The inspiring story of Joe Sacco and his part in the greatest battles of World War II, from Omaha Beach to the liberation of the concentration camp at Dachau, Germany. In his riveting debut, Where the Birds Never Sing, Jack Sacco recounts the realistic, harrowing, at times horrifying, and ultimately triumphant tale of an American GI in World War II. Told through the eyes of his father, Joe … through the eyes of his father, Joe Sacco—a farm boy from Alabama who was flung into the chaos of Normandy and survived the terrors of the Bulge—this is no ordinary war story. As part of the 92nd Signal Battalion and Patton’s famed 3rd Army, Joe and his buddies found themselves at the forefront—often in front of the infantry or behind enemy lines—of the Allied push through France and Germany.
After more than a year of fighting, but still only twenty years old, Joe was a hardened veteran, but nothing could have prepared him for the horrors behind the walls of Germany’s infamous Dachau concentration camp. Joe and his buddies were among the first 250 American troops into the camp, and it was there that they finally grasped the significance of the Allied mission.
Surrounded and pursued by death and destruction, they not only found the courage and the will to fight, they discovered the meaning of friendship and came to understand the value and fragility of life. Told from the perspective of an ordinary soldier, Where the Birds Never Sing contains first-hand accounts and never-before published photos documenting one man’s transformation from farm boy to soldier to liberator.
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A perspective of soldiering from an actual soldier. Well written and informative.
Thank you, Joe Sacco! This corroborates the feelings, and experiences my Dad, uncle and others communicated in re-telling their WWII war stories. War is hell. Commarderie and the love of those back home get you through, but this sort of writing is not for the faint of heart. “R” for language, of course; it’s the military.
Absolutely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t help but think of my own father that fought in the war.
Wonderful story.
So interesting to hear of a mans journey through WWII
Great book, easy read yet informative.
My son was in Signal Corp early in his Army career..have recommended that he read this book. Well written memoir of this soldiers stint in WWIi
Very disappointed when after several pages the book stopped and indicated if you wanted to read more you could purchase it for over $8.00. What I was able to read was quite interesting.
A very good book about WWII, well written and gives good insight into how things happened.
This is a true story about WWII. The part about the liberation of Dachau was heart wrenching. The main character was with General Patton through Europe. My Dad was a medic and was also with Patton and liberated Dachau. The story helped me understand what my Dad went through.
A haunting account of one of the worst travesties of the world.
I didn’t think I would have liked as much as I did. Brought the war to life and the writing is good. Highly recommend!
A real life story that everyone should read about WW2. May the world never forget the horrors of Nazism.
Another inspI ring Holocaust memoir.
This was a well written book. It tells the story from the perspective of the person who lived the war.
Loved it
Enjoyed the character development and story.
A young WWII soldier’s story. Heartwarming and written as if he was sitting across the room telling the story. I laughed, learned, cried, and felt his emotions as he travelled through Europe with his unit.