The true story of the 101st Airborne Division’s most notorious squad of combat paratroopers—the inspiration for the classic WWII film, The Dirty Dozen. Since World War II, the American public has learned of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the 101st, one unit attained truly legendary status. … attained truly legendary status. Known as the Filthy Thirteen, they were the real-life inspiration for The Dirty Dozen.
Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy Thirteen became notorious within the elite Screaming Eagles for their hard drinking and savage fighting skills. From D-Day until the end of the war, the squad’s heart and soul—and its toughest member—was a half Native American soldier named Jake McNiece. McNiece made four combat jumps, was in the forefront of every fight in northern Europe, yet somehow never made the rank of PFC.
The Filthy Thirteen offers a vivid group portrait of hardscrabble guys whom any respectable person would be loath to meet in a dark alley: a brawling bunch whose saving grace was that they inflicted more damage on the Germans than on MPs, the English countryside, and their own officers.
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Great book about soldiers WWII experience
Great read
I had heard of the this group, were actually in the same unit as Dick Winter’s ‘Band of Brothers’. Where Winters was always a by the book, do the right thing paratrooper, the guys here sometimes made their own rules with the same results. A good read with lots of action
For anyone who has been in the service this man’s experiences just don’t ring true. He would have been court martialed so many times he would never have been in combat. Stealing jeeps, shooting game in England, disrespecting every officer, and all the other shenanigans would have him in jail very quickly. The combat scenes are believable as they are corroborated, but the rest is just not believable. Too bad.
Told the story of a warrior in WWII as it really was.
This is the story of one squad of the 101st Airborne during World War II. It is mostly told from the perspective of Jake McNiece, who lived only to fight hard, drink hard, and chase women. Generally well-written. Oh yes, and there is a surprise about Jake at the end.
A waste of time nothing but bragging. So bored quit book after 20 or so pages
As I read this book, I thought Jake McNeice had to be the biggest blow hard ever. No one could have been or done what he had. The author documents with footnotes (the kindle version allows you to jump back and forth) which includes interviews with other vets from the Filthy 13, the 101st, and other units. By the end of the book, I had to wonder why this story had not been written much earlier. Jake is not ‘likable’ in many ways but he appears to be one of those men who rise up in every war – a warrior but also a natural leader. He is proud that he was never promoted above ‘private’ yet even in training in the states, he is placed in charge of his team. During all of the combat drops, Jake is an acting Sergeant or Staff Sergeant. At Pathfinder command, the commanding officer makes him the field 1st Sergeant. In each of these positions, he does what a NCOs are know for – he takes care of his troops and trains them up for the mission. One of the most remarkable items in the book was while he was a Pathfinder. During the D-Day combat drop, the pathfinders have a 80+ percent mortality rate. When Jake takes two teams into the 101st in a combat jump during the battle of the bulge, he reverses that ratio. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the history of WW2 or the airborne.
I enjoyed this book very much. This guy is a warrior and survivor which is needed on any battlefield. I am glad he is one of the lucky ones who came home and finally got his life together in a non combat environment. His attitude sustained him and the people who were around him….brutal and honest….
Thank you for what you and others did to keep us free….
I agree with the author in that Jake knew how to tell a story but I didn’t find it humorous. Jake’s actions were irresponsible and immature. He was so proud of telling about his antics. I didn’t finish the book because behavior wasn’t impressive enough to hold my interest
Based largely on one man’s alleged recall of what happened to the 101st Airborne Division in Europe. This one man army’s recall doesn’t comport with more credible account’s, such as Stephen Ambrose’s “Band of Brothers”.
Surprised me. I expected a WW2 tale, but was surprised by a very honest telling by a VERY straightforward and UNUSUAL member of the greatest generation. I really don’t think they make them like that anymore.
I found the book boring . The author trying to be accurate went too far explaining
My ,Dad served in this same setting during World. War 2; he was also from Oklahoma. Anyone wanting a feeling for actual conditions during warfare will enjoy this. I regret not learning more about his own experiences; these vets seldom talked about it.
This book makes you understand the hardships and dedication of the WWII soldier.
Chest thumping proud of acts of war that would be criminal outside of war. Sick, arrogant, twisted.