Brothers in battle, best of friends: two wwii paratroopers from the original band of brothers tell their story - william guarnere

Tom Hanks introduces the rousing story of two inseparable friends and World War II soldiers portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, in this work that is a tribute to the lasting bond forged between comrades in arms--and to all those who fought for freedom.

Tom Hanks introduces the remarkable ( Publishers Weekly ) true story of two inseparable friends and soldiers portrayed in the HBO(R) miniseries Band of Brothers .

William Wild Bill Guarnere and Edward Babe Heffron were among the first paratroopers of the U.

Army--members of an elite unit of the 101st Airborne Division called Easy Company.

The crack unit was called upon for every high-risk operation of the war, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden in Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, and the capture of Hitlers Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden.

In his own words, Guarnere gives a gripping account of D-Day from the paratroopers perspective.

Both men vividly re-create dropping into Holland to capture the roads and bridges between Eindhoven and Arnhem, known as Hells Highway.

Through much of 1944 both friends fought side by side--until Guarnere lost his right leg in the Battle of the Bulge and was sent home.

Heffron went on to liberate slave labor and concentration camps and capture Hitlers Eagles Nest hideout.

United by their experience, the two reconnected at the wars end and were inseparable up until their deaths.

Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends is a tribute to the lasting bond forged between comrades in arms under fire and to all the brave men who fought fearlessly for freedom.

Includes photographs.