Brothers in arms : one legendary tank regiment's bloody war from D-day to VE-day

Title:

Author:

Holland, James, 1970- author.

ISBN:

9780802159083

Edition:

First Grove Atlantic hardcover edition.

Physical Description:

lxv, 524 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 25 cm.

General Note:

"First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Bantam Press, and imprint of Transworld Publishers"--Title page verso.

Contents:

Part I: Summer- Normandy -- Passage -- Rough Landings -- Off the Beaches -- Point 103 -- Felled in the Field -- Tragedy at Tilly -- A Brief Discourse on How the Regiment Worked -- Into the Woods -- On the Hoof -- Fontenay -- Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright -- Faces Gone, Faces New -- Exhaustion -- Back into Action -- Bloody Ridge -- Letters Home -- The Noireau -- Part II: Autumn- Belgium and the Netherlands -- The Chase -- Talking with the Enemy -- Surrounded -- Gheel and Garden -- Luck -- Part III: Winter -- Revolving Doors -- Geilenkirchen -- Mud -- The Red Badge of Courage -- Snow and Ice -- Cleve -- Part IV: Spring- Germany -- The Rhineland -- Crossing the Rhine -- Pursuit -- War's End.

Corporate Subject:

Great Britain. Army. Nottinghamshire Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Europe.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain.

Summary:

"In the annals of World War II, certain groups of soldiers stand out, and among the most notable were the Sherwood Rangers. Originally a cavalry unit in the last days of horses in combat, whose officers were landed gentry leading men who largely worked for them, they were switched to the "mechanized cavalry" of tanks in 1942. Winning acclaim in the North African campaign, the Sherwood Rangers then spearheaded one of the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, led the way across France, were the first British troops to cross into Germany, and contributed mightily to Germany's surrender in May 1945. Inspired by Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers, acclaimed WWII historian James Holland memorably profiles an extraordinary group of citizen soldiers constantly in harm's way. Their casualties were horrific, but nonetheless their ranks immediately refilled. Informed by never-before-seen documents, letters, photographs, and other artifacts from Sherwood Rangers' families-an ongoing fraternity-and by his own deep knowledge of the war and of tank warfare, Holland offers a uniquely intimate portrait of the conflict at ground level. He introduces heretofore unknowns such as Commanding Officer Stanley Christopherson, squadron commander John Semken, Sergeant George Dring, the remarkable regimental chaplain Leslie Skinner, and other memorable characters who helped the regiment become the single unit with the most battle honors of any ever in the British army. Following the Sherwood Rangers' brutal journey over the dramatic eleven months between D-Day and VE-Day, weaving their exploits into the larger narrative and strategy of the war, Holland argues that the U.S.-built Sherman tank in which they fought was one of the finest in action, and he presents a vivid and original perspective on the endgame of WWII in Europe." --

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	940.541241 HOL	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	940.541241 HOL	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Celebrated military historian James Holland chronicles the experiences in World War II of the legendary tank unit, the Sherwood Rangers

In the annals of World War II, certain groups of soldiers stand out, and among the most notable were the Sherwood Rangers. Originally a cavalry unit in the last days of horses in combat, whose officers were landed gentry leading men who largely worked for them, they were switched to the "mechanized cavalry" of tanks in 1942. Winning acclaim in the North African campaign, the Sherwood Rangers then spearheaded one of the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, led the way across France, were the first British troops to cross into Germany, and contributed mightily to Germany's surrender in May 1945.

Inspired by Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers , acclaimed WWII historian James Holland memorably profiles an extraordinary group of citizen soldiers constantly in harm's way. Their casualties were horrific, but their ranks immediately refilled. Informed by never-before-seen documents, letters, photographs, and other artifacts from Sherwood Rangers' families--an ongoing fraternity--and by his own deep knowledge of the war, Holland offers a uniquely intimate portrait of the war at ground level, introducing heretofore unknowns such as Commanding Officer Stanley Christopherson, squadron commander John Semken, and Sergeant George Dring, and other memorable characters who helped the regiment become the single unit with the most battle honors of any ever in the British army. He weaves the Sherwood Rangers' exploits into the larger narrative and strategy of the war, and also brings fresh analysis to the tactics used.

Following the Sherwood Rangers' brutal journey over the dramatic eleven months between D-Day and V-E Day, Holland presents a vivid and original perspective on the endgame of WWII in Europe.

Author Notes

One of WWII's finest historians, James Holland is the author of Sicily '43 , Normandy '44 , Big Week , The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike Back in the War in the West trilogy, and Dam Busters . He has written and presented the BAFTA shortlisted documentaries Battle of Britain and Dam Busters for the BBC, and his WWII podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk , now has millions of listeners.
griffonmerlin.com
@james1940

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

The heroic exploits of the British Army's Sherwood Rangers tank unit over the last 11 months of WWII are richly documented in this sweeping chronicle from historian Holland (Sicily '43). After helping to secure victory in North Africa, the regiment, which up until 1941 had fought on horses, re-assembled and trained in England before taking part in the D-Day landings at Normandy. Weeks of "inch-by-inch, yard-by-yard" fighting ensued, as regimental officers struggled to coordinate with infantry, artillery, and air support, while crews quickly learned how to get out of a burning tank before being incinerated. Holland describes the unit's chaplain bringing bodies back from the front lines for burial, and commanding officer Stanley Christopherson's agony over the condolence letters he wrote to families. There are also lighter moments, such as when a trio of officers swilled champagne at the Hotel Ritz in recently liberated Paris. By the time the Rangers crossed the German border in November 1944, the regiment had suffered more than 300 casualties. In May 1945, they were battling the last diehard Nazis near Bremen when word came down that Germany had finally surrendered. Vivid eyewitness accounts, colorful character sketches, and lucid tactical discussions make this a must-read for military history buffs. Agent: Patrick Walsh, PEW Literary. (Nov.)

