Really enjoyed this book. It dove in and gave you a deeper understanding of this band and what they did during the war.
The battles they went through. The weather they had to deal with while holding positions. You felt like you were there with the descriptions. Wonderfully written
Highly recommend.

DNF @ 38%

The narrative structure is not the kind I enjoy in works of non-fiction, and the painful insertion of a sense of style is far from effective. I'm not a sucker for Special Forces' stories (personal preference) but this felt, at many points, quite interesting before the structure of it got tiring. It didn't help that Damien Lewis felt the need to repeat himself every now and then.

A good primer for someone interested in reading history in a popular format narrative. Hence, not for me.

Under Churchill's leadership, the British SAS dropped multiple teams of warriors behind Nazi lines in WWII. Their task was to disrupt communications; sabotage trains, airfields and ammo dumps; assassinate Nazi leaders; and generally spread fear and havoc among the German forces. The tactic was so successful that Hitler ordered that any parachute troops captured behind German lines were to be considered spies and executed without trial.
This book is the story of a patrol lead by Captain Pat Garstin. The book covers successful missions, but focuses primarily on a failed mission when the Nazis were tipped off and captured the majority of the warriors. It covers their interrogation at the infamous Gestapo headquarters at 84 Avenue Foch in Paris and their execution at Noailles Wood. Two SAS soldiers survived the execution which lead to the development of a group to track down war criminals after the victory in Europe. The book covers the detective work which lead to the arrest, trial and hanging of several of the Nazis involved in the execution of the SAS fighters.
This book covers a part of WWII that is not often told. It is well researched and easy to read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Churchill’s “Band of Brothers” describes a heroic, yet sad, episode in Western Europe during World War II. The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) was a special British commando force that was trained to disrupt enemy activities behind enemy lines. The SAS achieved many notable successes helping the conventional Allied forces drive through France and into Germany to defeat Nazi Germany. This story described the heroism, devotion to duty, perseverance, and sacrifice by one of the SAS units.
I am not, by nature, a fan of war stories. However, for the most part this book captured my attention all the way to the end. There were some moments where I “sped read” but far fewer than I expected when I opened up to Chapter 1. The book is written matter-of-factory: if I could have open access to the author I would have asked for the narrative to have been written more dramatically: there are enough incidences that were certainly dramatic enough to warrant an “edge-of-your-seat” dramatic flourish. Other than that…congratulations to Damien Lewis for bringing this compelling story to our generation.

Sad, but a fact of life when Wartime is in Play. This type of book is out of my wheelhouse which made it all the more amazing to be such an awesome read! It kept me engaged from the beginning to the end. I was mesmerized by the authors descriptive writing style and the overall style of the book.
I love history, but this was never covered in any history lesson I received. We owe a great deal to those men who died and their families for what they were trying to achieve for the safety of the world. We owe all the men and women who lost their lives during that horrible tragedy.
The technology and British SAS were exemplary in aiding the downfall of Hitler. This book goes into such suspenseful moments about the missions and what was useful during the attacks that one almost feels like they have stepped into the pages of the past.

I definitely would recommend this book and if I could rate it higher than five stars I would!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Churchill's Band of Brothers by Damien Lewis
It took me a while to get through this. It started off kinda slow for me, but picked up later on. This ended up as a good story of the SAS missions to France. I have read other stories about the French Resistance, and thought this book might be good. After it picked up, it didn't disappoint, with the ending being War Crimes Trials, for thos who had once killed the SAS men.

I had a difficult time getting through Churchill's Band of Brothers. I found myself getting lost with too much information and a lack of flow. The first chapter was very choppy. A lot of books start out rough and soon become a joy to read.

I kept reading the book, although I usually don't when I find it a struggle. I wanted more information about WWII Britain. My family rarely talks about their experiences of living through the war. My great uncle was captured at Dunkirk. My uncle was in the Navy. My aunt was a WAAC. My mom was frequently in a bomb shelter.

I want, no I need, to understand what they went through. Unfortunately this book did not give me much insight. I don't remember reading about David Stirling in my past readings. I am hoping that after I do some research into him I can come back and enjoy this book.

This is another great history by Damien Lewis. It reads so quickly and gives such insight to how one mission can play a role in the larger war. It has the same development of characters and tension building as the Amazing War Stories podcast and is very easy to picture it becoming a movie or limited TV series. Damien Lewis always delivers a compelling read!

A gripping account of SAS action in WW2 France and the efforts to bring justice for the murder of those soldiers. I found the story completely enthralling and I could not put this book down. It was truly inspirational. A must read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Churchill’s Band of Brothers” by Damien Lewis is a thrilling story of real-life commandos of the British SAS operating behind enemy lines in WWII. Their work in the lead up to the Operation Overlord (D-Day) and during helped prevent the allied landing from being pushed back into the sea. Later work helped thwart the Nazi plans.

The book is painstakingly researched, and the families of the men involved provided some of the data, heretofore unseen. The story begins almost like a war novel until what you are reading is real. The exploits of the SABU-70 patrol are riveting.

Churchill wanted and as it turned out probably needed these “hunter” groups working behind enemy lines. But these type groups often get betrayed and when that happened with the Nazis death was often the sentence. Resilience and perseverance were key aspects in these “hunter squadrons.”

Finishing the story is the trials of some of the German leaders/officers involved in atrocities of murder and torture as well as violations of the Geneva convention. A fitting way to end the epic story of how one group helped decide the outcome of the war.

This is not a novel so one should not expect it to be a quick read but if anyone is wanting to learn more about this period of world history and in particular the British SAS this is the book for you.

400 pages

5 stars

This is the true story of an SAS team of twelve men who were parachuted into France in June of 1944. They were to prevent Hitler's panzers from getting to the D-Day landing beaches by any means necessary.

What a daunting task. This book tells of their operations and various attempts to prevent the Nazis from advancing. While making some victories, they were betrayed and captured by the Gestapo. Suffering horrible physical and psychological torture, they were eventually taken to the woods to be shot.

Somehow, two of the men managed to escape their fate and finally made it back home. They suffered further privations and a perilous journey.

Following the fall of Germany and the end of the war, the Gestapo agents involved in the torture and murder of the SAS men were brought to trial. Except for one. The worst of the lot.
Instead, he was given a new identity and worked for the British government. I can't begin to say how much this angered me. (I know the United States did the same for some top level Nazis, as probably did other countries.)

This is such a sad story for those brave men who risked everything for their country. One must ask themselves, “And for what?” I feel so sorry for the men and their families.

The book is very well written. It is accessible to every one who has an interest in WWII, the Nazis or just loves military history. It is easy to read and follow. It is clear that Mr. Lewis did some exhaustive research in order to complete. He has also included a bibliography for those who would like to further explore the subject.

As Mr. Lewis states, “There is no running from the ghosts of the past.”

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.