NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller“An irresistible history of the WWII Jewish refugees who returned to Europe to fight the Nazis.” —NewsdayThey were young Jewish boys who escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe and resettled in America. After the United States entered the war, they returned to fight for their adopted homeland and for the families they had left behind. Their stories tell the tale of one of the … families they had left behind. Their stories tell the tale of one of the U.S. Army’s greatest secret weapons.
Sons and Soldiers begins during the menacing rise of Hitler’s Nazi party, as Jewish families were trying desperately to get out of Europe. Bestselling author Bruce Henderson captures the heartbreaking stories of parents choosing to send their young sons away to uncertain futures in America, perhaps never to see them again. As these boys became young men, they were determined to join the fight in Europe. Henderson describes how they were recruited into the U.S. Army and how their unique mastery of the German language and psychology was put to use to interrogate German prisoners of war.
These young men—known as the Ritchie Boys, after the Maryland camp where they trained—knew what the Nazis would do to them if they were captured. Yet they leapt at the opportunity to be sent in small, elite teams to join every major combat unit in Europe, where they collected key tactical intelligence on enemy strength, troop and armored movements, and defensive positions that saved American lives and helped win the war. A postwar army report found that nearly 60 percent of the credible intelligence gathered in Europe came from the Ritchie Boys.
Sons and Soldiers draws on original interviews and extensive archival research to vividly re-create the stories of six of these men, tracing their journeys from childhood through their escapes from Europe, their feats and sacrifices during the war, and finally their desperate attempts to find their missing loved ones. Sons and Soldiers is an epic story of heroism, courage, and patriotism that will not soon be forgotten.
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An incredible true story of heroism and courage. The truest form of courage is knowing precisely what threat lies before you and continuing forward regardless. The Ritchie Boys and their story is the epitome of courage.
If you enjoy historical fiction, this intricately woven historical account of the boys and men who sacrificed all things is a definite must read. Rich in detail and humanity, Sons and Soldiers is a story that will stay with you long after the final page is closed.
A revelatory work about a group of Jewish men whose World War II journeys are so implausible and heroic it’s difficult to understand why so few of us knew about them before now. A book of fear, flight and almost divine retribution.
This coming-of-age saga is a story of patriotism and courage unlike any other from World War II. An unforgettable story and a great read, told in Bruce Henderson’s poignant and powerful style.
Sons and Soldiers is the riveting — and long neglected — story of Jewish refugees from Nazi barbarism who fought an intensely personal war for America. Bruce Henderson has delivered a fast-paced and rich narrative.
A triumph! More than seventy years after World War II ended, historians scramble to unearth a fresh story. With Sons and Soldiers, Bruce Henderson has found one. This gripping account of German Jews who fled their nation only to return as members of an elite U.S. Army unit to help defeat the Nazis, tugs at every emotion.
I enjoyed reading the book and also bought a copy for a friend to read. Somethings I never knew about and liked learning more about the history of the Jewish families.
Such interesting WWII history that I never new. The author makes these characters come alive and the reader shares the experience with each character. As a 4th generation immigrant of German heritage, I appreciate what these young men did in service to their adopted country.
Great history so much learned. Loved the book!
Offered insights into an aspect of WWII history not previously given sufficient attention. I especially liked the use of the testimonies from the experiences of particular Ritchie Boys.
While not the greatest written book I have read, the subject was new to me and quite fascinating to learn about. It was an aspect of actual WWII history that was deeply moving for being factual. It is worth getting through some of the awkward writing as the characters’ lives became worth caring about. Definitely worthy of good historical factual books.
A window into the personal courage of special young men caught in a tragic time
Very well presented account from a different perspective.
This book is an excellent exposition of one of the unheralded and therefore mostly unknown stories of the U.S. in the European Theater in WW2, It was painstakingly
researched and the footnotes are extensive. While there were hundreds of “Ritchie Boys” who were part of the warp and woof of this lightly mentioned segment of the war, the book focused mostly on those who not only survived the, but either wrote about their experiences agreed to discuss them in depth. In fact, their reliving the horrid memories is a big an act of courage as was their volunteering for service.
If I could find any flaw, it would be the author’s glossing over the “big picture” of the war. Had he spent a few extra pages on the background of the units the men served in, and the commanders of those units, the entire book would have more impact. For example, the 101st Airborne was rushed into the Battle of the Bulge without being re-equipped. The chaos that caused, both among the paratroopers and the units they relieved, weighed heavily on the Ritiche Boys who were serving with the airborne.
Further, more words spent on the cluster f*** of the battle around Bastogne would have made Victor Wirtz’ experience getting back to safety more edgy. Laying a more careful backstory would also have made the sacrifices of Kurt Jacobs and Murray Zappler even more poignant.
Those are minor flaws. Folks unfamiliar with the history of the units as outlined in Henderson’s book can catch the general stories elsewhere. Nowhere, however, will history buffs likely find a better exposition of the stories of those brave Jews who knowingly marched back into the maws of the dragon. They had escaped once, (some, like Martin Selling, more than once) but they needed to do their parts, however large or small in paying back the monsters who made it necessary.
I knew nothing about the contributions made by the Ritchie Boys to WWII intelligence– not even that a family members was one of the German-born Jewish men who used their knowledge of German language and culture to interrogate prisoners of war and interpret information. The book was highly readable, focusing on portraits of several men who are representative of the larger force.
Following the paths of young German born Jews who rose to escape the Nazis in a heroic manner. The story is rich in history as well as courage that is shown when the down trodden rise to join the American Army to fight the most horrendous battle ever fought.
An incredible true story of a vital part of the history of WWII in Europe of which most are totally unaware. This is not a spoiler, but as someone who grew up reading and studying WWII I know I never heard anything of the enormous impact on the outcome of the German-Jewish immigrants who served valiantly with the US forces. In addition to telling that, this book also brings to life the horror of the growth of the Third Reich. Any Holocaust denier should be required to read this. The writing in the first third of the book (the background stories) is excellent. If it had carried over through the rest of the wartime stories, it would easily rate a 5.
Interesting stories about the Richie Boys that I knew nothing about.
Very informative. Only fault was I did not like hoe it jumped from character to different characters
For readers who like war stories this is the real deal. It’s powerful narrative tells familiar stories but with a twist that makes it difficult to put down. We all know the ending but enjoy how we get there with a unique and brave cast of characters.
A well-written piece of important but previously little-known history.