Airborne ─ The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company

With an incredible World War II combat record that includes parachuting into Normandy on D-Day, service during Operation Market-Garden, at Bastogne and in Germany itself, Ed Shames was involved in some of the most important battles of the war. A member of the legendary 'Band of Brothers', Shames' own words and recollections fuel a searing account that gives a soldier's glimpse into the ferocity of the fighting on the ground and the close fellowship that developed between the men in Easy Company. The first member of the 101st to enter Dachau concentration camp just days after its liberation, Shames ended the war in the bombed out shell of Hitler's Eagles Nest, surrounded by his comrades in arms.

In this paperback edition by the author of Tonight We Die As Men, this is the phenomenal story of a remarkable young lieutenant during World War II, following him from the grueling training at Toccoa right through to the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.

Col. Ed Shames is a 'Band of Brothers' veteran. He received a battlefield commission into E ('Easy') Company of the 506th PIR on 13 June 1944 in Carentan, France. He survived the war before eventually retiring as a Colonel. He is an active member of veterans' societies.

Ian Gardner served for five years in Support Company, 10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment as a medic before leaving in 1993 due to injury. Always enthusiastic about military history, Ian became interested in World War II US Paratroopers. After a visit to Normandy in 2000 he decided to focus on the 101st Airborne Division, and in particular the Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which led to the critically acclaimed Tonight We Die As Men, co-written with Roger Day. Currently self-employed, he is married with two grown up children and lives in Hampshire.