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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.
hraschko's review against another edition
4.0
This specifically focuses on tank drivers in WWII. I absolutely loved the ending.
dws405's review against another edition
5.0
The stories shared in this book are gripping. Well worth the time to read. One thing I learned from this book is that one should never lose their humanity while in an awful situation. Once your humanity is lost, you are lost. But, if you keep your humanity in tack, goodness will flow....even in inhumane situations, such as war.
Did I say read this book? Please do.....it is wonderful.
Did I say read this book? Please do.....it is wonderful.
best_you_ever_read's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book. An incredible amount of research was done to recreate the story. I really came to care for these men and their fates. It really brings WWII to life. I'm glad their story was told.
yeah_i_guess_i_read's review against another edition
5.0
This book will forever be dear to my heart. Both my great-grandpa’s served in WWII and one of the served in a tank. This book was so well written and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about tanks in WWII.
samizimecki's review against another edition
4.0
Narrative non-fiction following US tankers during WWII BUT also has insights from a German tanker as well as a few other people. I read a lot of this type of genre, but I feel like there is always something knew to learn.
What I loved so much about Spearhead was that there was a lot of pictures to go with everyone, so while I do wish there was a sort of character chart in the beginning of the book so you can reference who was part of what besides just the obvious Axis vs Allis. Also the book didn't just end with the guys making it home. While there is a recap of how a few of the guys lived out the rest of their lives, we learn that Clarence and Gustav, the two main tankers from opposite sides, actually met up in person.
Makos has a ton of bonus information on his website with more videos, photos and interviews on all of his books, and it's worth the visit. 4 stars and I'll definitely be checking out his other books.
What I loved so much about Spearhead was that there was a lot of pictures to go with everyone, so while I do wish there was a sort of character chart in the beginning of the book so you can reference who was part of what besides just the obvious Axis vs Allis. Also the book didn't just end with the guys making it home. While there is a recap of how a few of the guys lived out the rest of their lives, we learn that Clarence and Gustav, the two main tankers from opposite sides, actually met up in person.
Makos has a ton of bonus information on his website with more videos, photos and interviews on all of his books, and it's worth the visit. 4 stars and I'll definitely be checking out his other books.
bradley_jf's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this, especially how the author incorporated the perspectives of soldiers on both sides of the war.