Kirkus Review

A fine account of the brutal daily experiences of a celebrated British tank regiment. World War II historiography received a shot in the arm with Stephen Ambrose's 1992 book, Band of Brothers, which eschewed the traditional campaigns-and-commanders format to describe a single unit's experience. In his latest, veteran military historian Holland, author of more than 10 books about WWII, tries his hand successfully with the Sherwood Rangers. A British cavalry regiment throughout World War I, in 1942, the Rangers converted to armor in time to fight at El Alamein and then across North Africa. Withdrawn to Britain, they trained throughout early 1944 and then came ashore on Gold Beach on D-Day. This book is the result of massive research in British and American archives, plus a few interviews with survivors, and the author includes a generous selection of maps and photos. The text is best suited for military buffs, as Holland delivers an intense, 400-page description of the regiment's nearly yearlong battle across France, Belgium, and Germany. An expert military historian, the author steps back regularly from battlefield fireworks to explain tactics and technical details. The Rangers mostly drove American Sherman tanks, denigrated from the beginning for having smaller guns and less armor than German tanks, but Holland records few complaints. They were reliable, easy to operate, and quick to repair compared to German behemoths, and they could fire a shell every three seconds. The regiment's Shermans destroyed many Tigers and Panthers, and shells that bounced off distracted their operators. Readers who assume that it was safer to be inside a tank will quickly realize their error thanks to Holland's precise accounts. Casualties were high, and deaths often gruesome from burns or suffocation. Many popular historians write that German resistance collapsed once the Allies crossed the Rhine, but this wasn't the experience of the Rangers, who fought and died until a few days before the end. One of the better recent blow-by-blow chronicles of a World War II unit. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal Review

Military historian Holland (Sicily '43) turns his keen storytelling skill to the Sherwood Rangers, a British tank unit that had, by the end of the Second World War, amassed more battlefield honors than any other unit in British army history. Originally formed as a mounted cavalry unit, the Rangers formed the tip of the Allied spearhead on D-Day and paved the way for the success of the invasion, Holland argues. The Rangers fought with tenacity throughout the war while suffering a tremendous number of casualties, earning the distinction of being the first British unit to set foot on German soil. While many histories portray the Allied victory as inevitable, Holland focuses on the battles and personalities of the Rangers to prove this view to be misleading; the Rangers faced some of their hardest fighting tank-to-tank fighting and gut-wrenching losses after the breakout from Normandy, he argues. This excellent history of the Rangers is based on numerous interviews, letters, and diaries of many of the unit's members. Maps and photos bring more depth to the story. VERDICT An excellent addition to other World War II unit histories and a must-read for anybody interested in military history and the Second World War.--Chad E. Statler, Westlake Porter P.L., Westlake, OH

Note on the Text	p. ix
List of Maps and Aerial Photographs	p. xi
Note on Maps and Aerial Photographs	p. xiii
Maps and Aerial Photographs	p. xiv
Principal Personalities	p. lxii
Prologue	p. 1
Part I Summer - Normandy
1 Passage	p. 13
2 Rough Landings	p. 27
3 Off the Beaches	p. 38
4 Point 103	p. 52
5 Felled in the Field	p. 67
6 Tragedy at Tilly	p. 74
7 A Brief Discourse on How the Regiment Worked	p. 83
8 Into the Woods	p. 99
9 On the Hoof	p. 113
10 Fontenay	p. 126
11 Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright	p. 138
12 Faces Gone, Faces New	p. 152
13 Exhaustion	p. 165
14 Back into Action	p. 178
15 Bloody Ridge	p. 189
16 Letters Home	p. 202
17 The Noireau	p. 212
Part II Autumn - Belgium and the Netherlands
18 The Chase	p. 227
19 Talking with the Enemy	p. 240
20 Surrounded	p. 250
21 Gheel and Garden	p. 265
22 Luck	p. 277
Part III Winter
23 Revolving Doors	p. 295
24 Geilenkirchen	p. 309
25 Mud	p. 322
26 The Red Badge of Courage	p. 333
27 Snow and Ice	p. 345
28 Cleve	p. 358
Part IV Spring - Germany
29 The Rhineland	p. 375
30 Crossing the Rhine	p. 389
31 Pursuit	p. 402
32 War's End	p. 415
Postscript	p. 427
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations	p. 435
Appendix 1 Make-up of an Armoured Regiment	p. 437
Appendix 2 Commanders within the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, D-Day to VE-Day	p. 441
Appendix 3 Medals Won by the Men of the Sherwood Rangers, D-Day to VE-Day	p. 443
Appendix 4 The Tanks: The Sherman and the Firefly	p. 449
Appendix 5 Letter from Major John Semken to Mr Heenan	p. 460
Notes	p. 463
Selected Sources	p. 483
Acknowledgements	p. 495
Picture Acknowledgements	p. 501
Index	p. 507

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Library Journal Review

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