in this book. What a difficult, hard time. I follow Adam Makos on social media, and I loved seeing Clarence Smoyer being given such recognition. I am so glad that he and Gustav were able to meet each other outside of the war. This was such a great book, and probably the best one I had read all year. I hope that this author continues to write amazing books like this one.
wolson's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was a great book, well researched and very readable. Because the author could have in person interviews with some of the participants makes it all the better and lends itself to a conversational style. Watching a film reel of one of the tank battles (Cologne/Köln) and then rereading the section about it was great. Definitely makes we want to read more by Adam Makos.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
5.0
I wish there were more of these types of books. Not simply WWII books, but books where the author went back to the historical locations with the survivors/veterans and walked with them as they relived their experiences. Moving and well-told.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a WWII read.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a WWII read.
spitefulgod's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
bobf2d33's review against another edition
5.0
After you are done reading the book be sure to go to the author's website and watch the videos.
marymccallum99's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating book.
I grabbed off the new books shelf at my library when I saw, per the inside dustcover, it was about one of the few Pershing tanks to see duty in the ETO before the end of World War II.
But the book is primarily about the crew that mans that Pershing — right down to a dramatic face-to-face shootout with a German Panther on the streets of Cologne.
Makos includes the crew's free time in Cologne while waiting to cross the Rhine, the dead from Easy Company all the way up to division commander Gen. Maurice Rose, leading at the front, and other human interest elements.
That includes post-war guilt from the Pershing's gunner over a civilian killed on the main Cologne bridge — and similar guilt from a German Mark IV tank gunner.
That's all I can tell you without getting into spoiler alert territory.
I grabbed off the new books shelf at my library when I saw, per the inside dustcover, it was about one of the few Pershing tanks to see duty in the ETO before the end of World War II.
But the book is primarily about the crew that mans that Pershing — right down to a dramatic face-to-face shootout with a German Panther on the streets of Cologne.
Makos includes the crew's free time in Cologne while waiting to cross the Rhine, the dead from Easy Company all the way up to division commander Gen. Maurice Rose, leading at the front, and other human interest elements.
That includes post-war guilt from the Pershing's gunner over a civilian killed on the main Cologne bridge — and similar guilt from a German Mark IV tank gunner.
That's all I can tell you without getting into spoiler alert territory.
morgan_blackledge's review against another edition
5.0
Tight AF tank fights.
FUK YEAH!!!!
And one other thing:
The book does a great job personalizing the events from the perspective of the actual people who fought on both sides of the frontline.
The author met the surviving American and German veterans and even accompanied them in a truly touching and meaningful reunion at the actual site in Cologne where they fought 60 some years prior.
The sacrifices these men made, countered by their profound sense of personal responsibility meant that they carried their experience of the war into the rest of their lives.
For them, the war wasn’t a game or a movie, it was messy and real. And they had to live with the residue of their choices and the consequences for the rest of their lives.
The final chapter describes an actual reconciliation between two former combatants who met at the end of their lives, to share responsibility, honor the dead, pay their respects to one another, and to put their grief and trauma to rest in the past.
I originally gave the book 4 stars.
Why only 4 stars?
Because I don’t think it’s as good as band of brothers. Which I really really really loved. Mostly because of the miniseries which I have watched over and over, but the book is amazing too.
But after giving it some thought, I’m bumping it up to 5 stars. Mostly because the last chapter helped me remember that these were actual people, not characters in a Spielberg film, and it feels really wrong to judge this thing based purely on its entertainment value and literary merits.
The closest I’ll ever come to fighting a war is a book, movie or game. And these actual people are the reason why that is.
So five shiny fucking stars🌟
And one big thank you to all of the people who went and did that, so that I could live in safety, prosperity and freedom, and so I could experience these world changing events from the absolute comfort of my couch.
FUK YEAH!!!!
And one other thing:
The book does a great job personalizing the events from the perspective of the actual people who fought on both sides of the frontline.
The author met the surviving American and German veterans and even accompanied them in a truly touching and meaningful reunion at the actual site in Cologne where they fought 60 some years prior.
The sacrifices these men made, countered by their profound sense of personal responsibility meant that they carried their experience of the war into the rest of their lives.
For them, the war wasn’t a game or a movie, it was messy and real. And they had to live with the residue of their choices and the consequences for the rest of their lives.
The final chapter describes an actual reconciliation between two former combatants who met at the end of their lives, to share responsibility, honor the dead, pay their respects to one another, and to put their grief and trauma to rest in the past.
I originally gave the book 4 stars.
Why only 4 stars?
Because I don’t think it’s as good as band of brothers. Which I really really really loved. Mostly because of the miniseries which I have watched over and over, but the book is amazing too.
But after giving it some thought, I’m bumping it up to 5 stars. Mostly because the last chapter helped me remember that these were actual people, not characters in a Spielberg film, and it feels really wrong to judge this thing based purely on its entertainment value and literary merits.
The closest I’ll ever come to fighting a war is a book, movie or game. And these actual people are the reason why that is.
So five shiny fucking stars🌟
And one big thank you to all of the people who went and did that, so that I could live in safety, prosperity and freedom, and so I could experience these world changing events from the absolute comfort of my couch.
joshua_shaw's review against another edition
4.5
Expertly written to be both approachable and compelling, even for readers who may be less interested in what sounds like a "Dad Book" on paper, Spearhead is a riveting true account of the lives of a handful of tankers in World War II. While it certainly is filled to the brim with stories of combat and tank fights, what set it apart from me and elevated it to the coveted 5-star rating was the non-combat asides detailing the Americans' interactions with German civilians, which for me were the most interesting stories (to the point where I could probably read an entire book about American GI interactions with German and French civilians during the war). The sentimentality at the conclusion of the book is made all the more powerful given that it is nonfiction. Recommended.